1. Congress Organizes
Chapter 12
Section 1

2. Congress Convenes Opening Day in the House
On opening day a new term, a clerk calls the chamber to order and checks the role of newly elected representatives.
The members-to-be choose a Speaker, who takes the oath of office and swears in the rest of the members.
The House elects a clerk, sergeant at arms, doorkeeper, postmaster, and chaplain, and then adopts rules and organizes committees.

3. Test Question On the first day of each new term, the House
a. has a short, routine day.
b. has few members to swear in.
c. elects a Speaker to preside.
d. writes new rules of procedure.

4. Opening Day in the Senate-As a continuous body with only one-third new membership each term, the Senate does not undertake extensive organizing. Instead, newly elected and reelected members are sworn in and vacancies specific legislative.
The President’s State of the Union Message-In this constitutional mandated speech, the President reports on the state of the nation, outlines the shape of the administration’s policies and plans, and also may recommend specific legislative actions.

5. The Presiding Officers
The Speaker of the House is the most influential member of the House of Representatives and has two duties: to preside over all sessions and to keep order.
The speaker is allowed to debate and vote on any matter.
If he of she chooses to vote, a Speaker pro tempore must be appointed temporarily.
The Speaker rarely votes except to cause or break a tie. In case of a tie the Speaker is required to vote.

6. According to the Constitution, the president of the Senate is the Vice President of the United States.
The president of the Senate recognizes members; puts question to a vote, and so on, but may not vote except to break a tie.
In the Vice President’s absence, a president pro tempore, who is elected by the Senate and is a member of the majority party, presides.

7. Test Question The president of the Senate
a. is elected by the Senate and is the leader of its majority party.
b. is replaced, when absent, by the president pro tempore.
c. serves in place of the Vice President of the United States.
d. debates and votes on all measures in the chamber.

8. Floor Leaders and Other Party Officers
The Floor Leaders
The floor leaders in both the House and the Senate consist of a majority and a minority floor leader, chosen by the party colleagues.
The assistants of the floor leaders are called “whips.”
The Party Caucus-These are closed meetings of each party in each house and deal with party organization, selection of floor leaders, and committee membership.

9. Test Question
When the Senate’s Republican caucus wants party members to vote for a bill, the person that determines how many votes can be counted on is the ?
senior senator.
policy-committee chairperson
floor leader.
whip.

10. Committee Chairpersons
The committee chairpersons decide when their committees will meet, which bills they will consider, whether they will hold public hearings, and what witnesses to call.

11. Test Question
Committee chairpersons may do all of the following EXCEPT
a. choose all members of their committees.
b. decide whether or not to hold public hearings.
c. manage the debate on bills approved by their committees.
d. determine when their committee will meet.

12. Seniority Rule
By unwritten custom, most important posts are awarded according to length of service (based on seniority).
Criticism of the Seniority Rule-Critics of the seniority rule maintain that the rule ignores ability, discourages young members, and encourages constant reelection of “stale” members; defenders say that the rule ensures experience in the key posts and minimizes conflict within the party.

13. Committees in Congress
Chapter 12
Section 2

14. Test Question The main reason the Congress creates committees is to?
a. divide the workload.
b. educate new members.
c. introduce new bills.
d. create party power bases.

15. Standing Committees
Standing committees are permanent groups to which all similar bills are sent.
Today there are 20 standing committees in the House and 17 in the Senate.
The Speaker of the House or the president of the Senate is responsible for assigning bills to the appropriate standing committees.

16. Test Question
The standing committees to which House bills are first sent may not
a. refer bills to subcommittees.
b. amend or rewrite bills.
c. schedule bills for debate.
d. refuse to report out bills.

17. The House Rules Committee
This committee manages the flow of bills for action by the full House by scheduling their consideration.
How and when bills reach the floor is up to this committee.
Because the Senate has less formal organization, the majority floor leader controls the appearance of bills on the floor.

18. Test Question
The House Rules Committee may do all of the following EXCEPT
a. set conditions for considering a bill.
b. speed up consideration of a bill.
c. prevent consideration of a bill.
d. attach amendments to a bill.

19. Select Committees
Select committees are special groups set up for specific purposes and for a limited period whose members are appointed by the Speaker or the president of the Senate.
Occasionally, a select committee conducts especially important investigations, for example, the Senate Watergate Committee of 1973.

20. Most select committees
conduct investigations.
have a specific purpose.
try to bring public attention to the matter.

21. Joint and Conference Committees
A joint committee is one composed of members from both houses and is organized to deal with issues of common concern; some are permanent, such as the Joint Committee on the Library of Congress, others are temporary.
Conference committees are temporary committees, organized to resolve differences in similar bills passed in both houses and to produce a compromise bill acceptable to both houses. They act as a “third house of Congress”.

22. Test Question
Conference committees act as a “third house of Congress” when they
a. use investigative powers similar to those of the House and Senate.
b. screen, debate, and vote on bills.
c. appoint presiding officers.
d. produce a new bill that replaces differing House and Senate versions.

