Understanding the Organization of Congress: Powers and Functions

1. Chapter 5 The Organization of Congress

2. More power than any other branch • Bicameral – two houses; House and Senate • Terms begin on January 3rd of odd-numbered years and last for 2 years; each session is one year. • 20th Amendment moved the date to January from March eliminating the 4-month dead period. Congressional Membership

3. 435 members, seats must be apportioned on the basis of population, each state receiving at least one. • 25 years old and a citizen for at least 7 years, and legal residents of the state they represent. • Elected for 2-year terms in November of even-numbered years, but many are re-elected many times. • The Census every 10 years determines how many representatives each state receives. House of Representatives

4. Baker v. Carr – federal courts could decide cases involving state district lines • Reynolds v. Sims – held that the 14th Amendment required both houses seats be apportioned based on population. • Wesberry v. Sanders – “one person, one vote” • Gerrymandering – political parties draw district’s boundaries to gain an advantage in elections – irregular shapes Redistricting Cases

5. 2 Senators from each state • At least 30 years old, citizens for 9 years and legal residents of their states • At-large seats – statewide • 6-year term, one-third run for re-election every 2 years • Houses set their own salaries; 27th Amendment prohibits members from giving themselves a pay raise. Membership of the Senate

6. Most are lawyers • White, middle-aged, usually over 50 • Slowly becoming more diverse • 90% of incumbents are re-elected Characteristics

7. Each house decides the rules and procedures for how things are done • Main task is to make laws • Rules are printed in each house every two years; House focuses on moving legislation quickly • Committees do most of the work; more important in the House because of its size. • Representatives pay attention to a few small issues that are important to their constituents • Party affiliation is very important • Majority party selects leaders of the House, controls flow of legislation and appoints committee chairs • Who is in control of the House today? House of Representatives

8. Leaders: • Organizing and unifying party members • Scheduling the work of the House • Making certain that lawmakers are present for key floor votes • Distributing and collecting information • Keeping the House in touch with the president • Influencing lawmakers to support the policies of their political party House leadership

9. Presiding officer of the House chosen by caucus – closed meeting of the majority party at the start of each session • Has a lot of power; appoints committee members, schedules bills for action • Follows the Vice President in presidential succession • Assisted on the floor by whips – watching how majority party members will vote • Minority also selects leaders and whips but have no power over scheduling Speaker of the House

10. Most work is done Tuesday through Thursday • Laws start as bills; must pass both houses of Congress pass it and the President signs it for it to become a law. • Bills that pass through committee are placed on a calendar for consideration • Rules Committee helps to direct the flow of major legislation; settles disputes among committees • Votes takes place only when a quorum is present – minimum number of people required for action. House work

11. Senators know and discuss many subjects and topics, not just what is important to their constituents. • Informal atmosphere allows senators to have freedom to express their opinions (unlimited debate) • Vice President presides over the Senate but can only vote in the event of a tie • Can not debate and but does have a personal influence • President Pro Tempore fills in when VP is fulfilling executive duties (chosen by majority party) • Political Parties may not have as much influence over senators. • Floor Leaders for both parties make sure that their bills are moving through Congress. The Senate

12. Bills are introduced more informally and without the need for formal committees • Unlimited debate could kill a bill (filibuster) • Filibuster can be stopped by 3/5 vote for a cloture – each senator can only speak for one hour on a bill • Not used much today The Senate

14. Purpose – help ease the workload, dividing the work into smaller groups • Committees chose which bills will be recognized • Help the public learn about key problems facing the nation Congressional Committees

15. Standing committees – committees that have always been a part of the House and Senate • Controlled by the majority party • Subcommittees – specializes in a small piece of the Standing Committee • Select Committees – study one specific issue – matters of public concern, overlooked problems, problems of interest groups • Joint Committees – made up of members of both Houses • Conference Committees – set up when several versions of the bill exist, works to resolve differences Kinds of Committees

16. Assignment to a committee helps strengthen a Congressman’s career • Membership can mean the ability to influence national policy making • Assigned by their own political party • Seniority system does exist in Congress – the member of the majority party of the committee with the longest service is usually chosen chair Committee members

17. Personal Staff • Committee Staff • Administrative Assistants • Legislative Assistants • Caseworkers • Library of Congress • CBO • GAO • GPO Staff and Support Agencies