APS Day 22 Agenda white Intro to Congress – get (white) Unit 3 packet 1.Structure of US Gov’t – review Kleinogram 2.Individually, complete assigned questions on Form of Congress p 3-4 Constitutional description of Congress and its powers and limits 3.Group work to finish Form of Congress 4.Powers of Congress – new group work to determine the enumerated powers of Congress to make laws and the clause that has led to the expansion of Congressional power Legislation – laws that regulate public and private activity, distribute public resources, take private resources for public use or symbolically act. –Go to bin/query/z?c111:H.R.1086: bin/query/z?c111:H.R.1086http:// Committees - internal structure of congressional chambers es_home.htmCommittees es_home.htm –Work with own committees to discuss legislation and sources – use thomas.gov EU – The Constitution defines the structure and powers of a bicameral Congress. Legislation - the laws - are the written public policies.

KEY DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE HOUSE AND SENATE CONSTITUTIONAL DIFFERENCES SENATE Six-year terms (1/3 up for reelection every two years) Comprises 100 members (2 from each state) Must be 30 yrs old Must be citizen for 9 years Must live in the state represented Tries impeached officials Offers "advice and consent" on many major presidential appointments Approves treaties HOUSE Two-year terms Comprises 435 members (apportioned by population) Must be 25 yrs old Must be citizen for 7 years Must live in the state represented Initiates all revenue bills Initiates impeachment procedures and passes articles of impeachment

DIFFERENCES IN OPERATION HOUSE More centralized, more formal, stronger leadership Rules Committee fairly powerful in controlling time and rules of debate (in conjunction with the majority leader) More impersonal Members are highly specialized Emphasizes tax and revenue policy Seniority important in determining power SENATE Less centralized, less formal, weaker leadership No Rules Committee; limits on debate come through unanimous consent or cloture vote of 60% to end a filibuster More personal Members are generalist Emphasizes foreign policy Seniority less important in determining power

HOUSE Power formerly centralized in the hands of key committees and the leadership; breaking down House procedures are becoming more efficient, with less debate and fewer amendments CHANGES IN THE INSTITUTION SENATE Senate workload increasing and informality breaking down Members are becoming more specialized; debate and deliberations less frequent

House leadership Speaker – Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D – MD) Majority Whip James E. Clyburn (D – SC) Minority Leader John Boehner (R – OH) Minority Whip Eric Cantor (R -VA)

President of the Senate Joe Biden U.S. Vice President President Pro Tempore Robert C. Byrd Democrat, West Virginia Robert C. Byrd Majority Leader Harry Reid Democrat, Nevada Harry Reid Assistant Majority Leader (Democratic Whip) Richard Durbin Democrat, Illinois Richard Durbin Minority Leader Mitch McConnell Republican, Kentucky Mitch McConnell Assistant Minority Leader (Republican Whip) Jon Kyl Republican, Arizona Jon Kyl Senate Leadership

Standing committees are permanent panels identified as such in chamber rules (House Rule X, Senate Rule XXV). Because they have legislative jurisdiction, standing committees consider bills and issues and recommend measures for consideration by their respective chambers. They also have oversight responsibility to monitor agencies, programs, and activities within their jurisdictions, and in some cases in areas that cut across committee jurisdictions. Most of the work of each chamber is done by standing committees. Almost no laws are created without the hearings, debate, markup and approval of standing committees.

Select or special committees are established generally by a separate resolution of the chamber, sometimes to conduct investigations and studies, and, on other occasions, also to consider measures. Often, select committees examine emerging issues that don’t fit clearly within existing standing committee jurisdictions, or which cut across jurisdictional boundaries. A select committee may be permanent but is most often temporary. Instead of select, the Senate sometimes uses the term special committee (as in the Special Committee on Aging) or the current House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming. House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming.

- A temporary, ad hoc panel composed of House and Senate conferees which is formed for the purpose of reconciling differences in legislation that has passed both chambers. Conference committees are usually convened to resolve bicameral differences on major and controversial legislation. conference committee

Committees – who, what and why? For your committee, go to committee’s webpage found on the Senate.gov site: 1.Identify the Chair and minority ranking member 2.Identify the executive departments overseen 3.Identify the jurisdiction 4.Identify the key subcommittees.

Democrats Oppose censorship Support organized labor Oppose wider searches w/o warrants Support expanding equality Support gun control Oppose new oil drilling Support social welfare spending Support wider health spending Support regulations on business Support tax increases Support barrier between church and state Support right to die Oppose capital punishment Support bilingualism Republicans Support censorship Oppose organized labor Support wider searches w/o warrants Oppose expanding equality through gov’t action Oppose gun control Support new oil drilling Oppose social welfare spending Oppose many regulations on business Oppose taxes Support religion working with state Oppose assisted suicide Support capital punishment Support English-only