U.S. Congress

1. U.S. Congress

2. Legislative branch • Collectively known as Capitol Hill. • Has the primary law-making power, but shares some with the president. • In addition to passing laws, Congress oversees the implementation of laws, conducts investigations to determine if new laws are needed, and provides services to constituents.

3. Overview • Bicameral (two chamber) • U.S. Senate with 100 members, two per state • U.S. House of Representatives with 435 members; the number in each state depends on the population. It is recalculated every 10 years after the census.

4. Congressional structure Congress conducts business through committees & subcommittees. Standing committees - permanent with set jurisdiction in particular policy areas Select committees - called for a specific purpose, generally oversight Joint committees – with members from each branch.

5. Congressional hearings • Used to collect data and testimony about a proposed law or the need for a new law. Example: • Senate Judiciary hearings Tuesday on “The Freedom of Information Act: Ensuring Transparency and Accountability in the Digital Age.”http://judiciary.senate.gov/hearings/hearing.cfm?id=5033

6. Role of political parties Filling leadership positions Making committee assignments Introducing, sponsoring & supporting proposals from their party’s president Lining up votes in favor or against White House proposals Raising campaign funds for members

7. U.S. Senate, 112th Congress Current party makeup: 51 Democrats; 47 Republicans and 2 Independents who lean toward Democrats. Because it is relatively small in size, there are fewer rules that govern the process. Example: unlimited debate (a filibuster) is permitted & can be used to kill legislation. Senate web site: http://www.senate.gov/

8. Senate leadership • Majority Leader • Harry Reid • Democrat • Minority Leader • Mitch McConnell • Republican • Photos from New York Times

9. House of Representatives Current party makeup: 241 Republicans; 192 Democrats; 2 vacant seats; 0 Independents More rules govern the process because of the large size of the House. No filibusters, no amendments that are not germane to the bill, etc. House web site: http://www.house.gov/

10. House leadership • Speaker of the House • John Boehner • Republican • Minority Leader • Nancy Pelosi • Democrat • Both photos from the New York Times

11. Party caucuses • Republican caucus in the House

12. How a bill becomes a law General process: Introduced by a member of the chamber. Assigned to committee; hearings held; bill is revised; committee votes. If passed, it goes to floor. If passed there, it goes to joint conference committee. Back to floor for an up-or-down vote. If passed, it goes to White House.

13. President’s legislative role • President signs the bill and it becomes law. • President vetoes the bill and sends it back to Congress; 2/3 vote of each chamber needed to override the veto. • President does not sign bill within 10 days: • If Congress is in session, it becomes law. • If Congress is not in session, the bill dies.

14. Presidential veto • Vetoes seldom overridden. Requires 2/3 majority in Congress. Members from the president’s party who initially voted for the bill will usually not vote to override a veto. • A veto is both a negative power for the president (blocking action) and a positive power when used as a threat (forcing Congress to bargain).

15. Difficulty passing laws • Annually about 20,000 bills introduced, but only about 5% are enacted. • 80% to 90% die in committee. • Of those that get to the floor for a vote, a fair chance of passage, up to half.

16. Presidential legislative success • Presidents often complain about Congress, but studies show that presidents overall achieve their policy goals in some recognizable form about 2/3rds of the time. • A poor economy and budget deficits limit president’s ability to create new programs. Both affecting the Obama administration.

17. Other legislative tasks • Constituent services • Newsletters to constituents. • Responses to constituent letters about a pending issue • Casework: helping constituents deal with the federal bureaucracy. • Investigations of perceived problems. • Oversight of federal programs.

18. Government Accountability Office • Nonpartisan agency that serves as the “investigative arm” of Congress, conducting studies & audits to monitor federal programs. • We advise Congress and the heads of executive agencies about ways to make government more efficient, effective, ethical, equitable and responsive • See: http://www.gao.gov/

19. Congressional Budget Office • Nonpartisan agency that serves Congress by providing: • Objective, nonpartisan, and timely analyses to aid in economic and budgetary decisions on the wide array of programs covered by the federal budget and • The information and estimates required for the Congressional budget process. • See: http://www.cbo.gov/

20. Running for office • Representatives elected by their districts; Senators statewide. Direct elections. • Qualifications • House: must be 25 years old, US citizen for 7 years minimum & resident of the state • Senate: must be 30 years old, US citizen for 9 years minimum, & resident of the state

21. Redistricting • Census every 10 years is used to determine how many representatives each state gets. State legislatures or special agencies then redraw district lines in those states. • Oddly shaped districts drawn to maximize one party’s power are called gerrymanders.

22. Running for re-election Most members of Congress seek to make it a career. They develop expertise and build seniority, which helps their voters. Representatives must seek re-election every two years. Senators, who run state-wide campaigns, must seek re-election every six years. Incumbent members of Congress have advantages over challengers when running for office.

23. Running for re-election Modern elections are expensive. Lawmakers need to campaign almost constantly, diverting them from making laws. • Candidates for the House spend on average: $700,000; winners: $1.4 million • Candidates for the Senate spend on average: $2.5 million; winners: $7.5 million • From http://www.opensecrets.org

24. Senator Joe Lieberman preparing to join 7 other senators who are retiring from the Senate & who feel they now can focus on legislation and not re-election. Photo from The New York Times