Leadership in Congress

1. Leadership in Congress

2. Speaker of the House • The Current Speaker of the House is Nancy Pelosi a Representative from California

3. Speaker of the House information • The Speaker is the official leader of the majority party in the House. • Congress convenes in January of odd # years and each party nominates a candidate for speaker • Speaker is chosen based on personal prestige, persuasive ability and knowledge of the legislative process

4. Speaker continued • Major formal powers of the speaker include • Preside over meetings • Appointing members of joint committees and conference committees • Schedule legislation for floor action • Decide points of order and to interpret rules • Referring bills and resolutions to the appropriate standing committees • May take part in floor debates and vote –most only vote to break a tie • Declare war on Lephracons

5. House Majority leader • The House majority leader for the 110th congress is Steny Hoyer from Maryland

6. House Majority leader • The majority leader is elected by caucus to foster cohesion among party members and to act as the spokesperson for the party

7. House Minority leader • The House minority leader/whip for the 110th congress is John Boehner from Ohio

8. House minority leader • The house minority leader is nominated by caucus of the minority party. They are to maintain a cohesion within the party ranks

9. House Whips • The house majority whip is James Clyburn from South Carolina

10. House Whip • The house minority and majority whip are assistance to the minority and majority leaders. They pass information down from the leadership to the party members and by insuring that the members show up for floor debates and cast their votes on important issues

11. House minority whip • The house minority whip is Roy Blunt from Indiana

12. Senate leadership • 2 of the highest ranking positions in the senate are ceremonial in nature they are • President of the Senate-Vice President Dick Cheney • President Pro temp-presides over the senate when the Vice President is gone

13. President of the Senate • President of the Senate is Vice President Dick Cheney from Wyoming

14. President Pro Temp • The president Pro Temp is Robert Byrd, senator from West Virginia

15. Real leadership in the senate • The real leadership in the senate is the majority and minority leader. They are recognized 1st in the debate on the floor, they control scheduling of action and influence committee assignments

16. Senate Majority leader • The senate Majority leader is Harry Reid from Nevada

17. Senate Minority leader • The Senate Minority leader is Mitch McConnell from Kentucky.

18. Senate whips • The senate whips assist the majority and minority leaders of the senate just as the house whips assist the house majority and minority leaders

19. Senate majority whip • Senate majority whip is Richard Durbin a senator from Illiniois

20. Senate minority whip • The senate minority leader is Jon Kyl a senator from Arizona.

21. Differences between house and senate • Senate is on the north side of the capitol • House is on the south side of the capitol • House has 435 members • Senate has 100 members • House has a rules committee-standing committee of the house that provides special rules under which specific bills can be debated, amended and considered in the house

22. Organization of Congress • Congress is the legislative branch of the government it makes the laws for the people • Terms of congress-A term is divided into 2 years each term is divided into 1 year sessions

23. House • House memberships is based on population of the state • There are a total of 435 member in the house

24. House continued • Qualifications in the House • 25 • Citizen of the united States for at least 7 years • Live in the district you represent

25. Term in the house • Each member of the house serves a 2 year term • Every 2 years all 435 members of the house are up for reelection • Representation is based on population-every 10 years a census is taken and 1 year after the census is taken the 435 congressional are redrawn by the state legislatures • Each member in the house represents over 500,000 people

26. Senate • Each state has 2 senators-equal representation

27. Qualifications in the senate • 30 years old • Ci9tizen of the united States for 9 years before the election • Legal representative of the state they represent

28. Terms of office for senate • Senators are elected to 6 year terms • Every 2 years 1/3 of the senate is up for reelection

29. Salaries and benefits of congress • Both member of the house and senate make about $133,000 • Benefits include • Office space, stationary, franking privilege, low cost life insurance, medical clinic, gym, allowances for staff, trips home, telephones, telegrams, newsletters, free from arrest except for treason felony or breach of peace • Members of congress may be censured-formal disapproval of member actions

30. Committee work • Most of the work of congress is done in committees • The purpose of committees • Divide up the work • Select bills that receive further attention • Help the public learn about key problems facing the nation

31. Kinds of committees • Standing • Select • Joint • Conference

32. Standing committees • Permanent groups to oversee bills that deal with certain issues (Ag., defense, transportation • Standing committees are often divided into 6-8 subgroups that can get to the fine points of the committee

33. Select committee • Study 1 specific issue • A matter of great public concern-hunger • Overlooked problems-organized crime • Problems of interest groups-Native Americans • Usually last about 1 year

34. Joint Committees • Made up of member of the the house and senate • Can be temporary or permanent • Act as a study group with the responsibility to report their findings to the full house and senate

35. Conference Committee • Temporary committee set up when the house and the senate have passed different versions of the same bill

36. Differences cont. • Senate has filibustering-unlimited debate to action on another bill • Cloture-close off debate and bring the matter to vote in the senate • Senate more prestige

37. Who are the people of Congress • White • Old • Protestant • Upper class • Lawyers • Incumbency important

38. Constituent • Constituent-one of the people represented by a legislator or other elected or appointed official • Congress was created to work not just for local constituents but also for the nation as a whole • Congress is bicameral

39. Powers of Congress • Enumerated powers-those power written in the constitution given to Congress • Tax and tariff • Borrow money • Regulate interstate commerce • Make laws regulating bankruptcies • Coin and print money • Establish standard for weights and measures • Punish counterfeiters • Establish post office and postal routes • Regulate copyright and patents • Establish the federal court system • Punish pirates and other illegal acts on the high seas • Declare war • Raise and regulate an army and navy • Call up and regulate the state militias • Suppress insurrection • Repel invasions • Govern DC

40. Some powers only belonging to 1 chamber of congress • Article II-section 2 • Senate-advise and consent • ratification of treaties • Accept or reject presidential nominations of ambassadors, supreme court justices and all other officers of the United States

41. Article I Section 8 • Necessary and proper clause-to make all laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into the execution of powers

42. Function of Congress • Lawmaking-making binding rules for Americans • Federal Budget • Health care reform • Gun control • Most bills that congress looks at come from the executive branch, interest groups and political party organizations

43. Function of Congress • Serve to constituents-act as a broker between private citizens and the government • Casework-personal work for constituents by the members of congress • Track down missing social security check • Explain how the bills affect people • Promote local business

44. Serve cont. • Ombudsperson role-a person who hears and investigates complaints private individuals against public officials or agencies

45. Function of Congress • Representation Function-function of congress as elected officials in representing the views of their constituents • Trustee view-one who acts according to his or her conscience and broad interest of the entire society • Instructed delegate-agent of the voter who elected him or her and who votes according to views of constituents regardless of personal views • Politico-combination of the trustee and instucted delegate view

46. Function of congress • Oversight-follow up function to see that laws are carried out the way congress intented • Hold committee hearings • Changing size of agency budget • Cross examine high level presidential nominees • Legislative veto-chamber of congress to disapprove of an executive rule within a specific period of time

47. Function of congress • Public education-educating the public • Agenda setting-determining which public policy questions will be debated

48. Function of congress • Conflict resolution-congress is an access point for airing their grievances and seeking help

49. How a bill becomes a law

50. To disapprove a bill 2/3 to override a veto by both house of congress Gerrymandering-drawing a legislative district to give political advantage to one political party over another Veto/gerrymandering