1. Chapter 12
Congress in Action

2. Congress Organizes Congress Convenes(begins a new term)
Every two years
January 3 (odd numbered years)

3. Congress Organizes The Presiding Officers The Speaker of the House
Elected by the House and the leader of the majority party
Presides and keeps order
Follows the Vice President in order of succession to the presidency
The President of the Senate
The Vice President

4. Congress Organizes Party Officers
The Party Caucus-closed meeting of the members of each party, meets before Congress convenes to discuss a “game plan”
The Floor Leaders-elected by their party to carry out decisions of their parties’ caucuses and steer floor actions to benefit their parties’ benefits

5. Congress Organizes Committee Chairmen Head the standing committees
Seniority rule
Unwritten custom
Most important posts will be held by members with the longest service records

6. Committees in Congress
Standing Committees
All bills are sent to this permanent panel
Each standing committee has a certain topic (ex. Budget, science, small business)
Most bills never make it past committees
Standing committees are divided into subcommittees

7. Subcommittees House Rule Committee Select Committees
First stop for many bills
Cannot reach the floor unless it is granted a rule (scheduled for floor consideration)
Select Committees
Sometimes called special committees
Formed to investigate a current matter

8. Subcommittees Joint Committees Members of both houses
Economic
Printing
Taxation
Conference Committees
Last minute details before the bill is sent to Congress

9. How a Bill Becomes a Law: The House
First Steps
Bill-proposed law presented to Congress
Types of Bills and Resolutions
Joint resolution-special circumstances or temporary matters (correct mistakes or discuss unanticipated funds)
Concurrent resolution-House and Senate must act jointly, does not have the force of law and does not require presidential signature
Resolutions-matter of one house, does not have the force of law and does not require presidential signature *

10. How a Bill Becomes a Law: The House
The First Reading
Bill is assigned a number and title by the House clerk
Recorded into the House Journal and in the Congressional Record

11. How a Bill Becomes a Law: The House
The Bill in Committee
Committees sift through bills
Reject most (pigeonholed)
Sometimes measures are buried that a majority of the House wants to consider
Discharge petition- members can force a bill that has remained in committee 30 days onto the floor

12. How a Bill Becomes a Law: The House
Gathering Information
Public hearings are held
Junket-trips to locations affected by a measure (ex. National parks)
Made at public expense

13. How a Bill Becomes a Law: The House
Committee Actions
Report the bill favorably (do pass recommendation)
Pigeonhole bill
Amend the bill
Report the bill with unfavorable recommendation
Report a committee bill-entirely new bill in substitution

14. How a Bill Becomes a Law: The House
Scheduling Floor Debate
Calendar-schedule of the order in which bills are addressed on the floor
Rules-Rules Committee

15. How a Bill Becomes a Law: The House
The Bill on the Floor
Debate
no one can have the floor longer than an hour without unanimous consent
Speaker keeps everyone on task
Voting
Voice votes are the most common
Standing vote:stand up
Teller vote:person from each party is told the vote by its own party members
Roll-call vote
Electronic voting is now used

16. How a Bill Becomes a Law: The House
Final Steps
Once approved, the bill is engrossed (printed in its final form)
One last vote
Signed by the Speaker
Carried to the Senate

17. The Bill in the Senate Introducing Rules of Debate Appointed Senators
Not as strict as the House
Can speak as long as they want
Filibuster-attempt to talk a bill to death (stalling)
Cloture Rule-went into effect after debate over WWI (took three weeks)
Limited debate in special circumstances

18. The Bill in the Senate Conference Committees
Sometimes the House and Senate will not accept the same version of a bill
Must iron out the differences before the bill is presented to the president

19. The Bill in the Senate The President Acts Can sign it into law
Veto-refuse to sign
Congress can override with a 2/3 vote from both houses
Not sign it-becomes a law after 10 days
Pocket veto-if Congress adjourns within 10 days of passing a bill to be signed and the president does not sign it, it dies