Aim: How is Congress Organized? Do Now: How is leadership in schools organized? Fill in the following positions in order of responsibility. List all staff that assist in helping schools to function properly. Write as many as you can think of. Superintendent Principle Assistant Principle …?

Congressional Leaders

Congress Congress is the Legislative Branch (creates laws) Consists of two houses – House of Representatives (435 Members) Senate (100 Members)

Terms A term is the length of time that officials serve after an election, as in a 2-year term (House) or 6-year term (Senate). The date for the start of each new term has been set by the 20 th Amendment (1933) as “noon on January 3rd” of every odd-numbered year.

Sessions of Congress A session is the regular period of time during which Congress conducts business. Congress adjourn, or suspend a session until the next session, as it sees fit. Only the President may call Congress into a special session—a meeting to deal with some emergency situation.

House Leadership The House is divided into two political parties, often referred to as the Democratic and Republican Caucuses. The Majority Caucus has a number of officers, but the most important are The House Majority & Minority Leader Is elected solely by the members of the majority party, and it is their job to serve as an assistant to the Speaker of the House. The House Majority & Minority Whip Is second in command, it is their job to count votes on any issue, and help the majority leader to “whip up support” for the positions of the majority party for voting.

Republican Leadership Majority Leader Rep. Kevin McCarthy Majority Whip Rep. Steve Scalise Conference Chairman Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers Policy Committee Chairman Rep. Luke Messer Democratic Leadership Democratic Leader Rep. Nancy Pelosi Democratic Whip Rep. Steny Hoyer Assistant Democratic Leader Rep. James Clyburn Democratic Caucus Rep. Xavier Becerra

The presiding officer of the House is called the Speaker of the House. –Elected by his or her peers –Member of majority party The Speaker has authority over much of the business of the House. –Presides over debates –Rules on points of order (question about a rule) –Assigns bills to committees – Assigns membership to committees The Speaker is behind the vice president in the line of succession to the presidency. Leadership in the House – Speaker of the House

Speaker of the House Paul Ryan ( R- WI) Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) Minority Leader Harry M. Reid ( D-NV) Majority Whip John Cornyn (R-TX) Minority Whip Richard Durbin (D-IL)

Party Leaders Leading the majority – Senate majority leader most powerful position in Senate, is responsible for organizing activities – Chosen by party caucus, works to fulfill party’s agenda in Senate Minority leader guides work of minority party in Senate Senate’s presiding officer –Vice president of the United States is president of the Senate –Largely ceremonial; votes only in circumstance of tie, casts deciding vote When presiding officer absent –President pro tempore presides in absence of president of the Senate, traditionally longest-serving senator of majority party –Third in line in presidential succession behind Speaker of the House Senate Leadership