The document provides an overview of the structure and workings of the United States Congress. It describes the demographic makeup of Congress and key differences between the House and Senate. It also outlines the party leadership structure and roles of committees in considering legislation, oversight, and investigations.

1. How CongressHow Congress
WorksWorks
Part IPart I

2. Who’s in Congress?Who’s in Congress?

3. Demographic Profile of the 111th Congress
Age GroupsAge Groups
Source:Source: http://www.congress.org/congressorg/directory/demographics.tthttp://www.congress.org/congressorg/directory/demographics.tt
PartyParty
GenderGender EthnicityEthnicity

4. House-SenateHouse-Senate
DifferencesDifferences
HouseHouse
 435 members; 2 yr435 members; 2 yr
termsterms
 Low turnoverLow turnover
 Speaker bill referralSpeaker bill referral
hard to challengehard to challenge
 Scheduling/rulesScheduling/rules
controlled by majoritycontrolled by majority
party with powerfulparty with powerful
Rules CommitteeRules Committee
((controls time of debate,controls time of debate,
amends., etc)amends., etc)
SenateSenate
 100 members; 6 yr100 members; 6 yr
termsterms
 Moderate turnoverModerate turnover
 Referral decisionsReferral decisions
easily challengedeasily challenged
 Scheduling/rulesScheduling/rules
agreed to by majority &agreed to by majority &
minority leadersminority leaders

5. House-SenateHouse-Senate
DifferencesDifferences
HouseHouse
 Debate limited to 1Debate limited to 1
hourhour
 Members policyMembers policy
specialistsspecialists
 Emphasizes tax &Emphasizes tax &
revenue policyrevenue policy
 More formal &More formal &
impersonalimpersonal
SenateSenate
 Unlimited debateUnlimited debate
unless clotureunless cloture
invokedinvoked
 Members policyMembers policy
generalistsgeneralists
 Emphasizes foreignEmphasizes foreign
policypolicy
 More informal &More informal &
personalpersonal

6. Party LeadershipParty Leadership
Bicameral Democratic LeadershipBicameral Democratic Leadership
110th Congress110th Congress
Senate Republican LeadershipSenate Republican Leadership
110th Congress110th Congress

7. HOUSE LEADERSHIP
Speaker (majority
party)
Democrats:
• Majority Leader
• Majority Whip
• Chairman of the
Caucus
• Steering & Policy
Committee
• Democratic
Congressional
Campaign
Committee
Speaker of the House
Nancy Pelossi (D-CA)
Majority Leader
Steny Hoyer (D-MD)
Majority Whip
James Clyburn (D-SC)

8. HOUSE LEADERSHIP
Republicans:
• Minority Leader
• Minority Whip
• Chairman of
Conference
• Policy Committee
• Committee on
Committees
• National Republican
Congressional
Committee
• Research Committee
Minority Leader
John Boehner (R-OH)
Minority Whip
Eric Cantor (R-VA)

9. 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 Committee Majority Leader
Harry Reid (D-NV)
President Pro Tem
Robert Byrd (D-WV)
Majority Whip
Richard Durbin (D-IL)
President of the Senate
Joe Biden (D-DE)

10. SENATE LEADERSHIPSENATE LEADERSHIP
Republicans:
• Minority Leader
• Minority Whip
• Chairman of
Conference
• Policy Committee
• Committee on
Committees
• Republican Senatorial
Committee
Minority Leader
Mitch McConnell (R-KY)
Minority Whip
Jon Kyl (R-AZ)
QuickTime™ and a
TIFF (Uncompressed) decompressor
are needed to see this picture.

11. Strength of Party Structure?
• Measure of party strength:
1. Ability of leaders to control party rules
and organization
2. Extent to which party members vote
together in the House and Senate
• Senate: less party-centered and leader
oriented

12. Party UnityParty Unity
• Lower today than 100 years ago, but…..Lower today than 100 years ago, but…..
• Ideology important variable explaining partyIdeology important variable explaining party
voting (members vote with their party 80% ofvoting (members vote with their party 80% of
the time)the time)
• Party polarizationParty polarization - vote in which majority of- vote in which majority of
democrats oppose majority of republicansdemocrats oppose majority of republicans
• Polarization trends:Polarization trends:
o 1976 HR = 36%; S = 37%1976 HR = 36%; S = 37%
o 1995 HR = 73%; S = 69%1995 HR = 73%; S = 69%
o 2000 HR = 43%; S = 49%2000 HR = 43%; S = 49%

13. CAUCUSES
• Groups (may be bipartisan) meeting to pursue
common legislative objectives
• Rivals to parties in policy formulation
• Examples: Democratic Study Group,
Congressional Black Caucus, Tuesday Lunch
Bunch, Human Rights, Congressional Caucus for
Women’s Issues, Out of Iraq Caucus,
Rural Caucus, Travel & Tourism Caucus, House
Caucus on Missing and Exploited Children

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

15. Legislative Committees:Legislative Committees:
Function and PurposeFunction and Purpose

16. Legislative Committees:Legislative Committees:
Function & PurposeFunction & Purpose
1. Consider bills (a.k.a. “mark-up” bills)
A bill with a member’s mark-up notes

17. Legislative Committees:Legislative Committees:
Function & PurposeFunction & 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)

18. Legislative Committees:Legislative Committees:
Function & PurposeFunction & Purpose
3. Conduct investigations
New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin testified before the Senate Homeland Security
and Governmental Affairs Committee on Hurricane Katrina (Feb., 2006

19. 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

20. Standing CommitteesStanding Committees

21. House Standing CommitteesHouse Standing Committees
Agriculture
Appropriations
Armed Services
Budget
Education & Workforce
Energy & Commerce
Financial Services
Government Reform
House Admin.
International Relations
Judiciary
Resources
Rules
Science
Small Business
Standards of Official
Conduct
Transportation &
Infrastructure
Veterans Affairs
Ways & Means

22. Senate 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

23. Special, 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.

24. Joint Committees
• Joint Economic Committee
• Joint Committee on Printing
• Joint Committee on Taxation
Joint Committee onJoint Committee on
Taxation hearingTaxation hearing

25. Title: Resolution Artist: Bob Gorrell
Date: 12/28/06 Source: http://www.gorrellart.com/

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