How Congress Works

A Bill v. A Law

Bill - a proposed new law introduced within a legislature that has not yet been passed, enacted or adopted

A Bill v. A Law

Law - a bill or act passed by a legislative body

Types of Bills• public bill – proposed legislative bill that

deals with matters of general concern and application

• private bill – a proposed legislative bill that deals with specific private, personal, or local matters rather than general affairs

• appropriation bill – legislative motion authorizing the government to spend money

Types of Resolutions

• simple resolution – measure dealing with “house-keeping” or procedural matters that only affect one house

• joint resolution – measure when approved by both houses and the president carries the force of law

• concurrent resolution – legislative motion that must be approved by both houses, but does not have the force of law

resolution - a measure expressing opinions on policies or issues

Legislator Representative

Committee Member

Partisan

Politician

How should I vote?

My constituents first or my

country???

Floor vote on

the Energy Bill!

A Congressman’s Balancing Act

Navigating the Legislative Obstacle Course

Step 1: An Idea for a Bill Sources:

Step 2: Writing & Introduction of BillSenate:• Bill formerly

read aloud on floor

• Bill then given to clerk

• Referred to committee by Steering Committee

House:• Bill dropped in

hopper• Referred to

committee by the Speaker

Sen. Smith introduces bill on the Senate floor

~ Mr. Smith Goes to Washington

Step 3: Committee Action• On average, 4,000 to 5,000 bills are

submitted to Congress each year• Every bill is assigned a number and is sent to the

appropriate standing committee• New bills typically go directly to a subcommittee,

which can hold hearings on the bill• Experts testify, other evidence is considered• Bills are “marked-up” (revised and rewritten)• Subcommittees send bills to full committee for

final revisions and a recommendation

Step 3: Committee Action II• Bills receiving a favorable committee report are

reported out for consideration by the whole House (placed on a calendar) or Senate.– Most bills die in committee (pigeonholed)– If a majority of the House wishes to consider a bill,

they can force it out of committee with a discharge petition (requires a majority vote of all House members

• committee members serve as “floor managers” of the bill

HOUSE CALENDARS• Union Calendar

– Required for any bill involving revenue or appropriations ($$$$$$$)– This will be a Committee of the Whole and can include non-money bills

• House Calendar– Bills that do not involve raising or spending money

• Private Calendar– Dealing with a particular individual or corporation

• Corrections Calendar– Federal rules or court decisions, 60% vote required to pass

• Calendar of motions to discharge committees– An attempt to force a bill out of committee when the committee is

blocking

Step 4: Floor Action - Senate• Party leaders schedule

bills for floor debate on the calendar

• Unlimited debate• Filibuster - member(s)

keep talking to block debate on a bill

• Cloture vote by 3/5 of Senators (60) can end filibuster

• Floor vote: Roll Call, Standing, Voice Senator Strum Thurman still holds the record for the longest

filibuster - 24 hrs 18 min. on the 1957 Civil Rights Act

Step 4: Floor Action - House

• Rules Committee schedules bills on calendar & decides whether amendments may be added

• Limited debate• Floor vote:

Recorded, Standing, Voice

Step 5: Approved Bill Crosses Over to Other House

• Approved bill must pass each chamber by a simple majority

Step 6: Conference Committee

• Members from each chamber meet to reconcile differences in the two bills

Senate-House Conference Committee works out details of the 2003 Healthy Forest Restoration

Act

Step 7: Both Chambers Vote on Final Version of the Bill

Step 8: President Considers Bill

President can:1. sign the bill

into law (~2.5%)2. veto bill 3. pocket veto

Note: Congress can override veto with 2/3 vote in each house; only 4% of vetos have been overriden

Sausage Making• Presidents and Congress: Partners and

Protagonists– Presidents attempt to persuade Congress that

what they want is what Congress wants.– Presidents have many resources to influence

Congress.

Sausage Making

• Party, Constituency, and Ideology– Party Influence – Party leaders cannot force

party members to vote a particular way, but many do vote along party lines.

– Polarized Politics – Differences between Democrats and Republicans in Congress have grown considerably since 1980.

Sausage Making

• Party, Constituency, and Ideology– Constituency Opinion – On the controversial

issues, members are wise to vote based their constituency opinion.

– Member Ideology – The dominant determinant of member’s vote on most issues is their ideology.

Sausage Making

• Lobbyists and Interest Groups– 35,000 registered lobbyists represent 12,000

organizations seeking to influence Congress.– The bigger the issue, the more lobbyists will be

working on it.– Lobbyists try to influence legislators’ votes.– Congress can ignore, reject, and regulate the

lobbyists.

Sausage Making• “Pork” – aka “pork-barrel legislation” – bills to

benefit constituents in hope of gaining their votes• Logrolling – Congress members promise to

support each other’s proposals through an exchange of votes and persuasion

• Christmas-tree bill –bill with many riders (pork)– in Senate, no limit exists on amendments, so

Senators try to attach riders that will benefit their home state

TERM LIMITS DEBATENo current limit on how many terms

members of Congress can serve1. Some argue this has weakened popular

control of Congress, reps might be unresponsive to their constituents

2. Some argue most experienced reps have the expertise to bring home more benefits (pork, riders, etc.)

Critical Thinking:

Fact: About 5,000 bills are introduced in Congress every year, but only about 150 are signed into law.

1.Explain why so few bills become law.2.Is that a good thing or a bad thing?3. Should the legislative process in Congress be

reformed? If yes, what changes would you recommend? If not, why not?

Title: Imagine there’s no Congress Artist: Joe Heller, Green Bay Press-GazetteDate: 6/06/07 Source: http://www.politicalcartoons.com/

Artist: RJ MatsonDate: 6/14/07Source: http://themoderatevoice.com/category/politics/political-cartoons/

Source: http://bigpicture.typepad.com/ Date: 5/6/06