How Congress Works

How Congress WorksHow Congress WorksPart IPart I

Structure, Organization, & Legislative Process

Structure, Organization, & Legislative Process

Who’s in Congress?Who’s in Congress?

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

House-Senate DifferencesHouse-Senate Differences HouseHouse

435 members; 2 yr 435 members; 2 yr termsterms

Low turnoverLow turnover Speaker bill referral Speaker bill referral

hard to challengehard to challenge Scheduling/rules Scheduling/rules

controlled by majority controlled by majority party with powerful party with powerful Rules Committee Rules Committee ((controls time of debate, controls time of debate, amends., etc)amends., etc)

SenateSenate 100 members; 6 yr 100 members; 6 yr

termsterms Moderate turnoverModerate turnover Referral decisions easily Referral decisions easily

challengedchallenged Scheduling/rules agreed Scheduling/rules agreed

to by majority & minority to by majority & minority leadersleaders

House-Senate DifferencesHouse-Senate Differences

HouseHouse Debate limited to 1 Debate limited to 1

hourhour Members policy Members policy

specialistsspecialists Emphasizes tax & Emphasizes tax &

revenue policyrevenue policy More formal & More formal &

impersonalimpersonal

SenateSenate Unlimited debate Unlimited debate

unless cloture unless cloture invokedinvoked

Members policy Members policy generalistsgeneralists

Emphasizes foreign Emphasizes foreign policypolicy

More informal & More informal & personalpersonal

Party LeadershipParty LeadershipParty LeadershipParty Leadership

Bicameral Democratic LeadershipBicameral Democratic Leadership

110th Congress110th Congress

Senate Republican LeadershipSenate Republican Leadership

110th Congress110th Congress

HOUSE LEADERSHIPHOUSE LEADERSHIP

Speaker

(majority party)

Republicans:• Majority Leader• Majority Whip• Chairman of the

Caucus• Steering & Policy

Committee• Democratic

Congressional Campaign Committee

Speaker of the HouseJohn Boehner

Elected by the whole of the House of Representatives, the Speaker acts as leader of the House and combines

several roles: the institutional role of presiding officer and administrative head of the House, the role of leader

of the majority party in the House, and the representative role of an elected

member of the House. The Speaker of the House is second in line to succeed the President, after the Vice President.

Majority Leader: Eric CantorRepresents Republicans on the

House Floor

Majority Whip: Kevin McCarthyAssists leadership in managing

party’s legislative program

HOUSE LEADERSHIPHOUSE LEADERSHIP

Democrats:• Minority Leader• Minority Whip• Chairman of

Conference• Policy Committee• Committee on

Committees• National Republican

Congressional Committee

• Research Committee

Minority LeaderNancy Pelosi

Minority WhipSteny Hoyer

SENATE LEADERSHIPSENATE LEADERSHIPSENATE 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 CommitteeMajority Leader

Harry Reid (D-NV)

President Pro TemPatrick Leahy (D-VT)

Majority WhipRichard Durbin (D-IL)

President of the SenateJoe Biden (D-DE)

SENATE LEADERSHIPSENATE LEADERSHIPSENATE LEADERSHIPSENATE LEADERSHIP

Republicans:• Minority Leader• Minority Whip• Chairman of

Conference• Policy Committee• Committee on

Committees• Republican Senatorial

Committee

Minority LeaderMitch McConnell (R-KY)

Minority WhipJon Cornyn (R-TX)

Strength of Party Structure?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

Party UnityParty UnityParty UnityParty Unity

• Lower today than 100 years ago, but…..Lower today than 100 years ago, but…..

• Ideology important variable explaining Ideology important variable explaining party voting (members vote with their party voting (members vote with their party 80% of the time)party 80% of the time)

• Party polarizationParty polarization - vote in which - vote in which majority of democrats oppose majority majority of democrats oppose majority of republicansof 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%

CAUCUSESCAUCUSES

• 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

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

- Woodrow Wilson

Legislative Committees:Legislative Committees:Legislative Committees:Legislative Committees:

Function and PurposeFunction and Purpose

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



2. Maintain oversight of executive agencies

Secretary Donald Rumsfeld testifies before a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing re: the Department of Defense Budget (May, 2006)



3. Conduct investigations

New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin testified before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee on Hurricane Katrina (Feb., 2006

Types of CommitteesTypes of CommitteesTypes 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

Standing CommitteesStanding CommitteesStanding CommitteesStanding Committees

House Standing CommitteesHouse Standing CommitteesHouse Standing CommitteesHouse Standing CommitteesAgriculture

Appropriations

Armed Services

Budget

Education & Workforce

Energy & Commerce

Financial Services

Government Reform

House Admin.

International Relations

JudiciaryResourcesRulesScienceSmall BusinessStandards of Official

ConductTransportation &

InfrastructureVeterans AffairsWays & Means

Senate Standing CommitteesSenate 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

Special, Select CommitteesSpecial, 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.

Joint CommitteesJoint Committees

• Joint Economic Committee

• Joint Committee on Printing

• Joint Committee on Taxation

Joint Committee on Joint Committee on Taxation hearingTaxation hearing

Title: Resolution Artist: Bob GorrellDate: 12/28/06 Source: http://www.gorrellart.com/

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

How Congress Works

Education

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