Bell Ringer

1. Bell Ringer • What is a “Christmas-tree” bill? • What is pigeon-holing? Unrelated riders that are attached to a bill. When the committee ignores a bill and it dies (just goes away).

2. Congress at Work Chapter 7

3. How a Bill Becomes a Law Section 1

4. Fewer than 10% of all proposed bills actually become law. • Why? • Process is long and arduous – more than 100 step. • Willingness to bargain and compromise. • Congressmen will sometimes introduce bills that have no chance at becoming law simply to be on record about an idea or policy

5. The 111th Congress considered: • 6,156 pieces of legislation in the House. • 3,791 pieces of legislation in the Senate. • 237 pieces of that legislation were signed into Public Law. As of 9-20-10

6. Types of Bills

7. Bills and Resolutions Private Public Simple Resolution Joint Resolution Concurrent Resolution

8. Public • Deal with general matters and apply to the entire nation. • Examples: tax bills, education laws.

9. Private • Deal with individual people or places. • Example: Renaming a post office or other public building.

10. Resolutions

11. Resolutions differ from bills in that they deal with matters that affect only one house or the other, and they do not relate directly to the public will. • Resolutions may change rules or procedures, or they may wish a member a happy birthday or a prosperous retirement. • They do not require the signature of the President.

12. Types of Resolutions

13. Simple • Deal with matters affecting only one house of Congress. Does not require signature of president and does not become law.

14. Joint • Passed by both houses and requires presidential signature to become public law. • Used to correct errors in previous bills or appropriate money for a special purpose. • When used to propose constitutional amendments the presidential signature is not required.

15. Concurrent • Cover matters requiring action of both houses, but does not need a law.

16. Introduction of a Bill http://www5.unitedstreaming.com/index.cfm Our Federal Government: The Legislative Branch

21. Bill Numbers • House bills begin with "H.R." (H.R.112-100) • Simple Resolutions begin with "H. Res." (H.Res. 112-100) • Concurrent Resolutions begin with "H. Con. Res." (H. Con. Res. 112-100) • Joint Resolutions begin with "H. J. Res“ (H.J. Res. 112-100). • Senate bills begin with "S." (S. 112-100).

29. Public Law • Become PL 112-100

32. Source: http://clerkkids.house.gov/laws/

33. Bell Ringer • On what committee does all important work on tax bills and other bills involving money begin?

34. Taxing and Spending Bills Section 2

35. What does it cost to run the government? • http://www.uwsa.com/us-national-debt.html

36. How Does the Government Pay for it All? TAXES!!!

37. Article I, Section 8 • “The Congress shall have the power to lay and collect taxes, duties, imposts and excises, to pay the debts and provide for the common defense and general welfare of the United States…”

38. "Taxes are what we pay for a civilized society.“ • Oliver Wendell Holmes • “There are only two sure things in life – death and taxes.” • Benjamin Franklin

39. Where do bills that deal with money begin? House of Representatives

40. House Ways and Means Committee • Accepts or rejects presidential requests for tax increases and cuts. • Makes rules to determine who pays what taxes and who receives tax benefits.

41. Closed Rule • Until 1973 no amendments could be added to a tax bill on the floor. • Only Ways and Means Committee members could have a hand in writing a bill.

42. Senate’s Role • Article I, Section 7 allows the Senate to propose amendments. • Can also eliminate provisions senators object to.

43. How the House and Senate Appropriate Money • Article I, Section 9 • “No money shall be drawn from the Treasury, but in consequence of appropriations made by law.” • Appropriation is a must before money can be spent. • Once appropriation has taken place, authorization of spending must take place. • Authorization sets up federal programs and specifies how much money may be appropriated for that program.

44. Appropriation Committees • Use your textbook to find out the following: • What They Do: • What They Cannot Do: Receive, review, and amend appropriations requests from executive agency budgets. Report out all bills to the executive branch. Kill bills. Affect uncontrollable expenditures and entitlements.

45. What are Uncontrollables and Entitlements? • Accounts for about 70% of annual appropriations and authorizations. • Uncontrollables – expenditures that the government is legally committed to finance. • Social Security, Interest on national debt, federal contract already signed. • Entitlements – social programs that continue on a yearly basis.

46. Bell Ringer • What is pork-barrel legislation? A government project that benefits a legislators home state and/or district (extra left over).

47. Major Influences on Lawmakers The President Voters in home states and districts Lawmaker’s Political Party Senator Or Representative Staff or Committee Members Speaker of the House Senate Majority Leader Each Other Lobbyists for special interest groups and PACS Campaign Fund Contributors and Campaign Workers

48. Helping Constituents Section 4

49. Two Hat Act • Problem solvers for their constituents back home. • Must make sure state and/or district gets its share of federal money, projects, and contracts.

50. How do they juggle??? • CASEWORKERS!!!!