Congress in

Congress Gets Congress Gets Organized!Organized! The First Day in the HouseThe First Day in the House

All members are sworn inAll members are sworn inHouse elects the SpeakerHouse elects the Speaker

Always a member of the Always a member of the majority party – they have majority party – they have picked her in private picked her in private meetings before sessionmeetings before session

Congress Gets Congress Gets Organized!Organized! The First Day in the HouseThe First Day in the House

Members are put into committeesMembers are put into committeesAlso prearrangedAlso prearrangedMajority party gets a majority in Majority party gets a majority in every committeeevery committee

Seniority Rule – longest serving Seniority Rule – longest serving members get the first pick, members get the first pick, become chairpersonbecome chairperson

Congress Gets Congress Gets Organized!Organized!

First Day in the SenateFirst Day in the Senate1/3 of the members are 1/3 of the members are sworn in (only 1/3 coming sworn in (only 1/3 coming off of election)off of election)

Vacant committee seats are Vacant committee seats are filledfilled

House LeadershipHouse Leadership

Speaker of the Speaker of the HouseHouse John Boehner John Boehner (R-OH)(R-OH)

Presides over Presides over House House sessionsession

House LeadershipHouse Leadership Speaker of the Speaker of the

HouseHouse Refers bills to Refers bills to

relevant relevant committeecommittee

Appoints Appoints members of members of the Rules the Rules committeecommittee


House Majority House Majority LeaderLeaderEric Cantor Eric Cantor (R-VA)(R-VA)

Helps Speaker Helps Speaker to plan party to plan party strategystrategy


House Majority House Majority WhipWhipKevin McCarthy Kevin McCarthy (R-CA)(R-CA)

Right hand man Right hand man of Maj. Leaderof Maj. Leader

House LeadershipHouse Leadership Link between Link between

leadership and leadership and “rank and file”“rank and file”

Check who plans Check who plans to vote and howto vote and how

Persuade Persuade “defectors” to “defectors” to vote with the vote with the partyparty

House LeadershipHouse Leadership House Minority House Minority

LeaderLeader Nancy Pelosi Nancy Pelosi

(D-CA)(D-CA) Plans minority Plans minority

party strategy to party strategy to take power backtake power back

Expected to Expected to become Speaker become Speaker if they winif they win


House House Minority WhipMinority WhipSteny Steny Hoyer (D-Hoyer (D-MD)MD)

Senate LeadershipSenate Leadership

President of President of the Senatethe Senate= Vice = Vice President of President of the U.S.the U.S.

Joe BidenJoe Biden


Presides over Presides over the Senatethe Senate

Powerless and Powerless and thankless jobthankless job

V.P. has better V.P. has better things to dothings to do

Can only vote Can only vote to break a tieto break a tie

Senate LeadershipSenate Leadership President Pro-President Pro-

Tempore of the Tempore of the SenateSenateDaniel Inouye Daniel Inouye – (D-HI)– (D-HI)

Presides in Presides in place of the place of the VPVP

Senate LeadershipSenate Leadership President Pro-President Pro-

Tempore of the Tempore of the SenateSenate Longest serving Longest serving

member of the member of the majority partymajority party

Also doesn’t Also doesn’t want to do it, want to do it, passes the job passes the job off on junior off on junior membersmembers


Senate Senate Majority LeaderMajority LeaderHarry Reid Harry Reid (D-NV)(D-NV)

Plans party Plans party strategystrategy


Places bills on Places bills on the calendar the calendar for votingfor voting

May speak first May speak first on any billon any bill

Refers bill to Refers bill to relevant relevant committeecommittee


Senate Senate Majority WhipMajority WhipRichard Richard “Dick” “Dick” Durbin (D-IL)Durbin (D-IL)


Senate Senate Minority Minority LeaderLeaderMitch Mitch McConnell McConnell (R-KY)(R-KY)


Senate Senate Minority WhipMinority Whip Jon Kyl Jon Kyl (R-AZ)(R-AZ)

CommitteesCommittees

Committee – expert groups of Committee – expert groups of Congressmen who decide Congressmen who decide what bills will go to the whole what bills will go to the whole house for a votehouse for a vote

Most work in Congress is Most work in Congress is done in committeesdone in committees

Types of CommitteesTypes of Committees

Standing Committee – Standing Committee – permanent committees that permanent committees that remain from session to remain from session to sessionsession

