APS Day 10 AgendaAPS Day 10 Agenda

Intro to Congress – get (whitewhite) Unit 2 packet1. Structure of US Gov’t – review Kleinogram2. Individually, complete assigned questions on Form of Congress

p 3-4 Constitutional description of Congress and its powers and limits

3. Group work to finish Form of Congress p 3-44. Review key differences between HofR and Senate – take notes

Legislation – laws that regulate public and private activity, distribute public resources, take private resources for public use or symbolically act.

Bill Project – log on to http://mrkleinsocstudy.pbworks.com/ With a partner, type this link in the URL box

http://www.thomas.gov/. 1. Toggle "Bill Number" above the search box.  2. In the "search" box type "HR 45."    3. When HR 45 comes up, click on "Text of Legislation," 4. then click on "Printer Friendly" link.  Read through HR 45 and

answer the following questions:

EU – The Constitution defines the structure and powers of a bicameral Congress. Legislation - the laws - are the written public policies.

KEY DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE HOUSE AND SENATE

CONSTITUTIONAL DIFFERENCES

SENATE

Six-year terms (1/3 up for reelection every two years)

Comprises 100 members (2 from each state) 

Must be 30 yrs old

Must be citizen for 9 years

Must live in the state represented  

Tries impeached officials

Offers "advice and consent" on many major presidential appointments

Approves treaties

HOUSE

Two-year terms

Comprises 435 members (apportioned by population)

Must be 25 yrs old

Must be citizen for 7 years

Must live in the state represented

Initiates all revenue bills

Initiates impeachment procedures and passes articles of impeachment

DIFFERENCES IN OPERATION

HOUSE

More centralized, more formal, stronger leadership

Rules Committee fairly powerful in controlling time and rules of debate (in conjunction with the majority leader)

More impersonal

Members are highly specialized

Emphasizes tax and revenue policy

Seniority important in determining power

SENATE

Less centralized, less formal, weaker leadership

No Rules Committee; limits on debate come through unanimous consent or cloture vote of 60% to end a filibuster

More personal

Members are generalist

Emphasizes foreign policy

Seniority less important in determining power

HOUSE

Power formerly centralized in the hands of key committees and the leadership; breaking down

House procedures are becoming more efficient, with less debate and fewer amendments

CHANGES IN THE INSTITUTION

SENATE

Senate workload increasing and informality breaking down

Members are becoming more specialized; debate and deliberations less frequent

Both chambers are seeing increased partisanship and incivility – less compromise, less bipartisan activity, less friendliness

House leadership

Speaker –

Nancy Pelosi (D-CA)

Majority Leader

Steny Hoyer (D – MD)

Majority Whip

James E. Clyburn (D – SC)

Minority Leader

John Boehner (R – OH)

Minority Whip

Eric Cantor (R -VA)

                                  

President of the SenateJoe BidenU.S. Vice President

                                  

President Pro TemporeRobert C. ByrdDemocrat, West Virginia

                                  

Majority LeaderHarry ReidDemocrat, Nevada                                   

Assistant Majority Leader(Democratic Whip)Richard DurbinDemocrat, Illinois

                                  

Minority Leader Mitch McConnell

Republican, Kentucky

                                    

Assistant Minority Leader(Republican Whip)Jon KylRepublican, Arizona

Senate Leadership

Right click on this link to open in a new window : http://www.thomas.gov/. Toggle "Bill Number" above the search box.  In the "search" box type "HR 45."    When HR 45 comes up, click on "Text of Legislation," then click on "Printer Friendly" link.  Read through HR 45 and answer the following questions:1.What is the purpose for this bill? 2.Who is the bill's sponsor? 3.Scroll through to the END of the table of contents and go to Sec. 2.  What is the title of this section? 4.Section 2, Subsection (a) 3. can be connected to a very specific enumerated power of Congress listed in the US Constitution.  Which enumerated power of Congress is referred to here? 5.Subsection (a) 6. explains why this bill's short title is named after Blair Holt.  Why is the bill named after this person? 6.What key facts lead Congress to make this bill? 7.What rule is created by Sec. 101? 8.What is the title of Sec. 103? 9.According to Sec. 103, who is responsible for executing the rules set up by Sec. 101 10.What rule is created by Sec. 201? 11.According to Sec. 401, what are the penalties for violating the rules of Sec 101 of this bill?  (Sec. 922 of Title 18 of US Code)

