C H A P T E R 12 The Federal Court System SECTION 1 Congress
Organizes SECTION 2 Committees in Congress SECTION 3 How a Bill
Becomes a Law: The House SECTION 4 The Bill in the Senate Chapter
12
Slide 4
S E C T I O N 1 Congress Organizes What are the roles of the
presiding officers in the Senate and the House? What are the duties
of party officers in Congress? How are committee chairmen chosen,
and what is their role in the legislative process?
Slide 5
Congress Convenes New terms begin every two years on Jan. 3 rd
of odd numbered years. Each new term follows the general election
in November. Next is January 2015. 30,000 men and women work for
the legislative branch and it costs $4 billion per year to finance
its operations On opening day, rules are adopted and roles are set.
In the House, the Speaker of the House is chosen by the majority
party. Beginning new terms in the House is more complicated than in
Senate because all of the 435 members are elected every two years
whereas the Senate is 1/3 of its 100.
Slide 6
The Speaker of the House The Speaker of the House is the
presiding officer of the House of Representatives and the
acknowledged leader of the majority party. The Speaker names the
members of all select and conference committees, and signs all
bills and resolutions passed by the House. The House of
Representatives shall choose their Speaker and other Officers
Article I, Section 2, Clause 5 No member may speak until he is
recognized by the Speaker. He interprets and applies rules, refers
bills to committee, puts motions to a vote. John Boehner (R)
Slide 7
The Presiding Officers The President of the Senate Article I of
the Constitution makes the Vice President the President of the
Senate. Today, the VP spends most in executive branch assisting
Prez. The President of the Senate cannot cast votes on legislation.
He's not a member of the Senate and can only vote to break a tie.
VP: Joe Biden The president pro tempore, the leader of the majority
party, is elected from the Senate. He follows the Speaker of House
in presidential succession. Usually senior member of majority
party. The Senate shall choose their other officers, and also a
President pro tempore, in the absence of the Vice President Article
I, Section 3 Patrick Leahy (D)
Slide 8
Floor Leaders and Whips The Party Caucus party conference is a
closed meeting of the members of each party in each house. The
caucus picks floor leaders and committee members Next to the
Speaker of the House, the floor leaders are the most important
officers in Congress. Floor leaders are legislative strategists.
They try to carry out the decisions of their parties caucuses and
steer floor action to their parties benefit. Each is also the party
spokesman. Each chamber has a majority floor leader (more powerful)
and a minority floor leader. Each floor leader in both chambers is
assisted by party whips. Majority whips and minority whips are
assistant floor leaders. Whips serve as a liaison a two way link
between the partys leadership and its rank and file members and
help arrange and track voting and member attendance. They are the
second-ranking members of the party leadership.
Slide 9
Majority and Minority Leaders SenateHouse of Representatives
Harry Reid (D) Mitch McConnell (R) Eric CantorEric Cantor (R) Nancy
PelosiNancy Pelosi (D) Whip = Richard Durbin Richard Durbin (D)
John Cornyn John Cornyn (R) Kevin McCarthyKevin McCarthy (R) Steny
Hoyer (D) Whip =
Slide 10
Committee Chairmen and Seniority Rule Committee Chairmen The
committee chairmen are the members who head the standing committees
in each chamber of Congress. The chairman of each of these
permanent committees is chosen from the majority party by the
majority party caucus and make all important decisions about the
committees work. Seniority Rule The seniority rule, an unwritten
custom, holds that the most important posts will be held by those
party members with the longest records of service in Congress. The
head of each committee is often the longest-serving member of the
committee from the majority party (controversial).
Slide 11
Composition of 113 th Congress
Slide 12
Section 1 Review 1. The presiding officer of the House of
Representatives is (a) the President. (b) the Speaker of the House.
(c) the majority whip. (d) the president pro tempore. 2. What is
the main duty of party whips? A. whip the floor leaders into shape
B. provide committees with important information C. assist the
floor leaders and serve as liaisons between members and its
leadership D. Give floor leaders important information from the
Vice President
Slide 13
S E C T I O N 2 Committees in Congress How do the standing
committees function? What are the duties and responsibilities of
the House Rules Committee? What are the functions of joint and
conference committees?
Slide 14
Congress is a collection of committees that comes together
periodically to approve one anothers actions. - Representative Clem
Miller (D., Calif.) Congress in its committee rooms is Congress at
work. - President Woodrow Wilson The House and the Senate are both
so large and the business they must complete is so vast that most
of the work in Congress is done in Committee.
Slide 15
Chapter 12, Section 2 Standing Committees Standing committees
are permanent panels in Congress to which bills of similar nature
could be sent (ex: Education, Budget, Armed Services). Most of the
standing committees handle bills dealing with particular policy
matters, such as veterans affairs or foreign relations. The fate of
most bills is decided in committee rather than the floor of either
house (too many to bring all bills to floor).
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Permanent Committees of Congress Chapter 12, Section 2 341
Slide 17
The House Rules Committee and Select Committees The House Rules
Committee The Rules Committee decides whether and under what
conditions the full House will consider a measure. Lots of
competition to get on this committee. This places great power in
the Rules Committee, as it can speed, delay, or even prevent House
action on a measure. The Select Committees Select committees are
panels established to handle a specific matter and usually exist
for a limited time. Most select committees are formed to
investigate a current matter Senate Watergate Committee, bug
infestation in Pacific Northwest, etc.
Slide 18
Joint and Conference Committees A joint committee is one
composed of members of both houses. Examples of joint committees
include the Joint Economic Committee, the Joint Committee on
Printing, and the Joint Committee on the Library of Congress used
to make it easier since they pass the same bills so often. A
conference committeea temporary, type of joint body is created to
iron out differences between bills passed by the House and Senate
before they are sent to the President. A bill MUST be passed in
identical form in both houses before it is sent off to the
President.
