1. Making a Bill a Law

2.  Elected by members of the majority party  Next in line of succession  Most important legislative position

3.  Leader of the senate when the VP is not there  Next in line after the Speaker

4.  Leaders of each party in each House

5.  Serve as a link between the leaders & the rank and file members of Congress Dick Durbin Steny Hoyer Jon Kyl Kevin McCarthy

6.  Chosen from majority party  Longest serving member of the committee from the majority party  Chairman decides: when they meet, bills to take up, whether or not to hold public meetings, call witnesses  They then steer the debate and manage the bill

7.  Most work is done in committees  Standing committees – permanent committees where bills are sent  19 in House; 17 in the Senate  Representatives usually serve on 1 o2  Senators usually serve on 3 or 4

8.  House- Rules, Ways & Means, Appropriations, Armed Services, Judiciary, International Relations  Senate- Foreign Relations, Appropriations, Finance, Judiciary, Armed Services

9.  Most standing committees have sub- committees to split up the work  When a bill is introduced the Speaker or the President Pro Temps steers the bill to the appropriate committee  The House Rules committee determines which bills that make it through committees actually make it to the floor of the House for a vote

10.  Select (special) committee- set up for specific purpose & a limited time  Usually formed to investigate a specific matter  Joint Committee- one composed of both houses  Conference Committee- temporary joint created to reach a compromise on a bill passed through the chambers with different versions. Must be identical to be sent to President

12.  Public- applies to nation  Private- certain persons or places  Bills can be presented by members of the legislative branch, the executive branch, or regular citizens

13.  Measure dealing with only one house, not a binding Law  Joint Resolutions- similar to bills when passed; they have the force of law; usually temporary  Concurrent Resolutions- House and Senate act together; do not have the force of law  Riders- a provision that is attached to a larger measure. Sponsor hopes it will “ride” through with the main bill. Might not be passed on its own.  If President wants the main bill passed will have to pass the “riders” along with it  Usually deals with $$$$$ “earmarks” or “pork”

14.  Most bills die in committee- “pigeonholed”  Discharge petition- Any member can request that a dead bill be brought to the floor  Rarely used or successful

15.  Report the bill favorably as is to floor for a vote  Pigeonhole  Report the bill in amended form  Report the bill unfavorably to the floor- committee does not want to be responsible for the death of the bill  Report a committee bill- new bill or several bills put together

16.  The Rules committee ultimately decides what bills go to the floor  Suspend the Rules- happens when Congress wants to fast track a bill  Quorum-a majority of the House needs to be present to vote on a bill  Committee of the Whole- House becomes a committee to work on a bill as a whole then will reconvene to vote on the bill  Speaker allots a certain amount of time to debate each bill brought to the floor

17.  Voice votes  Standing votes  Computerized Votes- Aye, Nay, Present Engrossed- the bill is printed in its final form Speaker signs it and sends it to the Senate

18.  Basically the same rules as the House with a few exceptions  Senate rules are less formal than the House  Bills are called to the floor at the discretion of the Senate Majority Leader  Debate is the biggest difference between the two chambers

19.  Debate is mostly unrestrained  Voting does not take place until a unanimous consent is given  “Two Speech Rule”- on Senator can speak more than twice on a specific measure on the same legislative day  “Filibuster”- talking a bill to death. A group of Senators who do not want a bill passed can continue speaking until the bill is dropped or changed to suit those Senators

20.  They will also use motions, quorum calls, or other manuevers to stall the vote on a bill which will likely pass  Huey Long in 1935-15 hours-Washington phone book and recipes  Glenn Taylor in 1947-8 hours- Family, fishing, Wall Street  Strom Thurmond-1957-24 hours- trying to stop the Civil Rights Acts of 1957

21.  Over 200 bills have been killed by filibusters  Many bills are not even brought to floor due to threat of filibuster  Cloture-passed in 1917- must have a vote of 60 Senators “super-majority”- then bill must be brought to floor after 30 hours

22.  Once a Bill has passed in identical form in both the House and Senate the President acts  Sign the bill into law  Veto- may be overridden with 2/3 vote of both houses  President could just ignore it and then it will become law in 10 days; not Sundays  Pocket Veto- if Congress adjourns within 10 days of submitting the bill and the President does not act on the bill, it dies there