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The Representatives & Senators$175,000/yr House & Senate$223,000/yr Speaker & V.P.$193,400/yr President Pro Tem/
Majority & Minority
Non-Salary: “Fringe Benefits” Tax deductions Travel allowances Health & Life insurance Retirement plan Allowances for offices and staff Franking privilege – mail postage-free Free printing Free from arrest while in session (Excluding cases of
treason and felony)
Avg. cost per citizen =
hamburger, fries, & a Coke
The Representatives & Senators Characteristics of Members of Congress
NOT a cross section of the American people White, male, mid-60’s 94/538 – Women* 43/538 – African American* 28/538 – Hispanic* 9/538 – Asian* Most are lawyers; 72% have college degrees Upper-middle class hard-working Americans (Typical
Schedule begins @ 8:00am, ends @ 9:30pm)
* According to the statistics for the 111th Congress
Why Bicameral? A Bicameral Congress – 2 House
Legislature1. Historical: Most of the Framers of the
Constitution were already familiar with the British Parliament (2 Houses: House of Lords & House of Commons)
2. Practical: fair and equal representation in both houses of Congress
3. Theoretical: in hopes that one house might act as a check on the other
Terms & Sessions Terms of Congress – 2 years
Start Date: January 3rd of odd-numbered years Sessions – period of time in which
congress assembles and conducts business 2 Sessions for every term Adjourning a session can be done by both
houses or the president Special Sessions: called in case of an
emergency
Congress
1.Larger body Smaller body
2.Shorter term Longer term
3.Smaller Larger constituencies constituencies
4.Younger Older membership membership
The House of Representatives
The Senate
5.Less prestige More prestige
6.Lower visibility Higher visibility in in the news media the news media
7.Strict rules, Flexible rules, limited debate nearly unlimited
debate
8.Most work is done Work is split more in committees, Not on evenly betweenthe floor committees and
the floor
The House of Representatives
The Senate
9.No power over Approves or rejects treaties and treaties and presidential presidentialappointments appointments
10.Single-member At-large electionsdistrict elections
The House of Representatives
The Senate
Congressional Elections Incumbents: those already holding office
Incumbents usually win Easier for those in the House than the Senate –
Why?
Richard Luger
Senator
1976 – Present
Currently in 6th Terms
Todd Rokita
Representative
2010- Present
Currently in 1stTerm
Advantages of Incumbents Advertising
Visibility is #1: visits home, ads, etc. Credit Claiming
Go to Constituents and stress policymaking record
Servicing the Constituency through Case Work (“Cutting through the Red Tape”)
Pork Barrel: federal projects and grants available to cities, businesses, colleges and institutions
How is Congress Organized? The Presiding Officers
Speaker of the House: is both elected presiding officer of the House and the acknowledged leader of its majority party
Presides over every session of the House, or occasionally appoints a member as the temporary presiding officer
Follows the Vice President in the line of succession to the presidency
How is Congress Organized? The President of the Senate =
Vice President Constitution assigned the job – not
chosen by a party Powers: recognize members, put
questions to a vote, etc. Can NOT take the floor to speak or
debate and may vote only to break a tie
How is Congress Organized? President Pro Tempore serves
in the Vice President’s absence Is elected by the Senate itself
and is always a leading member of the majority party
Follows the Speaker of the House in the line of presidential succession
How is Congress Organized?The Floor Leaders
Majority/Minority Floor LeadersThe Majority Floor leader’s post is
the more powerful in each house because they hold more seats (votes) than the other party
Majority/Minority Whips: assistant floor leaders
How is Congress Organized? Committee Chairmen: those
members that head the standing committees in each chamber
Seniority Rule Unwritten custom Head of each committee is almost
always the longest-serving majority party member of that committee
Committees in Congress The Role of Committees
Committee Assignments House: 19, 9 – 75 members in each Senate: 17, 12 – 28 members in each Representatives are usually assigned to one
or two; Senators three or four Bills receive their most thorough
consideration while in committee
Committees in Congress The House Rules Committee: “Traffic Cop”
Every bill must be cleared by the Rules Committee
Select Committees: most are formed to investigate a current matter (Ex. Study of the Elderly, Covert operations in Iran, Spruce Budworm problem, etc.)
Joint & Conference Committees: One composed of members of both houses
Standing Committees: Separate subject-matter committees in each house of Congress that handle bills in different policy areas
How a Bill Becomes a Law 1st Step: Introduced, given a name and
number (Ex. H.R. 3410 or S. 210) Bill in Committee
Most bills introduced Congress are pigeonholed – die in committee
Introducing the Bill in the Senate Bill are introduced by Senators; Private citizens can
create a bill (not introduce) Rules for Debate
The Filibuster An attempt to “talk a bill to death;” stalling tactic to delay
or prevent action on a measure Cloture Rule: used to stop a filibuster (needs 3/5 vote to
end it)
President’s Powers The President may sign the bill, and it then
becomes law (LAW) The President may veto the bill. He will not sign
and will attach a veto message to the bill. (NOT LAW, YET – Congress may get a combined 2/3 agreement – BECOMES LAW)
The President may allow the bill to become law without signing it – by not acting on it within 10 days, not counting Sundays, of receiving it. (LAW)
Pocket Veto: If Congress adjourns its session within 10 days of submitting a bill to the President, and the President does not act, the measure dies (NOT LAW)