  Read through HR 45 and answer the following questions:1.What is the purpose for this bill? To provide for the implementation of a system of licensing for purchasers of certain firearms and for a record of sale system for those firearms, and for other purposes.2.Who is the bill's sponsor? Mr. Bobby Rush (IL 1)3.Scroll through to the END of the table of contents and go to Sec. 2.  What is the title of this section? Findings4.Section 2, Subsection (a) 3. can be connected to a very specific enumerated power of Congress listed in the US Constitution.  Which enumerated power of Congress is referred to here? Interstate trade regulation power in commerce clause A1, S8, C 35.Section 2, Subsection (a) 6. explains why this bill's short title is named after Blair Holt.  Why is the bill named after this person? A high school boy died from gunshot wounds after trying to protect a girl

6. What key facts lead Congress to make this bill? That lots of guns are sold across state lines and gun violence is associated with lots of homicides, suicides and non-fatal injuries and that it would be best if the rules were consistent throughout the country

7. What rule is created by Sec. 101? Need to get a license to own a handgun or clip-fed gun

8. What is the title of Sec. 103? Issuance of license9. According to Sec. 103, who is responsible for

executing the rules set up by Sec. 101 The Attorney General

10.What rule is created by Sec. 201? Can’t sell or trade a gun without a license

11.According to Sec. 401, what are the penalties for violating the rules of Sec 101 of this bill?  (Sec. 922 of Title 18 of US Code) fine and/or imprisonment of 2, 5, or 10 years.

Standing committees• are permanent panels identified as such in chamber rules

(House Rule X, Senate Rule XXV). Because they have legislative jurisdiction, standing committees consider bills and issues and recommend measures for consideration by their respective chambers. They also have oversight responsibility to monitor agencies, programs, and activities within their jurisdictions, and in some cases in areas that cut across committee jurisdictions.

• Most of the work of each chamber is done by standing committees. Almost no laws are created without the hearings, debate, markup and approval of standing committees.

Select or special committees

• are established generally by a separate resolution of the chamber, sometimes to conduct investigations and studies, and, on other occasions, also to consider measures. Often, select committees examine emerging issues that don’t fit clearly within existing standing committee jurisdictions, or which cut across jurisdictional boundaries. A select committee may be permanent but is most often temporary. Instead of select, the Senate sometimes uses the term special committee (as in the Special Committee on Aging) or the current House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming.

 - A temporary, ad hoc panel composed of House and Senate conferees which is formed for the purpose of reconciling differences in legislation that has passed both chambers. Conference committees are usually convened to resolve bicameral differences on major and controversial legislation.

conference committee

Committees – who, what and why?For your committee, go to committee’s webpage found on the

Senate.gov site:

1. Identify the Chair and minority ranking member

2. Identify the executive departments overseen

3. Identify the jurisdiction

4. Identify the key subcommittees.

Democrats

Oppose censorship

Support organized labor

Oppose wider searches w/o warrants

Support expanding equality

Support gun control

Oppose new oil drilling

Support social welfare spending

Support wider health spending

Support regulations on business

Support tax increases

Support barrier between church and state

Support right to die

Oppose capital punishment

Support bilingualism

Republicans

Support censorship

Oppose organized labor

Support wider searches w/o warrants

Oppose expanding equality through gov’t action

Oppose gun control

Support new oil drilling

Oppose social welfare spending

Oppose many regulations on business

Oppose taxes

Support religion working with state

Oppose assisted suicide

Support capital punishment

Support English-only