Slide 19
Section 2 Review 1. The House Rules Committee (a) establishes
codes of conduct. (b) determines when and under what conditions the
full House will consider a measure. (c) oversees the execution of
bills once they are passed into law. (d) determines which members
of the Senate may vote on a measure. 2. A conference committee is
formed to (a) iron out differences in bills passed by the House and
Senate before they are sent to the President. (b) hold press
conferences. (c) appoint Supreme Court justices. (d) determine
rules for debate.
Slide 20
S E C T I O N 3 How a Bill Becomes a Law: The House What are
the first steps in introducing a new bill to the House? What
happens to a bill once it enters a committee? How do House leaders
schedule debate on a bill? What happens to a bill on the House
floor? What is the final step in passing a bill in the House?
Slide 21
The First Steps 10,000 measures are introduced in the House and
Senate during each term. Fewer than 10% become law. A bill is a
proposed law presented to the House or Senate for consideration.
Chapter 12, Section 3 Most bills do not originate in Congress, but
rather in the Executive Branch, from interest groups, or private
citizens. Congress introduces the bills. Example bill assigned a
number and sent off to committee
Slide 22
Only the House Can Introduce Revenue Bills According to the
Constitution: All Bills for raising Revenue shall originate in the
House of Representatives; but the Senate may propose or concur with
amendments as on other Bills. Article I, Section 7, Clause 1 If
revenue bills originated in the Senate, it could have been
considered taxation without representation. Why? ALL other bills,
dealing with any other topic, can be introduced by either house of
Congress. Hint: How were Senators originally elected?
Slide 23
The Bill in Committee Discharge Petitions Most bills die in
committee, pigeonholed, or put away, never to be acted upon. If a
committee pigeonholes a bill that a majority of the House wishes to
consider, it can be brought out of committee via a discharge
petition. Gathering Information Most committees do their work
through several subcommittees divisions of existing committees
formed to address specific issues. Committees and subcommittees
often hold public hearings or make a junket (trip) to gather
information relating to a measure (ex: subcommittee on Crime might
visit federal prisons, Forest Subcommittee might go to Northern CA
to study refuge proposal). Use tax $ to do so.
Slide 24
Example of Committee and Subcommittee For Instance, a Senator
may belong to the: Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry
and the following subcommittees: Subcommittee on Rural
Revitalization, Conservation, Forestry and Credit Subcommittee on
Rural Revitalization, Conservation, Forestry and Credit
Subcommittee on Production, Income Protection and Price Support
Subcommittee on Production, Income Protection and Price Support
Subcommittee on Hunger, Nutrition and Family Farms Subcommittee on
Hunger, Nutrition and Family Farms
Slide 25
Committee Actions
Slide 26
The Bill on the Floor Committee of the Whole Expedited Process
The Committee of the Whole includes all members of the House,
however, they sit as one large committee and not as the House
itself. Most measures are done in this committee. Only 100 members
needed as opposed to 218 in full House. Allows bills to be
considered faster, and without all of the rules of the full House.
Debate Severe limits are placed on floor debate due to the Houses
large size. Majority and minority floor leaders generally decide in
advance how they will split the time to be spent on a bill. Rules
prohibit a member from holding the floor for more than 1 hour.
Slide 27
Voting on a Bill There are several ways of taking votes. The
most common is yes or no. The Speaker of the House will take yes or
no votes on a proposed bill. Once a bill has been approved at
second reading, it is engrossed, or printed in its final form. It
is then read for a third time and a final vote is taken. ***At this
point, it can be sent to the President if passed in identical form
in the other house of Congress. If not, it must go through the
whole process again.
Slide 28
S E C T I O N 4 The Bill in the Senate How is a bill introduced
in the Senate? How do the Senates rules for debate differ from
those in the House? What is the role of conference committees in
the legislative process? What actions can the President take after
both houses have passed a bill?
Slide 29
Introducing a Bill and Rules for Debate Introducing a Bill
Bills are introduced by senators, who are formally recognized for
that purpose. Proceedings are much less formal in the Senate
compared to the House. Rules for Debate Unlike the House of Reps,
Senators may speak on the floor for as long as they wish. This
freedom of debate allows for the fullest possible discussion of
matters on the floor. Strom Thurmond 24 hour filibuster because he
was against the Civil Rights Act.
Slide 30
Filibuster and Cloture Filibuster A filibuster is an attempt to
talk a bill to death. A senator may exercise his or her right of
holding the floor as long as necessary, and in essence talk until a
measure is dropped (Cant vote if still debating and could vote
against if they bore enough people into leaving). Cloture: limiting
debate in the Senate. 60 member vote required. Put in place to kill
filibuster. Seldom used, but there in case. Limits debate to 30
hours max. Then must be brought to final vote.
Slide 31
Conference Committees Any measure enacted by Congress must have
been passed by both houses in identical form. If one of the houses
will not accept the others version of a bill, a conference
committee, a temporary joint committee of both houses is formed to
iron out the differences. Once a conference committee completes
work on a bill, it is returned to both houses for final approval.
It must be accepted or rejected without amendment in the exact same
form.
Slide 32
The President Acts The President can either veto or approve a
bill. If he approves, it becomes a law. If he vetoes the bill, it
goes back to Congress. If Congress passes the vetoed bill by 2/3
vote in both houses, it becomes a law. 231 Chapter 12, Section
4
Slide 33
Section 4 Review 1. A filibuster is (a) a tool used by senators
to speed up the process of passing legislation. (b) the name for a
bill once it is signed into law. (c) a delay tactic in which a bill
is talked to death. (d) an executive privilege that allows for the
amending of passed bills.