Chapter 12 Congress Organized

House of Representatives Party Officers Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy(R) Minority leader Nancy Pelosi (D) Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R) Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D) Paul Ryan 3rd in line for presidency

Duties of the Speaker of the House Presides over and maintains order Recognizes speakers on the floor Interprets rules Refers bills to committee or ignores them Puts questions to vote and decides outcomes of the votes Names members to committees and signs bills and resolutions

Senate President of Senate is the Vice President of the U.S. Party Officers Majority Leader Mitch McConnell Minority leader Chuck Schumer Majority Whip John Cornyn Minority Whip Dick Durbin President of Senate is the Vice President of the U.S. President Pro Tempore Senator Orrin Hatch

Duties of the President of the Senate Recognizes speakers Puts questions to vote May vote in a tie breaker

12.2 Committees in Congress Standing Committee: A permanent group that considers bills in specific subjects-DUTIES Investigates, evaluates, and sifts through proposed bills e.g. House agriculture, House Budget, Senate Armed Services, Senate Finance Select Committee: A temporary committee set up for a specific purpose that investigates some current matter for possible new laws or for special issues e.g. Native Affairs, Intelligence, Benghazi Investigation.

12.2 Committees in Congress Joint Committee: A committee composed of members from both houses e.g. joint committee on taxation Conference Committee: A committee composed of both houses who works through differences between similar bills-produces compromise bills Tax Bill goes to Conference committee 12-2-17

12.3 How a Bill Becomes a Law School House Rock Bill

12.3 How a Bill Becomes a Law

12.3 How a Bill Becomes a Law Most bills are introduced in Congress by the executive branch, pressure groups, private citizens, committees, or the House A bill is a proposed law A resolution deals with a matter that concerns either house alone A joint resolution is like a bill because it has the force of law A concurrent resolution deals with both houses that must act jointly without the force of law At first reading of a bill the clerk numbers & names , enters into house journal & Congressional Record

Five courses of action a committee takes Report on it favorably Refuse to report it Report it in amended form Report it unfavorably Report a substitute bill written by committee

Voice Votes Voice votes in the House of Representatives and the Senate require members of Congress to vocalize a "yea" or "nay" vote. Members vote simultaneously and collectively in response to the question posed. The chair decides which side wins the vote. Division Division or standing votes are used when a member makes a request after a voice vote. Members vote by standing up to be counted by the chair. The opposing vote is counted last and the chair announces the results. The Senate rarely uses the standing vote, but will raise their hand to be counted. The results of Senate division votes are not announced. Record or Roll-Call Votes In the House of Representatives, a member can ask for a "yea" or "nay" vote before the final tally of the record votes are announced. One-fifth of the members must agree before the vote can take place. Members use electronic voting cards to place record votes. The Senate does not use an electronic voting card. In an alphabetical roll-call vote, clerks call Senate members' names and record their vote. Teller Votes Time Limit and Quorums Teller Votes Record votes in the House and roll-call votes in the Senate are limited to 15 minutes, unless extended by the chair. According to the Constitution, a minimum number of members are required for a vote to take place. For example, the House must have 218 members present while the Senate must have 51 members present. This a called a quorum.

After a bill is passed it is placed on the Senate President’s desk A Rider is a provision attached to a measure that is likely to pass A discharge petition is a move that forces a committee to present a bill for consideration to the House