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Congress in Action

Congress in Action. Chapter 12. Chapter 12 Section 1. Congress Organizes. Congress Convenes Opening Day in the House. January 3 rd , every odd numbered year 111 th Currently The clerk of the House in the preceding term presides

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Congress in Action

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  1. Congress in Action Chapter 12

  2. Chapter 12 Section 1 Congress Organizes

  3. Congress ConvenesOpening Day in the House • January 3rd, every odd numbered year • 111th Currently • The clerk of the House in the preceding term presides • They take roll then chose Speaker to be permanent presiding officer • They are then sworn in by the Dean of House (longest standing member) • Choose nonmember positions • House clerk, sergeant at arms, chief administrative officer, and chaplain • Decide on rules that it will adopt • Lastly members are appointed to committees by House vote

  4. Congress ConvenesOpening Day in the Senate • A more continuous body • Do not have to reorganize at the beginning of every term • Old and new members are sworn in, and missing positions must be filled. • Short and easy first day

  5. State of the Union Address • House notifies Senate when they are organized • Organize joint committee to communicate with President • Within a few weeks he makes his State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress

  6. Presiding OfficersSpeaker of the House • Most important and powerful • Always choose speaker from among its members • Duties are to preside and keep order • Speaker usually does not vote, but is called upon to break any ties • Next in line after VP for the Presidential office

  7. Presiding OfficersPresident of the Senate • This office is held by the Vice President • Not as powerful because not a member of Senate • Cannot speak or take the floor, but may vote to break a tie • President pro tempore, serves when VP cannot be there • Senator Byrd (WV)

  8. Party Officers • The party caucus is a closed meeting of the members of each party in each house. • The floor leaders: • Majority and minority floor leaders are next important after the Speaker • They are legislative strategists, try to steer floor action for their parties’ benefits. • They are assisted by party whips • Essentially assistant floor leaders

  9. 111th U.S. House leadership • Democratic Leadership • The following members were selected by House Democrats to serve in the leadership during the 111th Congress: • Position Member • Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (Calif.) • Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (Md.) • Majority Whip James Clyburn (S.C.) • Caucus Chair John Larson (Ct.) • Caucus Vice-chair Xavier Becerra (Calif.) • DCCC Chairman Chris Van Hollen (Md) • Republican Leadership • The following members were selected by House Republicans to serve in the leadership during the 111th Congress: • Position Member • Minority Leader John Boehner (Ohio) • Minority Whip Eric Cantor (Va.) • Conference Chair Mike Pence (Ind.) • Policy Committee Chairman Thad McCotter (Mich.) • Conference Vice-chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (Wash.) • Conference Secretary John Carter (Texas) • Chairman of NRCC Pete Sessions (Texas)

  10. Democratic Leadership On November 14, 2006, the Democratic caucus met in the Old Senate Chamber to decide on party leaders. Beginning in 2009, members of the 111th Congress (for the most part) kept that leadership. The following members were selected to serve in the leadership: Position / Member Majority Leader Chairman of Democratic Caucus Harry Reid (Nev.) Majority Whip Dick Durbin (Ill.) Vice-chair of Democratic Caucus Charles Schumer (N.Y) Chairman of DSCC Robert Menendez (N.J.) Conference secretary Patty Murray (Wash.) Chair of the steering committee Debbie Stabenow (Mich.) Republican Leadership The Senate Republican caucus selected the following members to serve as their leadership: Position / Member Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.) Minority Whip Jon Kyl (Ariz.) Conference Chair Lamar Alexander (Tenn.) Conference Vice-Chair John Thune (S.D.) Policy Committee Chairman John Ensign (Nev.) Chairman of the NRSC John Cornyn (Texas) 111th U.S. Senate Leadership

  11. Committee Chairman • Most work in House is done by committees • Committee chairmen become important • Seniority Rule: unwritten custom, just says important positions will be held by those in Congress the longest.

  12. Chapter 12 Section 2 Committees in Congress

  13. Standing Committees • They are permanent panels to which all similar bills are sent. • 19 in House, 17 in Senate • 9-75 members in House, 12-28 in Senate • House members in 1 or 2, Senate 3 or 4 • Most bills are decided in these committees before they ever reach the floor

  14. STANDING, OR PERMANENT, COMMITTEES OF CONGRESS • HOUSE: • Agriculture -- Appropriations -- Armed Services Banking, Fiance and Urban Affairs -- Budget District of Columbia -- Education and Labor -- Energy and Commerce Foreign Affairs -- Government Operations -- House Administration Interior and Insular Affairs -- Judiciary -- Merchant Marine and Fisheries Post Office and Civil Service -- Public Works and Transportation Rules -- Science, Space and Technology -- Small Business Standards of Official Conduct -- Veterans' Affairs -- Ways and Means • SENATE: • Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry -- Appropriations -- Armed Services Banking, Finance and Urban Affairs -- Budget Commerce, Science and Transportation -- Energy and Natural Resources Environment and Public Works -- Finance -- Foreign Relations Governmental Affairs -- Judiciary -- Labor and Human Resources Rules and Administration -- Small Business -- Veterans' Affairs

  15. House Rules Committee • “traffic cop” • Even after bills clear their initial committee they must then clear the Rules Committee • The 13 member committee can speed up, delay, or prevent House action on a measure

  16. Select Committees • Panels set up for a specific purpose, and for a limited time. • Members appointed by Speaker of House or President of the Senate

  17. Joint and Conference Committees • Joint Committee: one composed of members of both houses. • Conference Committees: a temporary joint body created to iron out the differences in a bill.

  18. Chapter 12 Section 3 HOW A BILL BECOMES A LAWhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mEJL2Uuv-oQ

  19. First Steps • A bill is a proposed law presented to the House or Senate for consideration. • Bills introduced in House by dropping them into a box on the clerk’s desk

  20. Types of Bills and Resolutions • Joint Resolution: a proposal for some action that has the force of law when passed; usually deals with special circumstances or temporary matters • Concurrent Resolution: a statement of position on an issue, adopted by the house and senate acting jointly; does not have the force of law; does not require the President’s signature • Resolution: A measure dealing with some matter in one house; does not have the force of law; does not require the President’s signature

  21. The Bill in Committee • Majority of bills die in committee • Discharge petition: used to move bills to the floor that have been in committee for 30 days • Used in 2002 for Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act

  22. Scheduling Floor Debate • Five calendars in the House • Union Calendar; all bills having to do with revenues, appropriations, or government property • House Calendar; all other public bills • Private calendar; for all private bills • Correction Calendar; for bills taken out of order by unanimous consent, usually minor • Discharge Calendar; for petitions to discharge bills from committee

  23. The Bill on the Floor • Committee of the Whole, only requires 100 members instead of quorum of 218 • Debate: time limited to an hour without unanimous consent. • Speaker can force members to give up the floor • Voting: a bill can be voted on many times with its amendments • Final Steps: after second reading it is engrossed, meaning the bill is printed in final form. Approved then after third reading, and sent to President of Senates desk.

  24. Bills in the Senate Chapter 12 Section 4

  25. The Bill in the Senate • Introduced by senators • Given a number, read twice, then referred to committee • Less formal and less strict then the House • Only 1 calendar, not 5

  26. Rules for Debate • Very limited in the House, almost unrestrained in the Senate • May speak as long as they want on whatever they want • “two-speech rule” no senator may speak more than twice on a given questions on the same legislative day.

  27. HOMEWORK • Chapter 12 Outline Due Next Class • TEST NEXT CLASS • 30 Multiple Choice Questions • Chapters 10-11-12 over Congress

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