The document discusses the leadership structure and legislative process in the US Congress. It explains that the Speaker of the House and Senate Majority Leader act as leaders of their respective chambers and political parties. It also outlines the committee system and roles of committee chairs, and describes the process a bill goes through from introduction to final passage or veto. This includes consideration in committees, amendments, debates on the House and Senate floors, conferences to resolve differences, and potential presidential approval or veto.

1. The Leadership
Committees
The Bill in the
House
The Bill in the
Senate
CONGRESS
IN ACTION

2. PARTY STRENGTH

3. Speaker of the House
 Elected leader of the House
 De facto leader of his or her party
 Interprets rules & sets the agenda
 3rd in line of Presidential Succession
WHO’S IN CHARGE HERE?
Speaker John
Boehner (R-OH)

4. President of the Senate – Vice President
 Presiding officer
 Cannot debate
 Votes only in case of tie
President pro tempore
 Presides in VP’s absence
 Elected by majority party
 4th in presidential succession
WHO’S THE LEADER OF THE SENATE?
Vice
President
Joe BidenSen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT)

5.  Legislative strategists
PARTY FLOOR LEADERS: HOUSE

6. PARTY FLOOR LEADERS: SENATE

7.  Assistant floor leaders
 Keep tabs on the rank and file members
 Majority & Minority Whips in both Houses
PARTY WHIPS

8.  Leaders of standing committees
 Majority party
 Set committee agendas and hearings
 Most powerful people you’ve never heard of
 Seniority rule
COMMITTEE CHAIRS

9.  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
COMMITTEES: CONGRESS AT WORK

10. STANDING COMMITTEES

11.  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
WORK OF COMMITTEES

12.  How powerful is the Rules
Committee?
 “Traffic cop” of the House
 Most bills must go through
this before reaching the
floor
HOUSE RULES COMMITTEE

13.  Specific purpose & limited time
 Appointed by the Speaker or Pres of Senate
 Designed to investigate a current matter. Example?
Watergate Committee Iran-Contra Committee
SELECT COMMITTEES

15.  Proposed law
 All tax bills must start 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: often trivial matters of one house; no force of law
WHAT’S A BILL?
The House “hopper” into
which all bills are placed.

20.  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 IN COMMITTEE

21.  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
THE BILL ON THE FLOOR
Electronic Voting Machines appear on the backs of
chairs inside the House chamber. Members insert
a card and then cast their vote.

22.  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 BILL IN THE SENATE

23.  “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.washing tonpost.com/blog s/the -fix/wp/2013/02/14/the -sil ent-fil ibuster-explained /
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E1_9nSzG_hk (R and Pa ul )
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GD -l FCsYOPs (Mr. Sm i th) (4 :15)
THE FILIBUSTER

25. 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
 http://history.house.gov/Institution/Presidential-Vetoes/Presidential-Vetoes/
PRESIDENT ACTS