1. Congress In Action
Making a Bill a Law

2. Speaker of the House Elected by members of the majority party
Next in line of succession
Most important legislative position

3. President Pro Temps of the Senate
Leader of the senate when the VP is not there
Next in line after the Speaker

4. Majority/Minority Floor Leaders
Leaders of each party in each House

5. Party Whips
Serve as a link between the leaders & the rank and file members of Congress
John Cornyn
Dick Durbin
Steny Hoyer
Steve Scalise

7. Committee Chairman Chosen from majority party
Longest serving member of the committee from the majority party
Chairman decides: when they meet, bills to take up, whether or not to hold public meetings, call witnesses
They then steer the debate and manage the bill

8. Committees Most work is done in committees
Standing committees – permanent committees where bills are sent
19 in House; 17 in the Senate
Representatives usually serve on 1 o2
Senators usually serve on 3 or 4

9. Powerful Committees
House- Rules, Ways & Means, Appropriations, Armed Services, Judiciary, International Relations
Senate- Foreign Relations, Appropriations, Finance, Judiciary, Armed Services

10. Committee Work
Most standing committees have sub-committees to split up the work
When a bill is introduced the Speaker or the President Pro Temps steers the bill to the appropriate committee
The House Rules committee determines which bills that make it through committees actually make it to the floor of the House for a vote

11. Types of Committees
Select (special) committee- set up for specific purpose & a limited time
Usually formed to investigate a specific matter
Joint Committee- one composed of both houses
Conference Committee- temporary joint created to reach a compromise on a bill passed through the chambers with different versions. Must be identical to be sent to President

13. Bill Becomes A Law House of Representatives
Public- applies to nation
Private- certain persons or places
Bills can be presented by members of the legislative branch, the executive branch, or regular citizens

14. Resolutions Measure dealing with only one house, not a binding Law
Joint Resolutions- similar to bills when passed; they have the force of law; usually temporary
Concurrent Resolutions- House and Senate act together; do not have the force of law
Riders- a provision that is attached to a larger measure. Sponsor hopes it will “ride” through with the main bill. Might not be passed on its own.
If President wants the main bill passed will have to pass the “riders” along with it
Usually deals with $$$$$ “earmarks” or “pork”

15. Dead Bills Most bills die in committee- “pigeonholed”
Discharge petition- Any member can request that a dead bill be brought to the floor
Rarely used or successful

16. Committee Actions Report the bill favorably as is to floor for a vote
Pigeonhole
Report the bill in amended form
Report the bill unfavorably to the floor- committee does not want to be responsible for the death of the bill
Report a committee bill- new bill or several bills put together

17. Rules Committee
The Rules committee ultimately decides what bills go to the floor
Suspend the Rules- happens when Congress wants to fast track a bill
Quorum-a majority of the House needs to be present to vote on a bill
Committee of the Whole- House becomes a committee to work on a bill as a whole then will reconvene to vote on the bill
Speaker allots a certain amount of time to debate each bill brought to the floor

18. Voting Voice votes Standing votes
Computerized Votes- Aye, Nay, Present
Engrossed- the bill is printed in its final form
Speaker signs it and sends it to the Senate

19. Bill to Law Senate
Basically the same rules as the House with a few exceptions
Senate rules are less formal than the House
Bills are called to the floor at the discretion of the Senate Majority Leader
Debate is the biggest difference between the two chambers

20. Debate Debate is mostly unrestrained
Voting does not take place until a unanimous consent is given
“Two Speech Rule”- on Senator can speak more than twice on a specific measure on the same legislative day
“Filibuster”- talking a bill to death. A group of Senators who do not want a bill passed can continue speaking until the bill is dropped or changed to suit those Senators

21. Debate
They will also use motions, quorum calls, or other manuevers to stall the vote on a bill which will likely pass
Huey Long in hours-Washington phone book and recipes
Glenn Taylor in hours- Family, fishing, Wall Street
Strom Thurmond hours- trying to stop the Civil Rights Acts of 1957

22. Debate Over 200 bills have been killed by filibusters
Many bills are not even brought to floor due to threat of filibuster
Cloture-passed in must have a vote of 60 Senators “super-majority”- then bill must be brought to floor after 30 hours

23. Presidential Acts
Once a Bill has passed in identical form in both the House and Senate the President acts
Sign the bill into law
Veto- may be overridden with 2/3 vote of both houses
President could just ignore it and then it will become law in 10 days; not Sundays
Pocket Veto- if Congress adjourns within 10 days of submitting the bill and the President does not act on the bill, it dies there