23. Test Question
Either house of Congress may respond to charges of price-gouging in the cable TV industry by using its?
a. investigative power.
b. lawmaking power.
c. judicial powers.
d. oversight power.

24. How a Bill becomes a Law The House
Chapter 12 Section 3

25. Creating and Introducing Bills
Most bills do not originate with members of Congress but in the executive branch, in special interest groups, or with private citizen.
All revenue-raising bills begin in the House; all other bills may be introduced in either chamber.
In the overall process of lawmaking, congress does NOT create any bills.

26. Test Question In the overall process of lawmaking, congress does NOT
a. create any bills.
b. introduce many bills.
c. vote on tax bills.
d. participate in conference committees.

27. Types of Bills and Resolutions
Bills-These are proposed laws presented to Congress. Public bills apply to the entire nation; private bills pertain to certain persons or places.
Joint Resolutions-These deal with temporary or unusual matters, have the force of law, must be passed by both houses, and must be signed by the president.
Ie. constitutional amendment pg. 335

28. Test Question To propose a constitutional amendment, Congress uses
a. a public bill.
b. a joint resolution.
c. a concurrent resolution.
d. a resolution.

29. Concurrent Resolutions-These deal with common concerns of both houses, do not have the force of law, and do not require the President’s signature.
Resolutions-These deal with matters concerning either house alone; they usually are concerned with house rules and do not require the President’s signature.

30. The First Reading
The first reading of a bill consists of the assignment of a house number, a short title, and entry into the House Journal and the Congressional Record for the day.
The Speaker then refers the bill to the appropriate standing committee for consideration.

31. Test Question When a bill is introduced in the House, it is FIRST
a. given to the Rules Committee.
b. read aloud in full.
given a number and a title.
debated by the full House.

32. The Bill in Committee
Most committee work is done by subcommittees which investigate, debate, and recommend the fate of particular bill.
After subcommittees complete their work, the measure returns to the full committee.
Most bills in the House die in the committee.

33. The full committee may report the bill favorably to the full House.
The full committee may refuse to report the bill, or pigeonhole.
The full committee may report an amended bill.
The full committee may report the bill unfavorably.
The full committee may report an entirely new bill.

34. Rules and Calendars
Before reaching the floor of the House, a bill must be placed on one several calendars, or schedules, for deliberation.
(This only happens if reported out of a full committee)
In order to be debated on the floor, each bill must receive a rule, or approval for its appearance on the floor (unless the bill is privileged of the rules are suspended).

35. Test Question
How and when the bills reach the floor of the House is decided by the
a. Ways and Means Committee.
b. Rules Committee.
c. Appropriations Committee.
d. Judiciary Committee.

36. The Bill on the Floor
Most important bills are considered in the committee of the Whole
Debate-Strict rules limit the length of each individual’s debate.

37. Voting-A bill requires formal House vote on it and on various amendments that might be attached to it.
Voice votes are the most common.
A standing vote may be demanded if any member thinks the Speaker has erred in judging a voice vote.
One-fifth of the quorum may demand a teller vote.
A roll-call vote may be demanded by one-fifth of the members.
“teller” votes are not used in the Senate pg. 340

38. Final Steps
An approved bill is engrossed, read a third time, voted on again, and signed by the speaker.
A signed bill is sent to the president.

39. The Bill in the Senate
Chapter 12
Section 4

40. Introducing the Bill in Senate
Bills are introduced by senators, given a number and title, read twice, and referred to committee.
Senate proceedings are less formal than those of the House, have only one calendar for bills, and are called to the floor by the majority floor leader.

41. The Senate’s Rules for Debate
Floor debate is almost unlimited in the Senate. (The House has limited).
The Filibuster-The filibuster is a tactic used by a minority to “talk a bill to death” on the Senate floor (prevent action on a bill).

42. The Cloture Rule
This is the Senate’s check on the filibuster and limits debate, but requires a petition signed by at least 16 senators and approval by at least three-fifths of the full Senate.
Many senators hesitate to use the cloture rule for fear that it will limit free debate and it will undermine the effectiveness of the filibuster technique.

43. Test Question The purpose of a filibuster is to
a. invoke the rule of cloture.
b. prevent quorum calls.
c. speed up action on a bill.
d. prevent action on a bill.

44. Test Question
In the Senate, a filibuster may be ended with a vote that invokes
a. the rule of cloture.
b. the “two-speech” rule.
c. the unanimous consent rule.
d. senatorial courtesty.

45. The Conference Committees
If House and Senate versions of a bill differ, a joint conference committee is appointed to achieve a compromise bill acceptable to both houses.
Appointees are usually the senior, most powerful members of each committee and the compromise they reach are usually acceptable to both houses.

46. The President Acts
A bill passed by both houses goes to the President for his action.
The President may sign the bill, veto it, allow the bill to become law by not signing it within ten days of receiving it, or pocket veto the bill by not acting on it before Congress adjourns.

47. Test Question
Which of the following options is NOT available to a President who has just received a bill passed by Congress?
a. sign the bill within 10 days
b. sign the bill after 15 days
c. veto the bill
d. use a pocket veto