1. Chapter 7 Congress 
To Accompany Comprehensive, Alternate, and Texas Editions
American Government: Roots and Reform, 10th edition
Karen O’Connor and Larry J. Sabato
 Pearson Education, 2009

2. Roots of the Legislative Branch
Great Compromise leads to bicameral legislature.
Two per state in Senate, House by population.
House district size determined by apportionment.
House district shape determined by redistricting.
Senators must be 30, serve six-year terms.
9 years of US citizenship
Representatives must be 25, serve two-year terms.
7 years of US citizenship

6. Powers of Congress Most important power is to make law.
Bill cannot become law without both branches.
Also declare war, coin money, raise military.
Regulate commerce, immigration, courts.
Revenue bills must begin in House.
Senate handles impeachment trials.

7. Party Affiliation Majority party select leaders in House
Controls flow of legislation
Appoints committee chairs
1994 some Democrats switched party to be in the majority party (Republican)
Term limits (6 years) for chairpersons and Speaker
No absentee voting in committees

8. House of Representatives
More tightly structured, governed by more rules.
Party loyalty plays a more important role.
Powerful Speaker of the House chosen by all members.
Party caucuses pick majority and minority leaders.
Whips assist party leaders.

9. The House of Representatives
Rules for Lawmaking
Limits for time each representative can debate
House leaders are more powerful than in Senate
Committee Work
Where most legislation take place
More important than in the Senate
More organized than in Senate
Serve interests of their constituents
Representatives become experts/specialize

10. House Leadership Lead 435 members 6 Purposes of leaders
Organizing and unifying
Full attendance on key votes
Scheduling work
Information collecting and distributing
Staying in touch with President
Urging party line votes

11. Speaker of the House Chosen in caucus of majority party
House liason to the president
Only leader mentioned in the Constitution
Presiding officer and most powerful
Decides which members have the floor
Appoints committee members
Schedules bills for action
Refers bills to the proper Standing Committee
2nd in line for Presidency
Elected by the entire House
House Democrats call this a caucus, but House Republicans and Senate R’s and D’s call if a conference.
Caucus’s are controlled by the Deputy Whip
Henry Clay (R-KY) (1810) – First powerful Speaker – before this representatives typically served only one term. Clay served six terms
Professionalization of the Speaker position began then.
Newt Gingrich revitalized the position

12. Speaker of the House John Boehner

13. House Floor Leaders Majority Leader Helps plan legislative program
Steer important bills
Elected by majority party
Direct communication with Chairpersons
Party official not a House official

14. House Majority Leader
Eric Cantor
House Minority Leader
Nancy Pelosi

15. House Floor Leaders Majority Whip
Pressure members to vote on party lines
Make sure members are present to vote
Minority Leader
Similar duties as majority leader
No power in scheduling legislation
Minority Whip
Same as majority whip
Majority and minority whip position is stepping stone to Speaker of the House

16. Lawmaking in the House Mondays is for routine work
Most work is done Tuesday thru Thursday
All laws start out as bills (proposed laws)
Must pass the House and Senate and be signed by the President to become a law
Dropped into the hopper

17. Lawmaking in the House Speaker sends to Standing Committee
Of 10,000 bills, 10% are voted on
If not ‘killed’ in committee it goes on calendar
Calendars (5)
Union Calendar – Bills dealing with money
House Calendar – Public bills
Private Calendar – bills on individuals or places
Consent Calendar – schedule debate
Discharge Calendar – date bill will leave committee

18. Senate Vice president is the official presiding officer.
Official chair is the president pro tempore.
True leader is the majority leader.
Also have whips.
More informal than House.
Controlling Senate challenging, run by folkways.
Importance of rules such as filibuster and cloture.

19. The Senate Senators knowledgeable on many issues
Millionaires Club
Many have advanced degrees
More flexible rules than House on debate
Often take longer to debate issues
Maximum freedom to express ideas
Informal atmosphere

20. Senate Leaders No Speaker Vice President (President of the Senate)
Very little authority
Tie-breaker
May try to influence Senators on bills
President pro-tempore - (‘for the time being’) often stands in for the Vice President
Belongs to the majority party
Currently Patrick Leahy (D-VT)
Usually the oldest members

21. President Pro-tempore
Vice President
(President of the Senate)
President Pro-tempore
Joe Biden
Patrick Leahy D-VT

22. Majority and Minority Leaders
Elected by members
Party officials not officers
Majority Leader
Steers bills through Senate
Plans Senate’s work schedule and agenda
With help from Minority leader
Makes members attend important sessions
Minority Leader
Develops criticism of majority party bills
Majority whip and Minority whip
Make sure members are present to vote

