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Congress
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CommitteesCommittees are the most important organizational feature of Congress
Consider bills or legislative proposals
Maintain oversight of executive agencies
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america.gov
guides.library.msstate.edu
Committees Conduct investigations
Membership is divided in proportion to the membership of the respective branch of Congress
Assignments usually are based on party loyalty and length of service
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wiki.verkata.com
amesfetzer.blogspot.com
Types of Committees
Standing committees: permanent bodies with specified legislative responsibilities Hold meetings, hear speakers, and gather information about a bill
Foreign Affairs, Agriculture, Budget
Subcommittees – subdivisions on specific issues Africa, Middle East, Europe
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Types of CommitteesSelect committees: groups appointed for a limited purpose and limited duration – often related to scandals
Joint committees: those on which both representatives and senators serve
5Joint Committee on Taxation
jct.gov
House Select Committee on Intelligence
thefullwiki.org
Types of CommitteesConference committee: a joint committee appointed to resolve differences in Senate and House versions of the same piece of legislation before final passage
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chsdemocrats.house.gov
Committee PracticesMajority party has majority of seats on the committees and names the chair
House - Committee Chairmen are limited to three terms
Speaker of the House to four terms
Senate – Committee Chairmen are limited to six years
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Senator Herb Kohl Chairman of the Senate Special Committee on Aging
ayselthofner.com
Committee Membership How would the length of service on a committee benefit a member of Congress?
Specialization – It allows the member to become an expert in developing policy
Allows for a division of labor
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southernshiftnews.wordpress.com
Congressman Paul Ryan
Committee Membership
They are not dependent on the executive branch for guidance
They can pay special attention of a few areas of legislation
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tulanelink.com
Congressman F. James Sensenbrenner
Committee MembershipHow does the number of party representatives on committees benefit the party?
Committee representation reflects the whole chamber
It allows the party to control the agenda
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dane101.com
Senator Ron Johnson
Committee Membership
It allows the party to determine the leadership on the committees – gives direction to the legislative discussions
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examiner.com
Congressman Tom Petri
Congressional StaffConstituency service is a major task of members’ staff
Legislative functions of staff include devising proposals, negotiating agreements, organizing hearings, and meeting with lobbyists and administrators
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dreamstime.com
Congressional Staff
Members’ staff consider themselves advocates of their employers
Much of the negotiation over bills is conducted by the staff intermediaries
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clevelandseniors.com
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Personnel: Each Member is allotted $748,312 to hire up to 18 staff and four additional temporary, part-time, or shared staff. Staff can not be paid more than $151,974 per year.
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Senators do not have a limit on the amount staff they can hire. Administrative and clerical: This allowance is allocated based on the size of the Senator's state. The amount varies from $1,685,301 for a state with a population less than 5 million to $2,833,718 for a state with a population topping 28 million. Legislative assistance: Each Senator is allotted $450,477 to hire three Legislative Assistants to be paid no more than $150,159.
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http://www.legistorm.com/
ResolutionsSimple Resolution - simple resolutions are used to express nonbinding positions of the House/Senate or to deal with the House/Senate's internal affairs, such as the creation of a special committee.
They do not require action by the other Congressional body.
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Simple House ResolutionH.RES.96 : Recognizing the soldiers of the 14th Quartermaster Detachment of the United States Army Reserve who were killed or wounded by an Iraqi missile attack on Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, during Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the attack.
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ResolutionsConcurrent Resolution - A legislative
measure, generally employed to address the sentiments of both chambers, to deal with issues or matters affecting both houses, such as a concurrent budget resolution, or to create a temporary joint committee.
Concurrent resolutions are not submitted to the President and thus do not have the force of law.
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Concurrent ResolutionH.CON.RES.31 : Expressing the sense of Congress that the President is required to obtain in advance specific statutory authorization for the use of United States Armed Forces in response to civil unrest in Libya.
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ResolutionsJoint Resolution – a legislative measure,, which requires the approval of both chambers and, with one exception, is submitted (just as a bill) to the President for possible signature into law.
J.R. also are used to propose constitutional amendments – these resolutions require a two-thirds affirmative vote in each house but are not submitted to the President; they become effective when ratified by three-quarters of the States.
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Joint ResolutionThe Iraq Resolution or the Iraq War Resolution (formally the Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution of 2002, 116 Stat. 1498, enacted October 16, 2002, H.J.Res. 114) is a joint resolution passed by the United States Congress in October 2002 as Public Law No: 107-243, authorizing the Iraq War.
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Joint ResolutionCongress by joint resolution called on the United States to recognize Texas's independence from Mexico in 1836.
Another significant joint resolution was the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution of 1964, by which the Congress authorized President Lyndon B. Johnson to take any military action necessary to prevent communist aggression in South Vietnam.
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How a Bill Becomes a LawBill must be introduced by a member of Congress
Bill is referred to a committee for consideration by either Speaker or presiding officer of the Senate
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opensecrets.org
How a Bill Becomes a Law
All bills for raising revenue must originate in the House
Most bills die in committee
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freedomist.com
How a Bill Becomes a LawAfter hearings and mark-up sessions, the committee reports a bill out to the House or SenateBill must be placed on a calendar to come for a vote before either houseHouse Rules Committee sets the rules for consideration
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thecapitol.net
Rules of DebateQuorum – the minimum number of members that must be present to conduct business
Committee of the Whole – requires only 100 House members – They can do everything to a bill, except vote on it (218 members are required in the House)
Cloture - shuts off a filibuster – requires 3/5ths of the Senate – 60 members
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Rules of DebateDouble tracking – a procedure used to keep the Senate going during a filibuster – temporarily shelve the disputed bill so the Senate can go on with other business
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Rules of DebateHold - An informal practice by which a Senator informs his or her floor leader that he or she does not wish a particular bill or other measure to reach the floor for consideration.
The Majority Leader need not follow the Senator's wishes, but is on notice that the opposing Senator may filibuster any motion to proceed to consider the measure.
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How a Bill Becomes a LawBills are debated on the floor of the House or Senate
If there are major differences in the bill as passed by the House and Senate, a conference committee is appointed
The bill goes to the president31
How things work - HouseDischarge petition – procedure used to get a stalled bill out of a committee
House – Closed Rule – strict time limit, forbids introduction of amendments from the floor, only allows amendments from the sponsoring committee
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How things workOpen Rule – permits amendments from the floor
Restrictive Rules – limits the type of amendments from the floor
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How a Bill Becomes LawThe president may sign it
If the president vetoes it, it returns to house of origin
Both houses must support the bill, with a two-thirds vote, in order to override the president’s veto
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Congressional LexiconRider – a provision added to a bill that is not germane to the bill’s purpose
Christmas Tree Bill – the addition of many riders to a bill
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Congressional LexiconPork Barrel – a piece
of legislation that contains benefits to an individual Congressmen’s district – the hope is to win additional votes in future elections
Log Rolling – supporting legislation of another in return for support of their bill
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Powers of the House and SenateThe House elects the President, if neither of the candidates receives a majority vote in the Electoral College
Impeachment – The House determines whether or not to bring criminal charges against a federal official
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Powers of the House and Senate
The Senate conducts the trial and votes to convict and remove an impeached official
The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court serves as the trial judge
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Powers of the House and SenateThe Senate selects the Vice-President when the Electoral College fails
The House initiates all revenue bills
The Senate ratifies all treaties
The Senate confirms judicial and executive appointments
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House – Closer to the people
More representative of and responsive to the public because of its size and two-year terms
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Powers of the House and SenateSenate - more mature/”august” body
Longer and staggered terms
More closely reflects state, rather than individual district, interests
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