1. Congress: Balancing National Goals and Local Interests

2. Congress Bicameral Legislature (2 year session)
Requirements
House of Representatives (Population)
2 year terms
Apportionment
State regardless of size-1 seat guaranteed
Congressional districts
Senate
6 year terms (Rotates every 2 years based on Class)
Equal Representation

3. Congressional Districts
1929-federal law set House seats at 435 total members representing the 50 states.
The smallest state is guaranteed at least 1 congressional district (U.S.Constitution)
Congressional Districts

4. States or independent commissions have the power to change (redraw) US and State legislative districts lines after the US Census determines the state populations.
2008-CA voters approved Prop 11 which created an Independent Commission (CA Citizens Redistricting Commission) to redraw CA state districts lines instead of the CA State Legislature.
2010-CA Prop 20 allows for this same Commission to also redraw congressional district lines.
Redistricting

5. Recent CA Propositions
CA Citizens Redistricting Commission (CCRC)
14-Member Commission
5- Democrats
5-Republicans
4-unaffiliated/Other Party
Recent CA Propositions

6. Gerrymandering
Districts are drawn in unusual shapes to influence a certain political party or group
Districts lines drawn to ensure demographics favor the party in power
principalitiesandpowers.blogspot.com/2010/03/...

7. After the census, every state receives a new share of house seats according to the population changes.
States can gain or lose congressional seats and sometimes have no change in number.
“One Person, One Vote”
US Supreme Court (Wesberry v. Sanders) 1964
Districts must contain, as close as possible, equal number of people.
If congressional districts are not equal populations, then the value of people’s votes are not the same.
Reapportionment

8. The Power of Incumbency
one-simple-idea.com/WhatAllVotersShouldDo1.htm
Franks
Professional Staff
Access to Media
Name Recognition
Pork Barrel

9. Congress as a Career: Election to Congress
The Pitfalls of Incumbency
Troublesome Issues
Personal Misconduct
Turnout Variation: The Midterm Election Problem
Strong Challengers: A Problem for Senators

10. NANCY PELOSI Congress as a Career: Election to Congress
The Pitfalls of Incumbency (continued)
Redistricting: A Problem
for House Members
Reapportionment
Gerrymandering
Re-Elect Congresswoman
NANCY PELOSI
U.S. CONGRESS

11. Congressional Leadership
Party Leadership in Congress
The House Leadership
The Speaker of The House
The Senate Leadership
President of the Senate
The Power of the Party Leaders
Speaker, Paul Ryan
House of Representatives

12. 115th House Leadership http://www.house.gov/leadership/
Speaker of the House
Paul Ryan (R-WI)
Majority Leader
Kevin McCarthy (R-CA)
Majority Whip
Steve Scalise (R-LA)
Minority Leader
Nancy Pelosi (D-CA)
Minority Whip
Steny Hoyer (D-MD)

13. 115th Senate Leadership
President of the Senate
VP of the United States
President Pro Tempore
Orrin Hatch (R-UT)
Majority Leader
Mitch McConnell (R-KY)
Majority Whip
John Cornyn (R-TX)
Minority Leader
Harry Reid (D-NV)
Minority Whip
Richard Durbin (D-IL)

14. 115th Congress January 2015-January 2017
House Members by Political Parties (435)
237-Republicans (54%)
193-Democrats (44%)
83/435 Women (19%)
Senate Members by Political Parties (100)
54-Republicans
44-Democrats
2-Independents
21/100 Women (21%)
115th Congress

15. Congressional Leadership
Committee Chairs:
Committee chairs are always members of the majority party
Have most seniority
Most consecutive years on a particular committee
Based strictly on time served on committee
Chairperson of committees schedules meetings, determine order of hearing bills, can lead debates when bills reach floor of chamber for full vote
Congressional Leadership

16. The Committee System Committee Types: Standing Committees
20 permanent committees in House & 16 in Senate
Responsible for a particular area of public policy
Foreign policy, agriculture, defense, labor, judiciary
House committees average in House
Half in Senate

17. The Committee System Select Committees Joint Committees
Created to perform specific tasks & are disbanded after they are done
Joint Committees
Compose of members of Senate & House
Conference Committees
Joint committees form temporarily to work out differences in House & Senate versions of a particular bill
The Committee System

18. Committee Jurisdiction
1946 Legislative Reorganization Act
Requires that each bill introduced in Congress be referred to the proper committee
Jurisdiction
The policy area in which it is authorized to act-must be sent to it for deliberation
The Committee System

20. How A Bill Becomes Law Committee Hearings and Decisions
Bill is a proposed legislative act
Bills are prepared by executive agencies, interest groups, member of Congress
Only Members can formally submit a bill for reconsideration
Only about 10% of bills that committees consider reach the floor for a vote
Other bills are tabled or “killed”

21. How A Bill Becomes Law Committee Hearings and Decisions
If a bill has merit, subcommittees will schedule hearings, invite testimony by lobbyist, administrators, & experts who inform members on suggested policy
In full committees & subcommittees can revise a bill in House
Senate bills can only be amended by all Senators
How A Bill Becomes Law

22. How A Bill Becomes Law Schedules bill, limits debates
From Committee to the Floor
House Rules Committee
Schedules bill, limits debates
Allow for open or closed rule (Amendments)
House is too large to operate effectively without strict rules for the handling of legislation by full chamber
Senate has No Rules Committee
How A Bill Becomes Law

23. Cloture (Senate Only)
All Senate bills are subject to unlimited debate unless a 3/5 majority of the full
Senate votes and limits debate to 30 hours
Filibuster (Senate Only)
A procedural tactic whereby a minority of senators prevent a bill from coming to a vote by holding the floor & talking until other senators give in & the bill is withdrawn from consideration
How A Bill Becomes Law

24. How A Bill Becomes Law Leadership and Floor Action
Conference Committee
Irons out differences of 2 versions of a bill
Compromise and come up with 1 version
Final vote from House & Senate for approval
Members of the conference committees are usually appointed from the House & Senate standing committees that worked on the bill originally
Final version sent to president
How A Bill Becomes Law

25. How A Bill Becomes Law President has 10 days
Signs bill-becomes Law
Veto- refuse to sign-kills bill sent back to Congress with reasons for veto
Congress can override the veto with 2/3 vote of both Houses bill becomes Law
If president does not sign or veto within 10 days except Sundays, and Congress in session Bill becomes law
Pocket Veto
If Congress not in session bill dies if president takes no action
How A Bill Becomes Law