Congress Gets Congress Gets Organized!Organized! The First Day in the HouseThe First Day in the House

All members are sworn inAll members are sworn inHouse elects the SpeakerHouse elects the Speaker

Always a member of the Always a member of the majority party – they have majority party – they have picked him in private picked him in private meetings before sessionmeetings before session

Congress Gets Congress Gets Organized!Organized! The First Day in the HouseThe First Day in the House

Members are put into Members are put into committeescommitteesMajority party gets a majority Majority party gets a majority in in everyevery committee committee

Seniority Rule Seniority Rule

Congress Gets Congress Gets Organized!Organized!

First Day in the SenateFirst Day in the Senate1/3 of the members are 1/3 of the members are sworn sworn

Vacant committee seats are Vacant committee seats are filledfilled

House LeadershipHouse Leadership

Speaker of the Speaker of the HouseHouse John Boehner John Boehner R-OH)R-OH)

Presides over Presides over House House sessionsession

House LeadershipHouse Leadership

Speaker of the Speaker of the HouseHouse Refers bills to Refers bills to

relevant relevant committeecommittee

Appoints Appoints members of members of the Rules the Rules committeecommittee

House LeadershipHouse Leadership

House Majority House Majority LeaderLeaderEric Cantor Eric Cantor (R-VA)(R-VA)

Helps Helps Speaker to Speaker to plan party plan party strategystrategy

House LeadershipHouse Leadership House Majority House Majority

WhipWhipKevin Kevin McCarthy (R-McCarthy (R-CA)CA)

Right hand Right hand man of Maj. man of Maj. LeaderLeader

House LeadershipHouse Leadership Link between Link between

leadership and leadership and “rank and file”“rank and file”

Check who plans Check who plans to vote and howto vote and how

Persuade Persuade “defectors” to “defectors” to vote with the vote with the partyparty

House LeadershipHouse Leadership

House Minority House Minority LeaderLeader Nancy Pelosi (D-Nancy Pelosi (D-

CA)CA) Plans minority Plans minority

party strategy to party strategy to take power backtake power back

Expected to Expected to become Speaker become Speaker if they winif they win

House LeadershipHouse Leadership

House House Minority WhipMinority WhipSteny Hoyer Steny Hoyer (D-MD) (D-MD)

Strategy & Strategy & adviceadvice

Senate LeadershipSenate Leadership

President of President of the Senatethe Senate= Vice = Vice President of President of the U.S.the U.S.

Joe BidenJoe Biden

Senate LeadershipSenate Leadership

Presides over Presides over the Senatethe Senate

Powerless and Powerless and thankless jobthankless job

V.P. has better V.P. has better things to dothings to do

Can only vote to Can only vote to break a tiebreak a tie

Senate LeadershipSenate Leadership President Pro-President Pro-

Tempore of the Tempore of the SenateSenateDaniel Inouye Daniel Inouye (D-HI)(D-HI)

Presides in Presides in place of the place of the VPVP

Senate LeadershipSenate Leadership President Pro-President Pro-

Tempore of the Tempore of the SenateSenate Longest serving Longest serving

member of the member of the majority partymajority party

Also doesn’t Also doesn’t want to do it, want to do it, passes the job passes the job off on junior off on junior membersmembers

Senate LeadershipSenate Leadership

Senate Senate Majority LeaderMajority LeaderHarry Reid Harry Reid (D-NV)(D-NV)

Senate LeadershipSenate Leadership

Senate Senate Majority LeaderMajority LeaderHarry Reid Harry Reid (D-NV)(D-NV)

Plans party Plans party strategystrategy

Senate LeadershipSenate Leadership

Places bills on Places bills on the calendar the calendar for votingfor voting

May speak May speak first on any first on any billbill

Senate LeadershipSenate Leadership Senate Majority Senate Majority

WhipWhipRichard “Dick” Richard “Dick” Durbin (D-IL)Durbin (D-IL)

Organizes Organizes votes, advise votes, advise Maj. LeaderMaj. Leader

Senate LeadershipSenate Leadership

Senate Senate Minority Minority LeaderLeaderMitch Mitch McConnell McConnell (R-KY)(R-KY)

