Chapter 7

Congress at Work

7-1 How a Bill Becomes a Law

• Public – applies to whole nation

• Private – applies to an individual; i.e. immigration issues

• Ryder – unrelated issue attached to a law that is likely to pass; often “pork” being sneaked in

Types of Laws

Types of ResolutionsBecomes a law if passed?

Requires president’s signature?

Applies to: Uses or examples:

Simple No No One house of congress

Joint Yes Yes Whole nation

Correct error in earlier law; appropriate money

Con-current

No No Congress Set date of Congress’ adjournment; express Congress’ opinion

1. Introduce 2. Committee Action3. Floor Action4. Conference Action5. Send to President 6. Signature, 10-day rule or veto

How Laws are Made – Simplified

• Hearings – testimony from expert witnesses, government officials and/or interest groups

• Markup session – committee makes changes in bill

• Reporting a bill – committee sends bill and its report to House or Senate

Committee Action

• “Pigeonholing” – committee lets a bill die by doing nothing

• Line-item veto – ability to veto portions of a bill (usually appropriations)

• Appropriation – approval of government spending

Vocabulary

7-2 Taxing and Spending Bills

The committees that work on tax laws are:

• House Ways & Means Committee

• Senate Finance Committee

Taxes

The president proposes the annual budget

The budget must be approved by Congress in a two-step process

• Authorization bill – approves a program

• Appropriations bill – approves the funding

House & Senate appropriations committees deal with this

Appropriations

Uncontrollables – spending to which the government is committed by previous laws or contracts (about 70% of budget)

Entitlements – social programs that continue from one year to the next

Vocabulary

7-3 Influencing Congress

• Representatives listen to:– Visits home / face-to-face meetings

– Letters, faxes, e-mails, form letters

– Surveys

– Polls

– Key supporters

• Why? Reelection!

• Constituents expect politicians to defer to the district’s needs more than the “good of the nation”

Constituents

• Strong influence on economic and social policy issues

• Less influence on foreign policy

Why?

• Elected officials tend to have the same views as their parties

• They can’t be experts on everything

• They get pressured

• They want election support

Political Parties

• President

• Special interest groups / lobbyists

• PAC’s (Political Action Committees)

• Lobbyists or PAC’s may represent:– Businesses

– Labor unions

– Professions (doctors, educators, etc.)

– Non-profits (environmental groups, etc.)

Other Influences

7-4 Helping Constituents

• Casework – helping constituents with problems related to government

• Public works – infrastructure – “built” environment” under the jurisdiction of a government

– Roads, mass transit, airports

– Sewage, water supply, dams

– Sometimes hospitals, schools, jails

• Pork Barrel legislation – benefits a particular district

• Logrolling – lawmakers helping each other get federal projects for their districts

Vocabulary