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The Leadership



CONGRESS     Committees

             The Bill in the



 IN ACTION
             House

             The Bill in the
             Senate
PARTY STRENGTH
WHO’S IN CHARGE HERE?
Speaker of the House
 Elected leader of the House
 De facto leader of his or her party
 Interprets rules & sets the agenda
 3 rd in line of Presidential Succession




                                            Speaker John
                                            Boehner (R-OH)
WHO’S THE LEADER OF THE SENATE?

President of the Senate – Vice President
 Presiding of ficer
 Cannot debate
 Votes only in case of tie
President pro tempore
 Presides in VP’s absence
 Elected by majority party
 4 th in presidential succession



                                      Vice
                                      President
    Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT)         Joe Biden
PARTY FLOOR LEADERS: HOUSE
 Legislative strategists
PARTY FLOOR LEADERS: SENATE
PARTY WHIPS
 Assistant floor leaders
 Keep tabs on the rank and file members
 Majority & Minority Whips in both Houses
Congress in action
COMMITTEE CHAIRS
   Leaders of standing committees
   Majority party
   Set committee agendas and hearings
   Most powerful people you’ve never heard of
   Seniority rule
Congress in action
COMMITTEES: CONGRESS AT WORK

 The fate of most bills decided here.
 Some more influential than others.
 Which Committees are coveted?




 Does the state you represent influence the committee you want?


Standing
Select
Joint & Conference
STANDING COMMITTEES
WORK OF COMMITTEES
   Investigate & oversee federal agencies
   Consider bills related to their area of policy
   First place a new bill goes
   Majority party holds more seats
   Divided into several subcommittees
HOUSE RULES COMMITTEE
 How powerful is the Rules
  Committee?
 “Traffic cop” of the House
 Most bills must go through
  this before reaching the
  floor
SELECT COMMITTEES
 Specific purpose & limited time
 Appointed by the Speaker or Pres of Senate
 Designed to investigate a current matter. Example?




           Watergate Committee          Iran -Contra Committee
Congress in action
WHAT’S A BILL?
 Proposed law
 All tax bills must star t in the House
Types of Bills & Resolutions
 Bill: proposed law (most appropriations)
 Joint Resolution: force of law; special circumstances

 Concurrent Resolution: position on an issue; no force of law
 Resolution: of ten trivial matter s of one house; no force of law




                                                     The House “hopper” into
                                                     which all bills are placed.
Congress in action
Congress in action
Congress in action
Congress in action
THE BILL IN COMMITTEE
 Most die here (pigeonholed)

 “Mark up”: bills are changed and modified (riders)
 Hearings may be held

Committee Options
 Report favorably
 Report an amended bill
 Report unfavorably (rare – why?)
 Report a substituted bill
THE BILL ON THE FLOOR
 If favorable out of committee, bill goes on appropriate
  calendar.
 To get to the floor, must pass Rules Committee (House)
 Most bills considered by Committee of the Whole (House)
 Limited “debate” now occurs
“Move the Previous Question”
 Vote taken (Voice, Electronic)
 If passed, sent to other House
 Conference Committee

                                Electronic Voting Machines appear on the backs of
                                chairs inside the House chamber. Members insert
                                a card and then cast their vote.
THE BILL IN THE SENATE
 Similar procedure as House
 Rules less formal & less strict. Why?
 Few restrictions on debate
   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tyeJ55o3El0
   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pl3sgKj6oTQ
THE FILIBUSTER
 “talk a bill to death”
 Monopolize the floor until Senate drops the Bill
 No restrictions on content; Can’t stop talking
 Requires 60 votes to stop (cloture)
Silent Filibuster
 Threat of a filibuster
 Is the filibuster unconstitutional?




http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the -fix/wp/2013/02/14/the-silent-filibuster-explained/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E1_9nSzG_hk (Rand Paul)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GD -lFCsYOPs (Mr. Smith) (4:15)
Congress in action
PRESIDENT ACTS
Four Presidential Options
 Sign (becomes law)
 Allow to become law without signing (no action for 10 days)
 Pocket Veto (Congress adorns within these 10 days, bill dies)
Veto
 Refuse to sign
 Returns to house of origin with Veto Message
 2/3 vote of each house can override




 h t t p : / / h i s t o r y. h o u s e . g o v / I n s t i t u t i o n / P r e s i d e n t i a l - Ve t o e s / P r e s i d e n t i a l - Ve t o e s /