Senate LeadershipSenate Leadership

Senate Minority Senate Minority WhipWhip John KylJohn Kyl (R-AZ)(R-AZ) Strategy, Strategy,

advice organize advice organize votes, order of votes, order of businessbusiness

CommitteesCommittees

Committee – expert groups of Committee – expert groups of Congressmen who decide Congressmen who decide what bills will go to the whole what bills will go to the whole house for a votehouse for a vote

Most work in Congress is Most work in Congress is done in committeesdone in committees

Types of CommitteesTypes of Committees

Standing Committee – Standing Committee – permanentpermanent committees that committees that remain from session to sessionremain from session to sessionExamples: Foreign Relations, Examples: Foreign Relations, Armed Services, Agriculture, Armed Services, Agriculture, JudiciaryJudiciary

Types of CommitteesTypes of Committees Select or Special Committees Select or Special Committees

– – TemporaryTemporary committee to committee to investigate wrongdoing or investigate wrongdoing or research a special matterresearch a special matterExamples: Senate Examples: Senate Watergate Committee, Watergate Committee, Select Committee on AgingSelect Committee on Aging

Types of CommitteesTypes of Committees

Joint Committees – have Joint Committees – have members of both the House members of both the House and Senateand SenateConference Committees – Conference Committees – compromise different compromise different versions of bills between versions of bills between House and SenateHouse and Senate

Types of Bills and Types of Bills and ResolutionsResolutions

What is the deal with types of

bills and resolutions?Bill – Addition or change to public law

Types of Bills and Types of Bills and ResolutionsResolutions

What is the deal with types of

bills and resolutions?Resolution – possibly legally binding, but not always

How a Bill Becomes a LawHow a Bill Becomes a Law

For a brief overview, let’s For a brief overview, let’s watch a short documentary watch a short documentary on the processon the process

How a Bill Becomes a LawHow a Bill Becomes a Law

Step 1 – The HouseStep 1 – The HouseBill is introducedBill is introduced

Can only be introduced by Can only be introduced by a member of the Housea member of the House

Bill is read to the entire Bill is read to the entire chamberchamber

How a Bill Becomes a LawHow a Bill Becomes a Law Step 2 – The HouseStep 2 – The House

Referred to a standing Referred to a standing committeecommitteeSpeaker of the House Speaker of the House chooses the committeechooses the committee

Full committee decides Full committee decides whether to consider it, or whether to consider it, or “pidgeonhole” it“pidgeonhole” it

How a Bill Becomes a LawHow a Bill Becomes a Law Step 3 – The HouseStep 3 – The House

Referred to subcommitteeReferred to subcommitteeChairman of the committee Chairman of the committee decides which subcommitteedecides which subcommittee

Subcommittee does the vast Subcommittee does the vast majority of research and work majority of research and work on the billon the bill

90% of bills die in steps 2 and 390% of bills die in steps 2 and 3

How a Bill Becomes a LawHow a Bill Becomes a Law Step 4 – The HouseStep 4 – The House

Committee/Subcommittee HearingsCommittee/Subcommittee HearingsGovernment officials, experts invited Government officials, experts invited to speak in favor or against billsto speak in favor or against bills

Congressmen may take “junkets,” or Congressmen may take “junkets,” or trips to locations for further researchtrips to locations for further research

Meanwhile, they “markup,” or make Meanwhile, they “markup,” or make changes to the billchanges to the bill

How a Bill Becomes a LawHow a Bill Becomes a Law Step 5 – The HouseStep 5 – The House

Sent back to full committeeSent back to full committeeCommittee can eitherCommittee can either

Send the bill to step 6 with Send the bill to step 6 with a “do pass” a “do pass” recommendationrecommendation

Or refuse to report the bill, Or refuse to report the bill, thus killing itthus killing it

Oh, no!!

