Chapter 12- Congress in Action

Section 1- Congress Organizes

• Some 30,000 people work for the legislative branch

• On the first day of a new term, Congress sets the rules and organization.

• The Clerk of the House in the preceding term presides, or chairs at the beginning of the 1st session.

• Roll call is then called, and then a Speaker is chosen

• The Speaker of the House is chosen by the majority party’s members beforehand.

• The Democrats sit to the right of the center aisle, the Republicans to the left ( from the Speaker’s stand)

• There are 20 Permanent Committees of the House

Senate Organization

• One third of the Senate seats are up for election every two years.

• Therefore, the first day of the new term does not require as much organizational work the first day

State of the Union

• The State of the Union is delivered each January, by the President to a joint session of Congress.

• The President lays out the policies that his administration will follow.

Presiding Officers

• Speaker of the House– Elected presiding officer of the House, and the

acknowledged leader of his/her party.– 2 duties

Preside and keep order» Interprets and applies the House rules, rules on outcomes

of votes, refers bills to committees etc. - Names all members of select and conference

committees, - Signs all bills and resolutions passed by the house

• The Speaker of the House can vote and debate on any matter– Must vote to break a tieThe Speaker follows the V.P. in terms of Presidental

SuccessionPresident of the Senate

The Vice President is the President of the Senate- Is not chosen, and not a member of the Senate

• The V.P. cannot take the floor to speak or debate, and can only vote to break a tie.

• President Pro Tempore- Serves in the V.P.’s absence– A leading member of the majority party, usually

the longest serving

Party Officers

• Party Caucus- A closed meeting of the memebers of each party in each house.– Deals with matters of party organization, selects

floor leaders.• Policy Committees act as executive committees for the

caucusesFloor Leaders-

Are party officers and legislative strategists.- Try to steer floor action to their party’s benefit.

• Whips- Assistant floor leaders for each party.• Serve as a liaison between the leadership and

party members. – They make sure that votes are tallied, and see

members are present for important votes• They also make sure nonvotes cancel each other out.Committee Chairmen - Head standing committees in each chamber

-decide when committees will meet, which bills they take up, etc.

• Seniority Rule– Unwritten custom stating that most important

positions are led by those party members who have the longest record of service.

Section 2- Committees In Congress

• Standing Committees- Permanent panels to which bills are sent.

• There are 20 in the House, and 16 in the Senate.

• The fate of most bills is decided in these committees

• Most handles bills dealing with certain policy matters, such as Veteran’s Affairs, Science etc.

• - When a bill is introduced in either house, it is usually referred to the appropriate standing committee

• Memebers of each committee are formally elected at the beginning of each term

• Majority party always holds a majority of the seats on each standing committee

• Most standing committees are divided into subcommittees, with each responsible for a slice of the work

Select Committees

• Set up for a specific purpose, and for a limited time.

• Most are formed to investigate a current matter

• Can also investigate to focus public attention on an issue

Joint & Conference Committees

• Joint Committee– Made up of members of both housesConference Committee

- A temporary joint body that is formed to iron out differences in a bill that has different versions passed in the House and the Senate.

Section 3- How a Bill Becomes a Law- The House

• Bill- A proposed law presented to the House or Senate for consideration.

• Most bills originate from the executive branch or from interest groups and other sources.

Types of Bills & Resolutions

• Bills– 1. Public Bills- Measures that apply to the nation

as a whole– 2. Private Bills- Measures that apply to certain

persons or places.Resolutions1.Joint Resolutions- Deal with unusal or temporary

manners. Have the force of law when passed

• 2. Concurrent Resolutions- Deal with matters in which the House and Senate must act jointly. – DO NOT have the force of law, and do not require

the President’s signature.3. Resolutions- Deal with matters concerning either

house alone, and are only taken up by that house. -reguarly used for things such as the adoption of a new rule or procedure

• Rider- A provision not likely to pass that is tacked on to an important measure that is certain to pass.

Process

• - the 1st reading of the bill take place. The bill is read by the clerk of the House, and is given a title and is put in official records.

• 2nd reading takes place during floor consideration

• 3rd reading takes places just before the final vote

• This system exists to allow for careful consideration of the bill

• After the 1st reading, the bill is sent to the appropriate standing committee by the Speaker

• Many bills are pigeonholed, or die in committee, never to be acted upon

• Some bills are buried on purpose, and can be pulled out via a discharge petition.

Committee Actions ( what they do with bills)

• 1. Report the bill with a “do pass” recconmendation. Chairman then steers floor debate

• 2. Refuse to report the bill.• 3. Report the bill in amended form.• 4. Report with unfavorable reccomendation• 5. Report a Committee Bill ( entirely new bill)

One The Floor

• If the bill reaches the floor, it gets a 2nd reading

• Quorum- Majority of the full membership ( 218) must be present for the House to do business

• Debate– 1. cannot hold the floor for more than an hour

w/o. unanimous consent– 2. Stray from subject = give up the floor

Voting

• Votes must be taken on each amendment as well as motions

• 4 methods for floor vote:– 1. Voice vote– 2. Standing vote– 3. 1/5 for a teller vote– 4. Role call vote– Most voting done today is by electronic method

Section 4- Bill in the Senate

• Bills are introduced by Senators• Debate is different in the Senate– Floor debate is unrestrained in the Senate– Senators may speak on the floor as long as they

please– Can speak on any measure– No Senator may speak more than twice on a given

question in the same legislative day

• By recessing, or interrupting the day’s session, the Senate can prolong a “ legislative day” indefinitley

Filibuster

• To talk a bill to death• A stalling tactic used to delay or prevent

Senate action on a measure• The record is by Senator Strom Thurmond– 24 hr. 18 min. to attempt to stop the Civil Rights

Act of 1957

Cloture Rule

• Enacted in 1917 after 2 senators filibustered for 3 weeks

• Cloture means to limit debate– It can only be brought in by a special procedure– Vote must be taken 2 days after action is called for– If 3/5 of Senators vote for it, it becomes effective,

and no more than 30 hours can be spent on the measure before final vote

Cloture hesitation

• 1. Dedication to Senate tradition of free debate

• 2. Worry that fequent use of cloture will undercut the value of filibusters

Presidential Action

• Once a bill is passed through Congress, it is sent to the President, who has 4 options:

• 1. Sign the bill into law• 2. Veto or refuse to sign the bill, upon which,

it goes back to the House it originated with the President’s objections

• Veto may be overruled by a 2/3 vote of full membership of each house

• 3. President can choose not to act on a bill within 10 days, therefore, allowing for it to become law

• 4. Pocket Veto- Congress adjourns its session within 10 days of submitting the bill, and the President doesn’t act on it.