23. Senate Majority Leader Senate Minority Leader
Harry Reid
Mitch McConnell

24. Schedule Senate Bills Any senator may introduce bill
No need for rules committee
Scheduling done by consultation
Brought to floor only by unanimous consent
Two Calendars
Calendar of General Orders
Lists all bills that will be considered
Executive Calendar
Lists schedule for treaties and appointments

25. Filibuster
Talk until bill is abandoned or modified by a majority of the Senators
After first 3 hours can talk on any topic
Strom Thurmond of South Carolina holds the record
Filibustered the Civil Rights Act of 1957
Cloture - 3/5 vote or 60 members vote to limit debate to 1 hour per Senator
Not as powerful any more
Senate sets aside time to handle other bills
Threat of filibuster can delay or defeat bill

27. House Senate Advise and consent Initiate revenue bills Six-year term
100
Relaxed
Generalist
Foreign policy
9 Year US Resident
Initiate revenue bills
Two-year term
435
Formal
Specialist
Tax policy
7 Year US Resident
Legal Resident of state

28. Exclusive Powers to Each House
House of Representatives
Senate
Revenue Bills must originate here
Power to impeach president, vice president, federal judges, civil officers
“Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors”
Approve appointments
Federal judges, cabinet members, ambassadors, etc.
Approve treaties with 2/3 vote
Conduct impeachment trial
Convict with 2/3 vote

32. House Relection Rates, 1964-2012

36. Stimulating Hypocrisy: 114 Lawmakers Block Recovery While Taking Credit For Its Success
Rep. Phil Gingrey (R-GA) Hands Out Giant Stimulus Check In Georgia.
Senator Kit Bond (R-MO) Touted Job Creation, Housing Benefits Of Recovery Package.
Rep. Mike Castle (R-DE) Claimed Credit For Over $5 Million In Stimulus Funds He Voted Against.
Congressman Heath Shuler (D-NC) Hosts Recovery Package Workshop, Says He Is “Prepared To Fight” For “Fair Share.”

38. Committee System Much of the actual work gets done by committees.
Standing committees are where bills are referred.
Joint committees include members from both houses.
Conference committees finalize bills.
Select committees deal with temporary issues.
Importance of House Rules Committee.
Discharge petitions force bills out of committee.

39. Committee Membership Members serve on multiple committees at a time.
Request assignments based on interest or district.
Often want access to pork or earmarks.
Some assignments are good for campaigning.
Membership represents party division in house.
Chairs have tremendous agenda-setting power.
Chairs no longer chosen by seniority.

40. Congressional Committees
Divide work among smaller groups
Allows for lawmakers to specialize in one area
Serves to reduce the amount of bills to be voted on in the full House
Compromises made in committee
Public hearings and investigations
Draw public attention to important issues

41. Standing Committees Continue from one Congress to the next
Majority party selects chairpersons
Majority party has the most seats on most committees (% of total house)
Majority has super majority on the most important committees
1995 Republican Congress
Changed structure and titles of committees
Established a 6 year term limit on chairperson

42. Sub-Committees Almost all Standing Committees have sub-committees
Specialization
Conduct hearings and investigations
Often continue from one Congress to next

43. Select Committees
Study one specific issue and report findings to the House or Senate
Matters of great public concern
Overlooked problems like hunger, poverty, homelessness
Investigate problems of interest groups
Temporary although have continued to future Congresses
Select Intelligence Committee since 1993

44. House Rules Committee Traffic Officer Oldest/most powerful committee
Receives bill after approved in committee
Chairperson chosen by Speaker
Establishes ‘rule’ or ‘special order’
When bill goes to the floor for debate or vote
Sets time limit for debate
Sets rules on amending bill on the floor

45. House Rules Committee
Settles disputes between committees considering the same bill
Can delay or stop an unpopular bill
Quorum – minimum number of representatives necessary to vote on a bill
218 members for regular session
100 members(Committee of the Whole) can be established to debate and amend
Reports back to the full House for a vote

46. Joint and Conference Committees
Joint Committee
Conference Committee
Members from both houses
Do not consider bills
Temporary or Permanent
Routine matters
Joint Committee on Printing
Joint Committee on the Library of Congress
Study Groups
Joint Economic Committee
Atomic energy, defense and taxation
Members from both houses
Different versions of a bill
Temporary
Resolve differences between bills by bargaining
Majority agree on compromise bill
Conference report
Must be voted on without amendment

47. Choosing Committee Members
Prestige
House Ways and Means/Appropriations Committees
Senate Foreign Relations, Finance, and Appropriations Committees
Membership can increase re-election chances
Benefit their state or district
Influence national policy
Education, Budget, Health, Judiciary, Foreign Policy
Influence over other lawmakers
Rules, Appropriations, and Taxation Committees
House Republicans have a Committee on Committees that makes assignments.
House Democrats’ Steering Committee performs this function