How a Bill Becomes a LawHow a Bill Becomes a Law

*If the rest of Congress *If the rest of Congress disagrees with a committee’s disagrees with a committee’s decision to kill a bill, there is decision to kill a bill, there is one option*one option*

Discharge Petition – majority of Discharge Petition – majority of the House votes to pull a dead the House votes to pull a dead bill out of committeebill out of committee

How a Bill Becomes a LawHow a Bill Becomes a Law

Step 6 – The HouseStep 6 – The House Referred to Rules CommitteeReferred to Rules Committee

Places bill on the calendarPlaces bill on the calendarSets the rules for time limits and Sets the rules for time limits and number of amendments allowednumber of amendments allowed

If they refuse to put rules on it…If they refuse to put rules on it…

Oh, no!!

How a Bill Becomes a LawHow a Bill Becomes a Law

Step 7 – The HouseStep 7 – The HouseWhole House DebatesWhole House Debates

Debate is meaningless Debate is meaningless these days – no one even these days – no one even shows up, except those shows up, except those scheduled to speakscheduled to speak

How a Bill Becomes a LawHow a Bill Becomes a Law

Step 8 – The HouseStep 8 – The HouseWhole House VotesWhole House Votes

Majority vote passes, Majority vote passes, sends bill to the Senatesends bill to the Senate

How a Bill Becomes a LawHow a Bill Becomes a Law Step 9 – The SenateStep 9 – The Senate

Introduced in the SenateIntroduced in the Senate Step 10 – The SenateStep 10 – The Senate

Referred to a standing Referred to a standing committeecommitteeSenate Majority Leader Senate Majority Leader chooses which committeechooses which committee

How a Bill Becomes a LawHow a Bill Becomes a Law

Step 11-12 – The SenateStep 11-12 – The SenateSame as House – referred to Same as House – referred to subcommittee, back to subcommittee, back to committee, then out to floor committee, then out to floor for debatefor debate

How a Bill Becomes a LawHow a Bill Becomes a Law Step 13 – The SenateStep 13 – The Senate

Whole Senate DebatesWhole Senate DebatesNo Rules Committee, so no No Rules Committee, so no limits on time or amendmentslimits on time or amendmentsFilibuster – talking at length Filibuster – talking at length to stall action on a bill, can to stall action on a bill, can only be ended by cloture (60 only be ended by cloture (60 votes)votes)

Riders – amendments that Riders – amendments that have nothing to do with a billhave nothing to do with a bill

This leads to…

2002-2004 Taxpayers Paid 2002-2004 Taxpayers Paid For…For…

$167,000 for Horn Fly Research (AL)$167,000 for Horn Fly Research (AL) $1 million for Mormon Cricket $1 million for Mormon Cricket

suppression (UT)suppression (UT) $2 million for the “First Tee” $2 million for the “First Tee”

program, teaching inner-city kids to program, teaching inner-city kids to play golfplay golf

$270,000 for potato storage (WI)$270,000 for potato storage (WI) $270,000 to combat “Goth Culture” $270,000 to combat “Goth Culture”

(MO)(MO)

Pork Barrel SpendingPork Barrel Spending

How congressmen “bring How congressmen “bring home the bacon”home the bacon”

Shows constituents that their Shows constituents that their congressman gets “things” congressman gets “things” for their district or statefor their district or state

Helps congressman win Helps congressman win reelection!reelection!

How a Bill Becomes a LawHow a Bill Becomes a Law Step 14 – The SenateStep 14 – The Senate

Senate votesSenate votes Step 15 – Conference CommitteeStep 15 – Conference Committee

Members of both houses’ Members of both houses’ subcommittees that worked on subcommittees that worked on the bill compromisethe bill compromise

Both houses then vote again on Both houses then vote again on the compromise billthe compromise bill

How a Bill Becomes a LawHow a Bill Becomes a Law Step 16 – The PresidentStep 16 – The President

President has 4 options:President has 4 options:Sign the bill, make it lawSign the bill, make it lawVeto the bill, explain whyVeto the bill, explain why

Goes back to Congress, Goes back to Congress, who can override with who can override with 2/3 vote in both houses2/3 vote in both houses

How a Bill Becomes a LawHow a Bill Becomes a Law

Wait 10 days and let it Wait 10 days and let it become law without his become law without his signaturesignature

Pocket Veto - If Congress Pocket Veto - If Congress ends its session before 10 ends its session before 10 days are up, bill dies days are up, bill dies without a vetowithout a veto