How Congress WorksPart 1:

Who’s in Congress?

Demographic Profile of Congress

Age Groups

EthnicityGender

Party

Source: http://www.congress.org/congressorg/directory/demographics.tt

House-Senate Differences House

435 members; 2 yr terms

Low turnover Speaker bill referral

hard to challenge Scheduling/rules

controlled by majority party with powerful Rules Committee (controls time of debate, amends., etc)

Senate 100 members; 6 yr

terms Moderate turnover Referral decisions

easily challenged Scheduling/rules

agreed to by majority & minority leaders

House-Senate Differences

House Debate limited to 1

hour Members policy

specialists Emphasizes tax &

revenue policy More formal &

impersonal

Senate Unlimited debate

unless cloture invoked

Members policy generalists

Emphasizes foreign policy

More informal & personal

Party LeadershipParty Leadership

Bicameral Democratic Leadership

113th Congress

Senate Democratic Leadership

113th Congress

HOUSE LEADERSHIPHOUSE LEADERSHIP

Speaker (majority party)

Republicans:• Majority Leader• Majority Whip• Chairman of the

Caucus• Steering & Policy

Committee• Democratic

Congressional Campaign Committee

Speaker of the HouseJohn Boehner (R-OH)

Majority LeaderEric Cantor (R-VA)

Majority WhipKevin McCarthy(R-CA)

HOUSE LEADERSHIPHOUSE LEADERSHIP

Democrats:• Minority Leader• Minority Whip• Chairman of

Conference• Policy Committee• Committee on

Committees• National Republican

Congressional Committee

• Research Committee

Minority LeaderNancy Pelosi(D-CA)

Minority WhipSteny Hoyer (D-NY)

SENATE LEADERSHIPSENATE LEADERSHIP

President of the Senate (Vice President)

President Pro Tempore (majority party)

Democrats:• Majority Leader• Majority Whip• Chairman of Conference• Policy Committee• Steering Committee• Democratic Senatorial

Campaign CommitteeMajority LeaderHarry Reid (D-NV)

President Pro TempPatrick Leahy(D-VT)

Majority WhipRichard Durbin

(D-IL)

President of the Senate

Joe Biden (D-PA)

SENATE LEADERSHIPSENATE LEADERSHIP

Republicans:• Minority Leader• Minority Whip• Chairman of

Conference• Policy Committee• Committee on

Committees• Republican Senatorial

Committee

Minority LeaderMitch McConnell

(R-KY)

Minority WhipJohn Cornyn(D-

TX)

"Congress in session is Congress on public exhibition, whilst Congress in its committee-rooms is Congress at work.”

- Woodrow Wilson

Legislative Committees:Legislative Committees:

Function and Purpose

Legislative Committees:Function & Purpose

Legislative Committees:Function & Purpose

1. Consider bills (a.k.a. “mark-up” bills)

A bill with a member’s mark-up notes

Legislative Committees:Function & Purpose

Legislative Committees:Function & Purpose

2. Maintain oversight of executive agencies

Secretary Donald Rumsfeld testifies before a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing re: the Department of Defense Budget (May, 2006)

Legislative Committees:Function & Purpose

Legislative Committees:Function & Purpose

3. Conduct investigations

New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin testified before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee on Hurricane Katrina (Feb., 2006)

Types of CommitteesTypes of Committees

Standing Committees - permanent panel with full legislative functions and oversight responsibilities• Subcommittees – formed to tackle very specific

tasks within the jurisdiction of the full committees Select or Special Committees - groups appointed for a

limited purpose and limited duration Joint Committees - includes members of both

chambers to conduct studies or perform housekeeping tasks

Conference Committee - includes members of House & Senate to work out differences between similar bills

Standing CommitteesStanding Committees

House Standing CommitteesHouse Standing Committees

Agriculture

Appropriations

Armed Services

Budget

Education & Workforce

Energy & Commerce

Financial Services

Government Reform

House Admin.

International Relations

JudiciaryResourcesRulesScienceSmall BusinessStandards of Official

ConductTransportation &

InfrastructureVeterans AffairsWays & Means

Senate Standing CommitteesSenate Standing Committees

Agriculture, Nutrition, & Forestry

Appropriations

Armed Services

Banking, Housing, & Urban Affairs

Budget

Commerce, Science, Transportation

Energy & Natural Resources

Environment and Public Works

Finance

Foreign Relations

Governmental Affairs

Health, Education, Labor & Pensions

Judiciary

Rules and Administration

Small Business and Entrepreneurship

Veterans Affairs

Special, Select CommitteesSpecial, Select Committees

• House Select Committee on Energy Independence & Global Warming

• Senate Select Committee on Ethics

• House & Senate Select Committees on Intelligence

Gen. Michael Hayden is sworn in during a full committee hearing of the Senate Select Intelligence Committee on his nomination to be director of the Central Intelligence Agency.

Joint CommitteesJoint Committees

• Joint Economic Committee• Joint Committee on Printing• Joint Committee on Taxation

Joint Committee on Taxation hearing

The Legislative Obstacle CourseThe Legislative Obstacle Course

How A Bill Becomes LawHow A Bill Becomes LawFact: 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?

Source: http://acswebcontent.acs.org/olga/legissummbilltolaw.pdf

Title: Resolution Artist: Bob GorrellDate: 12/28/06 Source: http://www.gorrellart.com/

Artist: R.J. Matson, New York Observer & Roll CallDate: 1/18/07Source: http://www.cagle.com

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

Title: Senator Reid Can Handle the TruthArtist: RJ MatsonDate: 6/18/07Source: http://www.politicalcartoons.com

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