48. Chairperson Most powerful members of Congress
Legislative Reorganization Act of 1970
Member majority can call meetings
Reasonably notice for meeting
Key decisions on work of committees
Hire staff and control budget
When committees meet
Which bills to consider and for how long
Hearings
Schedule
Decide which witnesses to call
Manage floor debates

49. Seniority System Seniority – length of continuous service
No longer decides leadership on committees
Highest ranking member selected as chair
Secret ballot
Limit of three – 2 year terms (6 years)
1971, 1975 and 1995 replaced senior chairpersons with ranking members

50. Staff and Support Agencies
Communicate with voters
Help run committee meetings & floor sessions
Draft new bills – FAA/Transportation Dept. bill on animal transportation
Write committee reports and attend meetings
Help with reelection
Publicity and political developments back home
Help raise funds for re-election
Meet with lobbyists

51. Legislative Reorganization Act of 1946
House and Senate staff has grown from 2,000 on staff in 1947 to 11,500 in 1990
Lawmakers can’t be experts on all issues
Constituent demands increased
Personal Staff
Allowance for pay based on state population and distance from Washington
1/3 live in legislators’ home states
Can be hired and fired at will
Committee Staff – work for many legislators

52. Three Types of Personal Staff
Administrative Assistant (AA)
Office Manager, Advisor, Scheduler, Liason
Legislative Assistant (LA)
Inform, research and draft bills
Writes speeches and articles
Assist in committee meetings
Tracks progress of bills
Thumbs up or down signal to lawmaker on vote
Caseworkers
Deal with inquiries from constituents
Staff the lawmakers’ district or state office

53. Committee Staff
Chair and senior minority party member on committee are in charge of committee staff
Draft bills, research, plan hearings, reports
Some are experts in a particular field
Laurence Woodworth – on the staff of the Joint Committee on Internal Revenue Service
Responsible for all changes in tax laws

54. Support Agencies Library of Congress Purchase books
Administrator of copyright law
Congressional Research Service (CRS)
Answers questions from lawmakers
Requests for information from voters
Research on matters related to bills

55. Congressional Budget Office
Est. 1974
Coordinate budget-making work of Congress
Make cost projections
Counterbalance to President’s Office of Management and Budget (CBO)
Study economic trends
Keep track of committee spending
Prepare a report on the Budget each April
Calculate budget’s affect on the economy

56. General Accounting Office (GAO)
Nation’s watchdog over money Congress spends
Comptroller General
15 year term
Professional staff of 5,100 people
GAO staff prepare reports, testify, develop questions for hearings, legal opinions

57. Government Printing Office (GPO)
Largest multi-purpose print plant in world
Prints the Congressional Record
Daily record of all bills introduced, speeches and testimony
Even speeches not actually made

58. Members of Congress Professionalization after World War I.
Members must please those in D.C. and in district.
Incumbency helps members to stay in office.
95 percent of incumbents win reelection.
Members more educated, white, and male than U.S.

59. Theories of Representation
Trustees hear constituents and make own judgments.
Delegates vote as their constituents want.
Most members act as politicos.
May also be influenced by race or gender.

60. How Members Make Decisions
Party has become important in divided government.
Constituent opinion, especially on important issues.
Colleagues and caucuses.
Role of logrolling.
Interest group lobbying and money.
Staff and support agencies.

61. How a Bill Becomes a Law
Stage-by-stage process offers many opportunities to fail.
Parallel processes in House and Senate.
Committee is first step, role of markup.
Moves to floor, Senators may use hold or filibuster.
Conference committee if both chambers approve.
President can sign or veto.

62. Congress and the Executive
President has become increasingly powerful.
Congress, in turn, has increased oversight hearings.
Also uses congressional review.
War Powers Act should give Congress role in war.
Congress confirms presidential appointments.
Congress can impeach president.

63. Congress and the Judiciary
Courts can overturn laws if unconstitutional.
Congress reviews judicial nominees.
Role of senatorial courtesy.
Congress also sets courts’ jurisdiction.

64. AV- Congressional Approval
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65. Figure 7.1- Organization of Congress
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66. Figure th Congress 
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67. Figure 7.3- Female and Minority Members
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68. Figure 7.4- How a Bill Becomes a Law
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69. Table 7.1- The Powers of Congress
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70. Table 7.2- House Versus Senate
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71. Table 7.3- Congressional Committees
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72. Table 7.4- A Day in the Life of a Member
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73. Table 7.5- Advantages of Incumbency
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74. Table 7.6- Support Agencies
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75. Table 7.7- Impeachment 
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