Current Standing Committees Current Standing Committees in the House of in the House of RepresentativesRepresentatives

AgricultureAgriculture AppropriationsAppropriations Armed ServicesArmed Services BudgetBudget Education and the Education and the

WorkforceWorkforce Energy and CommerceEnergy and Commerce Financial ServicesFinancial Services Government ReformGovernment Reform House AdministrationHouse Administration International RelationsInternational Relations

JudiciaryJudiciary ResourcesResources RulesRules ScienceScience Small BusinessSmall Business Standards of Official Standards of Official

ConductConduct Transportation and Transportation and

InfrastructureInfrastructure Veterans AffairsVeterans Affairs Ways and MeansWays and Means

Current Standing Committees Current Standing Committees in the Senatein the Senate

Agriculture, Nutrition, Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestryand Forestry

AppropriationsAppropriations Armed ServicesArmed Services Banking, Housing, and Banking, Housing, and

Urban AffairsUrban Affairs BudgetBudget Commerce, Science, Commerce, Science,

and Transportationand Transportation Energy and Natural Energy and Natural

ResourcesResources Environment and Environment and

Public WorksPublic Works

FinanceFinance Foreign RelationsForeign Relations Governmental AffairsGovernmental Affairs Health, Education, Health, Education,

Labor, and PensionsLabor, and Pensions Indian AffairsIndian Affairs JudiciaryJudiciary Rules and Rules and

AdministrationAdministration Small BusinessSmall Business Veterans AffairsVeterans Affairs

Types of CommitteesTypes of Committees Select or Special Committees Select or Special Committees

– Temporary committee to – Temporary committee to investigate wrongdoing or investigate wrongdoing or research a special matterresearch a special matterExamples: Senate Examples: Senate Watergate Committee, Watergate Committee, Select Committee on AgingSelect Committee on Aging

Types of CommitteesTypes of Committees

Joint Committees – have Joint Committees – have members of both the House members of both the House and Senateand SenateConference Committees – Conference Committees – compromise different compromise different versions of bills between versions of bills between House and SenateHouse and Senate

How a Bill Becomes a LawHow a Bill Becomes a Law

Step 1 – The HouseStep 1 – The HouseBill is introducedBill is introduced

Can only be introduced by Can only be introduced by a member of the Housea member of the House

Bill is read to the entire Bill is read to the entire chamberchamber

How a Bill Becomes a LawHow a Bill Becomes a Law Step 2 – The HouseStep 2 – The House

Referred to a standing Referred to a standing committeecommitteeSpeaker of the House Speaker of the House chooses the committeechooses the committee

Full committee decides Full committee decides whether to consider it, or whether to consider it, or “pidgeonhole” it“pidgeonhole” it


Referred to subcommitteeReferred to subcommitteeChairman of the committee Chairman of the committee decides which subcommitteedecides which subcommittee

Subcommittee does the vast Subcommittee does the vast majority of research and work majority of research and work on the billon the bill

90% of bills die in steps 2 and 390% of bills die in steps 2 and 3


Committee/Subcommittee HearingsCommittee/Subcommittee HearingsGovernment officials, experts invited Government officials, experts invited to speak in favor or against billsto speak in favor or against bills

Congressmen may take “junkets,” or Congressmen may take “junkets,” or trips to locations for further researchtrips to locations for further research

Meanwhile, they “markup,” or make Meanwhile, they “markup,” or make changes to the billchanges to the bill


Sent back to full committeeSent back to full committeeCommittee can eitherCommittee can either

Send the bill to step 6 with Send the bill to step 6 with a “do pass” a “do pass” recommendationrecommendation

Or refuse to report the bill, Or refuse to report the bill, thus killing itthus killing it


*If the rest of Congress *If the rest of Congress disagrees with a committee’s disagrees with a committee’s decision to kill a bill, there is decision to kill a bill, there is one option*one option*

Discharge Petition – majority of Discharge Petition – majority of the House votes to pull a dead the House votes to pull a dead bill out of committeebill out of committee


Step 6 – The HouseStep 6 – The House Referred to Rules CommitteeReferred to Rules Committee

Places bill on the calendarPlaces bill on the calendarSets the rules for time limits and Sets the rules for time limits and number of amendments allowednumber of amendments allowed

If they refuse to put rules on it…If they refuse to put rules on it…


Step 7 – The HouseStep 7 – The House Whole House DebatesWhole House Debates

During debate, members can During debate, members can propose amendments to add propose amendments to add onto the billonto the bill

