The United States Congress

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The United States Congress

• Suppose you were an idiot. And suppose you
  were a member of Congress. But I repeat myself.
• Mark Twain

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Differences in the House and Senate

• The House of Representatives
• More partisan and unified
• More loyalty to party
• More structured and organized
• Majority rules always
• Limited debate and amendments

• The Senate
• Senators more powerful individually
• Less party-oriented and party-dependent
• Looser rules of debate and amendments
• Minority can block the majority (the
  filibuster)

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Special Rules of the Senate

• Unlimited debate
• Bills brought to floor by
• consent of party leaders
• Filibusters
• (can be ended by a
• cloture vote,60 votes)
• The hold put on bills
• non-germane amendments

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Structure of the House

• Chosen from the Majority Party
• Speaker of the House
• Nancy Pelosi (D - CA)
• Elected by House members
• Only Congressional office mentioned by the
  Constitution
• Duties controls debate, approves committee
  assignments, designates which bills are
  considered by the House

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Structure of the House

• The Majority Leader
• Steny Hoyer (D MD)

• The Majority Whip
• James Clyburn (D SC)

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Structure of the House

• The Minority Leader
• John Boehner (R OH)

• The Whip
• Roy Blunt (R MO)

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Structure of the Senate

• President of the Senate
• Dick Cheney
• Duties
• presides over the Senate
• can not vote unless there is a tie
• rarely present in the Senate

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Structure of the Senate

• The Majority Leader
• Harry Reid (D NV)

• The Majority Whip
• Richard Durban ( D - IL)

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Structure of the Senate

• The Minority Leader
• Mitch McConnell ( R - KY)

• The Minority Whip
• Trent Lott ( R - MS)

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The Committees

• Four Types
• Standing (permanent)
• Joint (for investigations)
• Select (info gathering)
• Conference (to reconcile
• different bills from
• House and Senate)

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The Committees

• Most Important (House)
• Ways And Means
• Appropriations
• Rules

• Most Important (Senate)
• Finance
• Judiciary
• Appropriations

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The Committees

• Chair Positions
• Based on seniority
• Majority party holds chairs
• Power to hold or move bills forward or
  pigeonhole them
• Conducts hearings

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The Committees

• Staff
• Does research
• Gathers information
• Assigned to committees
• or to Congress itself

Rep. Sam Hall (R TX)
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Powers of Congress

• Non-legislative
• Investigative (i.e. Watergate)
• Power to subpoena witnesses and gather information

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Powers of Congress

• Non-legislative
• Electoral chooses president when no majority
  is achieved in Electoral College

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Powers of Congress

• Non-legislative
• Executive Senate Confirms appointments of
  the president
• Also confirms treaties

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Powers of Congress

• Non-legislative
• Impeachment House files charges,
• Senate acts as jury, Chief Justice presides

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Powers of Congress

• Non-legislative
• Amendment two thirds of House and Senate
  needed to send amendments to States (3/4 needed
  for ratification)

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Powers of Congress

• Types
• Expressed Article I, Section VIII, clauses 1 -
  17
• Implied necessary and proper (clause 18)
• (the Elastic Clause)

To make all Laws which shall be necessary and
proper for carrying into Execution the foregoing
Powers
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The Electoral Connection

• Advantages of the incumbent
• 
  

franking or unlimited mailings to home district
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The Electoral Connection
Advantages of the incumbent
Money and the ability to raise money
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The Electoral Connection
Advantages of the incumbent

Constituency service
http//www.chetedwards.com/
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The Electoral Connection
Advantages of the incumbent
Credit claiming
Position taking
Name recognition
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The Electoral Connection

• Advantages of the incumbent
• Lack of quality opponents
• 
  Ignorant voters

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The Electoral Connection

• Reasons for defeat

Re-districting
Scandal
Re-alignment of electorate 1932, 1994, 2006?
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The Electoral Connection

• Usually nonfactors
• Foreign Policy Economy coattails
• Can be factors occasionally (2006, 2008?)

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How a Bill Becomes A Law!
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How a Bill Becomes A Law!

• Bill is introduced by a member in House

Hello, Bill!
YouTube - I'm Just a Bill
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How a Bill Becomes A Law!

• Bill sent to the Rules Committee, to determine
  which committee is to work on it (or it can be
  pigeonholed)

Bill dies
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How a Bill Becomes A Law!

• Sent to the Committee, assigned to a subcommittee
• Subcommittee holds hearings, performs studies,
  and makes revisions (mark-up)

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How a Bill Becomes A Law!

• Subcommittee reports it back to full committee
• Committee can either

pigeonhole it
Approve it
Kill it!
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How a Bill Becomes A Law!

• Back to the Rules Committee
• Sets guidelines on
• length of debate
• amendments, yes/no
• type of vote
• put on the calendar

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How a Bill Becomes A Law!

• Full House Debate
• YES on to the Senate
• NO bummer!

Bill is killed!
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How A Bill Becomes a Law!

• Bill introduced to the Senate by a member
• Assigned to appropriate committee by Senate
  leadership (no Rules Committee in the Senate)

McConnell
Reid
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How A Bill Becomes a Law!

• Subcommittee hearings, mark-ups, etc.
• Report to the full committee

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How A Bill Becomes a Law!

• Committee can kill it or pass it
• Sends it to the Senate leadership to be put on
  the calendar

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How A Bill Becomes a Law!

• Full Senate debate, filibusters, amendments,
  final vote
• If yes conference committee
• If no big bummer!

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How A Bill Becomes a Law!

• Conference Committee
• made up of both House and Senate members
• works out differences in the two bills
• Sent back to original
• body for final vote
• No debate or
• amendments
• Yes or No

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How A Bill Becomes a Law!

• Sent to President
• If signed
• ITS A LAW!

Veto sent back to Congress for possible 2/3
override
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Influences on Legislation
The President
The Courts
Events
The Media
Interest Groups
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Influences on Legislation

The Party
Constituent demands
AP Government Classes
Mean people