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Congress in action

  • 1. The Leadership CONGRESS Committees The Bill in the IN ACTION House The Bill in the Senate
  • 3. WHO’S IN CHARGE HERE? Speaker of the House  Elected leader of the House  De facto leader of his or her party  Interprets rules & sets the agenda  3 rd in line of Presidential Succession Speaker John Boehner (R-OH)
  • 4. WHO’S THE LEADER OF THE SENATE? President of the Senate – Vice President  Presiding of ficer  Cannot debate  Votes only in case of tie President pro tempore  Presides in VP’s absence  Elected by majority party  4 th in presidential succession Vice President Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT) Joe Biden
  • 5. PARTY FLOOR LEADERS: HOUSE  Legislative strategists
  • 7. PARTY WHIPS  Assistant floor leaders  Keep tabs on the rank and file members  Majority & Minority Whips in both Houses
  • 9. COMMITTEE CHAIRS  Leaders of standing committees  Majority party  Set committee agendas and hearings  Most powerful people you’ve never heard of  Seniority rule
  • 11. COMMITTEES: CONGRESS AT WORK  The fate of most bills decided here.  Some more influential than others.  Which Committees are coveted?  Does the state you represent influence the committee you want? Standing Select Joint & Conference
  • 13. WORK OF COMMITTEES  Investigate & oversee federal agencies  Consider bills related to their area of policy  First place a new bill goes  Majority party holds more seats  Divided into several subcommittees
  • 14. HOUSE RULES COMMITTEE  How powerful is the Rules Committee?  “Traffic cop” of the House  Most bills must go through this before reaching the floor
  • 15. SELECT COMMITTEES  Specific purpose & limited time  Appointed by the Speaker or Pres of Senate  Designed to investigate a current matter. Example? Watergate Committee Iran -Contra Committee
  • 17. WHAT’S A BILL?  Proposed law  All tax bills must star t in the House Types of Bills & Resolutions  Bill: proposed law (most appropriations)  Joint Resolution: force of law; special circumstances  Concurrent Resolution: position on an issue; no force of law  Resolution: of ten trivial matter s of one house; no force of law The House “hopper” into which all bills are placed.
  • 22. THE BILL IN COMMITTEE  Most die here (pigeonholed)  “Mark up”: bills are changed and modified (riders)  Hearings may be held Committee Options  Report favorably  Report an amended bill  Report unfavorably (rare – why?)  Report a substituted bill
  • 23. THE BILL ON THE FLOOR  If favorable out of committee, bill goes on appropriate calendar.  To get to the floor, must pass Rules Committee (House)  Most bills considered by Committee of the Whole (House)  Limited “debate” now occurs “Move the Previous Question”  Vote taken (Voice, Electronic)  If passed, sent to other House  Conference Committee Electronic Voting Machines appear on the backs of chairs inside the House chamber. Members insert a card and then cast their vote.
  • 24. THE BILL IN THE SENATE  Similar procedure as House  Rules less formal & less strict. Why?  Few restrictions on debate  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tyeJ55o3El0  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pl3sgKj6oTQ
  • 25. THE FILIBUSTER  “talk a bill to death”  Monopolize the floor until Senate drops the Bill  No restrictions on content; Can’t stop talking  Requires 60 votes to stop (cloture) Silent Filibuster  Threat of a filibuster  Is the filibuster unconstitutional? http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the -fix/wp/2013/02/14/the-silent-filibuster-explained/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E1_9nSzG_hk (Rand Paul) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GD -lFCsYOPs (Mr. Smith) (4:15)
  • 27. PRESIDENT ACTS Four Presidential Options  Sign (becomes law)  Allow to become law without signing (no action for 10 days)  Pocket Veto (Congress adorns within these 10 days, bill dies) Veto  Refuse to sign  Returns to house of origin with Veto Message  2/3 vote of each house can override  h t t p : / / h i s t o r y. h o u s e . g o v / I n s t i t u t i o n / P r e s i d e n t i a l - Ve t o e s / P r e s i d e n t i a l - Ve t o e s /