In the House, amendments In the House, amendments must be relevant to the must be relevant to the subject of the billsubject of the bill


Step 8 – The HouseStep 8 – The HouseWhole House VotesWhole House Votes

Majority vote passes, Majority vote passes, sends bill to the Senatesends bill to the Senate

How a Bill Becomes a LawHow a Bill Becomes a Law Step 9 – The SenateStep 9 – The Senate

Introduced in the SenateIntroduced in the Senate Step 10 – The SenateStep 10 – The Senate

Referred to a standing Referred to a standing committeecommitteeSenate Majority Leader Senate Majority Leader chooses which committeechooses which committee


Step 11-12 – The SenateStep 11-12 – The SenateSame as House – referred to Same as House – referred to subcommittee, back to subcommittee, back to committee, then out to floor committee, then out to floor for debatefor debate


Whole Senate DebatesWhole Senate DebatesNo Rules Committee, so no No Rules Committee, so no limits on time or limits on time or amendmentsamendmentsFilibuster – talking at length Filibuster – talking at length to stall action on a bill, can to stall action on a bill, can only be ended by cloture only be ended by cloture (60 votes)(60 votes)


Whole Senate DebatesWhole Senate DebatesNo Rules Committee, so no No Rules Committee, so no limits on time or amendmentslimits on time or amendmentsFilibuster – talking at length Filibuster – talking at length to stall action on a bill, can to stall action on a bill, can only be ended by cloture (60 only be ended by cloture (60 votes)votes)

Riders – amendments that Riders – amendments that have nothing to do with a billhave nothing to do with a bill

This leads to…

In 2008 Taxpayers Paid In 2008 Taxpayers Paid For…For…

$148,950 for the Montana Sheep Institute$148,950 for the Montana Sheep Institute $211,508 for olive fruit fly research in $211,508 for olive fruit fly research in

Paris, FranceParis, France $1,117,125 to suppress Mormon crickets$1,117,125 to suppress Mormon crickets $1,950,000 for the Charles B. Rangel $1,950,000 for the Charles B. Rangel

Center for Public Service (Rangel is the Center for Public Service (Rangel is the Congressman who got this money spent)Congressman who got this money spent)

$98,000 to develop a walking tour of $98,000 to develop a walking tour of Boydton, VirginiaBoydton, Virginia

Pork Barrel SpendingPork Barrel Spending

Generally occurs through a process Generally occurs through a process called “Earmarking”called “Earmarking” Setting aside money within an Setting aside money within an

appropriations bill and “earmarking” it for appropriations bill and “earmarking” it for a specific purposea specific purpose

For some reason, doesn’t go through For some reason, doesn’t go through typical spending authorization procedures typical spending authorization procedures that other spending proposals go throughthat other spending proposals go through

Cost taxpayers approximately $17.1 billion Cost taxpayers approximately $17.1 billion in 2008in 2008

Pork Barrel SpendingPork Barrel Spending

How congressmen “bring How congressmen “bring home the bacon”home the bacon”

Shows constituents that their Shows constituents that their congressman gets “stuff” for congressman gets “stuff” for their district or statetheir district or state

Helps congressman win Helps congressman win reelection!reelection!


Senate votesSenate votes Step 15 – Conference CommitteeStep 15 – Conference Committee

Members of both houses’ Members of both houses’ subcommittees that worked on subcommittees that worked on the bill compromisethe bill compromise

Both houses then vote again on Both houses then vote again on the compromise billthe compromise bill


Step 16 – The Step 16 – The PresidentPresident President has President has

3 options 3 options (maybe 4):(maybe 4):1. Sign the 1. Sign the bill, make it bill, make it lawlaw


Step 16 – The PresidentStep 16 – The PresidentPresident has 4 options:President has 4 options:

2. Veto the bill, explain 2. Veto the bill, explain whywhyGoes back to Congress, Goes back to Congress, who can override with who can override with 2/3 vote in both houses2/3 vote in both houses


3. Wait 10 days and let it 3. Wait 10 days and let it become law without his become law without his signaturesignature

4. (Maybe) Pocket Veto - If 4. (Maybe) Pocket Veto - If Congress ends its session Congress ends its session before 10 days are up, bill before 10 days are up, bill dies without a vetodies without a veto

Congress in

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