Congress Gets Organized! The First Day in the House  All members are sworn in  House elects the Speaker  Always a member of the majority party – they have picked them in private meetings before session

Congress Gets Organized! The First Day in the House  Members are put into committees  Also prearranged  Majority party gets a majority in every committee  Seniority Rule – longest serving members get the first pick, become chairperson

Congress Gets Organized! First Day in the Senate  1/3 of the members are sworn in (only 1/3 coming off of election)  Vacant committee seats are filled

Committees Committee – expert groups of Congressmen who decide what bills will go to the whole house for a vote Most work in Congress is done in committees

Types of Committees Standing Committee – permanent committees that remain from session to session

Current Standing Committees in the House of Representatives Agriculture Appropriations Armed Services Budget Education and the Workforce Energy and Commerce Financial Services Government Reform House Administration International Relations Judiciary Resources Rules Science Small Business Standards of Official Conduct Transportation and Infrastructure Veterans Affairs Ways and Means

Current Standing Committees in the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Appropriations Armed Services Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Budget Commerce, Science, and Transportation Energy and Natural Resources Environment and Public Works Finance Foreign Relations Governmental Affairs Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Indian Affairs Judiciary Rules and Administration Small Business Veterans Affairs

Types of Committees Select or Special Committees – Temporary committee to investigate wrongdoing or research a special matter  Examples: Senate Watergate Committee, Select Committee on Aging

Types of Committees Joint Committees – have members of both the House and Senate  Conference Committees – compromise different versions of bills between House and Senate

How a Bill Becomes a Law

Step 1 – The House/Senate  Bill is introduced  Can only be introduced by a member of the House  Bill is read to the entire chamber

How a Bill Becomes a Law Step 2 – The House/Senate  Referred to a standing committee  Speaker of the House chooses the committee  Full committee decides whether to consider it, or “pigeonhole” it

How a Bill Becomes a Law Step 3 – The House/Senate  Referred to subcommittee  Chairman of the committee decides which subcommittee  Subcommittee does the vast majority of research and work on the bill  90% of bills die in steps 2 and 3

How a Bill Becomes a Law Step 4 – The House/Senate  Committee/Subcommittee Hearings  Government officials, experts invited to speak in favor or against bills  Congressmen may take “junkets,” or trips to locations for further research  Meanwhile, they “markup,” or make changes to the bill

How a Bill Becomes a Law Step 5 – The House/Senate  Sent back to full committee  Committee can either Send the bill to step 6 with a “do pass” recommendation Or refuse to report the bill, thus killing it Oh, no!!

How a Bill Becomes a Law  *If the rest of Congress disagrees with a committee’s decision to kill a bill, there is one option*  Discharge Petition – majority of the House votes to pull a dead bill out of committee

How a Bill Becomes a Law Step 6 – The House/Senate  Referred to Rules Committee  Places bill on the calendar  Sets the rules for time limits and number of amendments allowed Oh, no!!

How a Bill Becomes a Law Step 7 – The House/Senate  Whole House Debates  During debate, members can propose amendments to add onto the bill  In the House, amendments must be relevant to the subject of the bill

How a Bill Becomes a Law Step 8 – The House  Whole House Votes  Majority vote passes, sends bill to the Senate

How a Bill Becomes a Law Step 9 – The Senate  Introduced in the Senate Step 10 – The Senate  Referred to a standing committee  Senate Majority Leader chooses which committee

How a Bill Becomes a Law Step – The Senate  Same as House – referred to subcommittee, back to committee, then out to floor for debate

How a Bill Becomes a Law Step 13 – The Senate  Whole Senate Debates  No Rules Committee, so no limits on time or amendments Filibuster – talking at length to stall action on a bill, can only be ended by cloture (60 votes) Riders – amendments that have nothing to do with a bill

How a Bill Becomes a Law Step 14 – The Senate  Senate votes Step 15 – Conference Committee  Members of both houses’ subcommittees that worked on the bill compromise  Both houses then vote again on the compromise bill

How a Bill Becomes a Law Step 16 – The President  President has 4 options:  Sign the bill, make it law  Veto the bill, explain why Goes back to Congress, who can override with 2/3 vote in both houses

How a Bill Becomes a Law  Wait 10 days and let it become law without his signature  Pocket Veto - If Congress ends its session before 10 days are up, bill dies without a veto