1. Congress & the Legislative Process

2. Founders’ Intentions Most powerful branch of government It is Article I: 18+ expressed powers Representative assembly Accessible to the people

3. Constitutional Powers of Congress Establish and maintain the armed forces Declare war Raise taxes and borrow money Spend money for the general welfare Regulate interstate commerce Do what is "necessary and proper“

4. The specific natures of each chamber… House requirements Twenty-five years of age Seven years of citizenship Two-year term Senate Requirements Thirty years of age Nine years of citizenship Six-year term

5. House Structure Centralized and relatively organized Less debate Restricted access to the floor Individual members have limited power Functions Originate all revenue bills Agents of local interests

6. Senate Structure More regional and national in concerns and constituencies The “elite” house of the legislature - (Senators appointed by state legislatures until Seventeenth Amendment) (1913) More deliberative: no time limits on speaking Filibuster: speak as long as they want to oppose an action (subject to cloture)

7. Congressional Compositions (106 th Congress, 1999-2001)

8. Congressional roles / functions Instrument for policy Perform constituency service (intervene on behalf of citizens, help with other requests – capitol tours, tickets to viewing gallery, flags, etc) Patronage activities provide direct service to constituents (i.e. pork barrel) Reward contributors

9. Congressional roles / functions (cont’d) Oversight: Investigations, hearings. Budgeting / fiscal roles: War funding; Ways and Means Committee;

10. Congressional behavioral tendencies Members of Congress are motivated by re-election Distributive tendency: pork-barrel legislation funds local work projects to bring federal money to the states (earmarks)

11. Committee System Core of Congress where bills are considered Committees allow members to specialize in policy areas and become experts Congressional division of labor achieved through committees Committee chairs act as "gatekeepers“ Standing committees have fixed membership, officers, rules, staff, and offices Majority party sets rules and chooses officers. Majority party always has most committee members; minority party has some. Jurisdiction is defined by subject matter of legislation.

12. Internal structure: types of committees Standing committees: permanent; important topic Conference committees: House/Senate differences in same bill; at end of process Joint committees: House/Senate on a common topic Select committees: temporary; set for a special purpose.

13. Examples of committee jurisdictions Farm subsidy bills go to Agriculture Committee Highway bills go to Transportation Committee GI Bill benefits go to Veterans’ Affairs Committee

14. Bill Is Introduced in The Senate Bill Is Introduced in The House Referred to House Committee Changes Voted on by Full Committee Referred to Senate Committee Referred to Subcommittee Referred to Subcommittee Changes Voted on by Full Committee Full Senate Debate and Vote Full House Debate and Vote Conference Committee House ApprovesSenate Approves If the President signs the bill, it becomes public law How A Bill Becomes Law Could be more than one: multiple referral