How Congress WorksHow Congress Works

• Reminder: Vocabulary Cards due FRIDAY.

• Warmup Questions1. What is required to end a

filibuster?2. What are four types of

committees in Congress?

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How Congress WorksHow Congress Works

1. What is required to end a filibuster?– A filibuster can be ended with 3/5th

(60) of the senators voting Cloture, a motion to limit each senator is limited to 1 hour speech on a bill. 60 votes is difficult to achieve.

2. What are four types of committees in Congress?

– Standing, Select, Joint, Conference

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How Congress WorksHow Congress Works

1. Standing Committees– those which are mostly permanent

2. Select Committees– those that are created for a special purpose, then disbanded after the job is done

3. Joint Committees– those in which members of the House and Senate serve on (may be permanent or temporary)

4. Conference Committees– created specially when the House and Senate have passed different versions of a bill, which must be resolved.

Committees?Committees?

How Congress WorksHow Congress Works

1. Committees do the work of Congress. It is too difficult for the whole of the chamber to investigate and report on every issue. The idea is to divide the work (thousands of bills).

2. Committees narrow bills down from the thousands proposed, to the few which go the floor to be voted.

3. Committees inform and educate the public by holding hearings and investigations into critical issues facing the nation.

Why Committees?Why Committees?

• Copy these committees into your notes using the organizer

• Which of these committees do you think are most powerful or most important?