How Congress Works

House-Senate Differences House of Representatives 435 members Very formal with lots of rules 2 year terms 100% members up for re-election Policy Specialists Speaker of the House very powerful Scheduling/rules controlled by majority party Floor debate limited to 1 hour

House-Senate Differences Senate 100 members Very informal chamber 6 year terms 1/3 members up for re-election Policy Generalists Scheduling/rules agreed to by majority & minority leaders Filibuster - delay tactic (usually long speech) to prevent a floor vote on a bill Unlimited floor debate unless cloture invoked

Party Leadership Democratic Leadership 114th Congress Republican Leadership 114th Congress

114th Congress - House Leadership Majority Party Republicans: Speaker Majority Leader Majority Whip Speaker of the House John Boehner (R-OH) Kevin McCarthy R-CA Steve Scalise R-LA

114th Congress - House Leadership Minority Party Democrats: Minority Leader Minority Whip Minority Leader Nancy Pelossi (D-CA) Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-MD)

114th Congress - Senate Leadership Majority Party President of the Senate (Vice President) President Pro Tempore (majority party) Republicans Majority Leader Majority Whip Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) President Pro Tempore Orrin Hatch (R-UT) Majority Whip John Cornyn (R-TX) President of the Senate Joe Biden (D-DE)

114th Congress - Senate Leadership Minority Party Democrats Minority Leader Minority Whip Harry Reid (D-NV) Richard Durbin D-IL

"Congress in session is Congress on public exhibition, whilst Congress in its committee- rooms is Congress at work.” - Woodrow Wilson

Types of Committees  Standing Committees - Permanent committees in Congress to which bills are referred Subcommittees – formed to tackle very specific tasks within the jurisdiction of the full committees  Select or Special Committees - groups appointed for a limited purpose and limited duration

Types of Committees  Joint Committees - includes members of both chambers to conduct studies or perform housekeeping tasks  Conference Committee - includes members of House & Senate to work out differences between similar bills

Standing Committees

House Standing Committees Agriculture Appropriations Armed Services Budget Education & Workforce Energy & Commerce Financial Services Government Reform House Admin. International Relations Judiciary Resources Rules Science Small Business Standards of Official Conduct Transportation & Infrastructure Veterans Affairs Ways & Means See Magruder p. 330

House Rules Committee a)Acts as Traffic Cop for bills from committee b)Functions of the HRC: 1.Place bills on calendar for floor debate 2.Set time limits for debate 3.Decides whether amendments may be added to the bill during floor debate  Open Rule - amendments may be added  Closed Rule - no amendments

Senate Standing Committees Agriculture, Nutrition, & Forestry Appropriations Armed Services Banking, Housing, & Urban Affairs Budget Commerce, Science, Transportation Energy & Natural Resources Environment and Public Works Finance Foreign Relations Governmental Affairs Health, Education, Labor & Pensions Judiciary Rules and Administration Small Business and Entrepreneurship Veterans Affairs See Magruder p. 330

Legislative Committees: Function and Purpose

Legislative Committees: Function & Purpose 1. Consider bills (a.k.a. “mark-up” bills) A bill with a member ’ s mark-up notes

Legislative Committees: Function & Purpose 2. Maintain oversight of executive agencies Secretary Donald Rumsfeld testifies before a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing re: the Department of Defense Budget (May, 2006)

Legislative Committees: Function & Purpose 3. Conduct investigations New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin testified before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee on Hurricane Katrina (Feb., 2006