1. The US Congress
Chapter 12, Sections 1 & 2

2. Congress Convenes- January 3.. Every two years
Speaker of the House is chosen!
Speaker comes from majority party!!!!
House elects other officers & begins work…
According to custom, the Speaker is a member of the majority party…

3. State of the Union, Pres., V.P. & Speaker…
Talk about Lame Duck sessions….
State of the Union, Pres., V.P. & Speaker…
Congress comes together every two years on January 3 of every odd-numbered year. January 3, 2014 new session after November elections.
Once organized, the President gives a speech to both houses….

4. Presiding officers/leadership chosen during party caucus…
Speaker of the House- all leadership positions picked from within the party
Most powerful in Congress, acknowledged leader of majority party, also 3rd in line to presidency
Primary roles – to preside & keep order
Majority Leader-floor leader of majority party-
Caucus is a closed meeting of each party for each house, they vote & discuss leadership.
Majority Whip- assistant floor leader
Minority Leader- floor leader of minority party
Minority Whip- assistant floor leader

5. Presiding Officers for Senate
Vice President = President of the Senate
Can preside & keep order, only votes when a tie
President pro tempore- in Senate
Served in VP’s absence, longest serving of majority party
4th in line to presidency
Majority Leader
Majority Whip
Minority Leader
Minority Whip

6. Presiding Officers – House of Reps
Speaker of the House
Most powerful in Congress, acknowledged leader of majority party, also 3rd in line to presidency
Primary roles – to preside & keep order
Majority Leader
Majority Whip
Minority Leader
Minority Whip

7. Party Officers – both houses
Party caucus – closed meeting of that party
Policy committee – executive body of each caucus
Other caucuses deal with particular issues
Can belong to more than one caucus
Floor Leaders – also picked by the party
Legislative strategists that steer floor action to benefit the party
Committee Chairmen – head the standing committees
All impacted by seniority rule – unwritten custom

8. How do committees help Congress do its work?
It’s all about committee & sub committees! Many bills are introduced to house & committees each term. Few make it to floor for full review.

9. Standing Committees – permanent 20 in House, 16 in Senate
The bulk of the work in Congress is done in committees…Many sub committees as well…
Choose to serve on a particular committee…
Once named to a committee, they may stay on it as long as they wish
Eventually, members with seniority may become the committee chair
Committee chairs are always from the majority party

10. Special Committees-investigation
Watergate - Nixon
Lewinsky - Clinton
Select Committees-Special or Select Committees are established by the Senate for a limited time period to perform a particular study or investigation.

11. Joint Committees Important issues…
Joint Committee-made up of members of both House & Senate to advise
Important issues…
made up of members of both House & Senate to advise Congress on a particular area

12. Conference Committee
Bills must be passed by both houses (identical forms) before sent to president.
What if both houses cannot pass in identical form?

13. Why do they serve on a committee?
Choose to serve on a particular committee…
To benefit their district or state
To influence national policy
Because of their personal interest or background
Once named to a committee, they may stay on it as long as they wish
Eventually, members with seniority may become the committee chair
Committee chairs are always from the majority party

14. Sections 3 & 4- stop here if we need to.

15. Next Section: Ch. 12 Sections 3 & 4
What is a bill?
Next Section: Ch. 12 Sections 3 & 4
How does a bill become a law? Ideas for bills can come from citizens who write their Congressmen, from business groups, parents, veterans etc.

16. What happens to a bill in the standing committee
What happens to a bill in the standing committee? Is it important enough to send to floor of Senate or House?
Pigeonholed = rejected by committee, dead, not passed
Discharge Petition
Most Bills are pigeonholed and never passed,
If majority of house sign a petition, bill can go back to houses again.
The committees decide which bills are important enough to send to the house or Senate

17. How does a bill (idea) become a law?
School House Rock video
Committee Action is very important…

18. Vote in house, if the bill makes it out of committee- quorum- must be present to vote; a majority of the members plus 1 = 218 representatives

19. Presidential involvement….sign or veto!
President can sign bill & it law or veto.
Congress can override veto with 2/3 vote in each house.

20. Congress adjourns & President ignores the bill & it dies..
In other words, the president puts the bill in his pocket, waits out the Congress, and nothing happens.

21. President can ignore & it becomes law!
If President doesn't want to sign it but doesn't want to veto it, he can simply ignore it and it becomes law in ten days (excepting Sundays) while Congress is in session.

22. Veto’s and overrides…

23. Vocabulary Terms
quorum - The number of senators/house that must be present to vote on a bill-majority plus 1- senators (51), House-218 members
 filibuster - term for any attempt to block or delay vote on a bill, keep talking long enough to prevent a vote on the bill. (Senate)
cloture - the Senate can vote to limit debate of a bill, and overcome a filibuster. (3/5 of senate = 60 votes)
Debate on bills in the house or representatives does have rules. A house member may speak for one hour unless all agree he or she may go on.

24. Vocabulary terms..
Subcommittee-groups that do most of the work & research for the standing committees- most bills go to subcommittees
Resolution-
Joint- A proposal for action that has the force of law
Concurrent- Senate & House work together
Rider- an unrelated “provision” added to an important bill, so it will ride through and get passed.
Bill- a proposed new law
Congressional Record- record of all bills & votes…

26. 110 Congress/Senate- Split? Who had majority rule? Why?
The Democratic Party controlled a majority in both chambers for the first time since the end of the 103rd Congress in Although the Democrats held fewer than 50 Senate seats, they had an operational majority because the two independent senators caucused with the Democrats for organizational purposes.

27. State Governments are very similar to federal governments.
PA General Assembly,

28. State Legislature in PA- Similar to Federal Government
Republicans have majority in House
The PA General Assembly has 253 members, consisting of a Senate with 50 members and a House of Representatives with 203 members, making it the second-largest state legislature in the nation (behind New Hampshire) and the largest full-time legislature
State Legislature in PA- Similar to Federal Government
Structure Seats  Senators 203 House of Representatives
    

29. Republicans control the Senate as well…

30. This is the status of Trifectas After the 2012 Election.
Pennsylvania, republicans hold the majority in both the House & Senate and our governor is a republican. That may change in the November election, 2014.

31. Senator Dinniman with the Silva family at a recent event in support of a Senate Bill 606- Aiden’s Law
What questions can you ask when Mr. Silva speaks to the class?

32. List of Seats for House & Senate for each state.