1. TThhee UU..SS.. CCoonnggrreessss::
TThhee PPeeooppllee’’ss BBrraanncchh • The Role of Congress
• A Bicameral Legislature
• Senate vs. House
• Organization & Leadership
• The Committee System
• Lame Duck Session

2. Learning Goal
• Analyze Article I of the Constitution as it
relates to the legislative branch, including
eligibility for office and length of terms of
representatives and senators; and election
to office.
• 10.12.a.1

4. Key Functions of Congress
Representation:
expresses the
diverse views of the
American people
Law Making:
creates bills to address issues
and solve problems in
American society
Consensus Building:
reconciles competing
interests
Oversight:
ensures that laws passed by
Congress are effectively
carried out by the executive
branch
Investigation:
investigates government
agencies, including the White
House---impeachment
Approval:
confirms presidential
appointees and
treaties (Senate
Only)

5. A Bicameral
Legislature
The House Wing The Senate
Wing
“In order to control the legislative authority, you must divide
it.”
James Madison, Federalist No. 51
How will this set up protect Americans from tyranny?

6. House Office Buildings
Senate Office
Buildings
Virtual Tour of the Senate Chamber
The Well in the House Chamber

7. Differences Between the House and Senate
The House The Senate
• Two year Term
• 435 members
• Smaller constituencies
• Less personal staff
• Equal populations represented
• Less flexible rules
• Limited Debate
• Policy Specialists
• Less media coverage
• Less prestige
• Less reliance on staff
• More powerful committee leaders
• Very important committees
• Nongermane amendments (riders)
not allowed
• Important Rules Committee
• Some bills are not allowed to be
amended from the floor
• Six year Term
• 100 members
• Larger constituencies
• More personal staff
• States represented
• More flexible rules
• Extended Debate
• Policy generalists
• More media coverage
• More prestige
• More equal distribution of power
• 20 major committees
• Nongermane amendments
(riders) allowed
• Filibuster allowed

8. Non Voting Members of the House
1 representative each:
>>can participate in debate and on committees
>>cannot vote
The District of Columbia
Puerto Rico
American
Samoa
Virgin Islands

9. Must live in
state and
district
The House of Representatives:
Must be 25
years or
older
Must be a
U.S. citizen
for at least 7
years
Requirements
Term begins on January 3
and last for 2 years.
One of 435 other
members of the House
Must be
elected by the
majority of
people in
his/her
district
650,000 people
on average
Compare to the Senate

10. The Senate:
Requirements
Must live in
state
Must be
elected by the
majority of
registered
voters living in
the state
Term begins January 3rd
and lasts for six years.
1 of 100 other Senators:
2/state
Must be 30 years
old
Must be a U.S.
citizen for at least
9 years.
Compare to the House

11. What do they both enjoy?
Perks of the Office
Salary: $165,200/year
Free Office Space
in D.C.
Free Office Space
in State
Free Parking on
the Hill
Office Expenses:
$127,000
(House)
$474,000
(SeSntaaftfe S) alaries:
$632,000
(House)
$2 million
(SSeevnearatel )Free
Trips Home
Inexpensive
Health Care
Franking Privilege: mailing “official business” (not campaign business)
for free.
FFuullll AAcccceessss ttoo tthhee CCoonnggrreessssiioonnaall GGyymm aanndd SSppaa
IImmmmuunniittyy ffrroomm LLaawwssuuiittss ffoorr aannyytthhiinngg yyoouu ssaayy wwhheenn iinn CCoonnggrreessss

12. Leadership in the House &
Senate
How things are done in the two
chambers affects what is done in
the two chambers.
The House is four times as big as the
Senate.
How do you think this affects how things
are done?

13. Speaker of the House: John Boehner.
 Presides over the Chamber
 Decides Points of Order During Debate
 Refers bills and resolutions to the appropriate
committees
 Schedules legislation for floor action
 Appoints House members to committees
Majority
Leader
Minority
Leader
Majority & Minority Leaders- Kevin
McCarthy, Nancy Pelosi
 Appointed by parties to direct strategy on the House
floor
 Maintains alliances to gain votes and to pass/defeat
bills
 Formulates the party’s legislative agenda
w/Speaker
 Ensures that committee chairs take action on bills
Majority
Whip
Minority
Whip
Majority & Minority Whips- Steve
Scalise, Steny Hoyer
 Aids the floor leader in developing &
implementing party’s program
 transmits information to party members
 assists leaders in developing a count and a
strategy for key votes
 builds coalition to pass bills and amendments
 gathers intelligence & uses persuasive tactics to
garner more votes
Leadership in the House of RReepprreesseennttaattiivveess::
DDeemmooccrraattiicc

14. The New Speaker of the House: John Boehner (R)
Ohio
Priorities :
diminish the role of lobbyists
insure that lawmakers have time
to read legislation before voting on
it.
open House-Senate legislative
negotiating sessions to the media
make sure earmarks are
identified by the name of lawmaker
who sponsored it
make sure earmarks are
approved by policy making
committees (oversight)

15. 9 members from the majority party—
chosen by the Speaker
4 members from the minority party
Regulates floor debate
Sets limits on amendments
Influences which bills do and
do not get consideration
Supports the agenda of the
majority party
Click here to view a special rule for a bill
.
Is the Rules Committee
democratic?

16. Leadership in the SSeennaattee:: DDeemmooccrraattiicc
Vice President- Joe Biden
 Is the president of the Senate
 May not take part in the debate
 May try to influence a vote through contact with
senators
 May recognize members and put questions to a vote
 May vote only in the event of a tie
President Pro Temp- Patrick Leahy
 Presides when the vice president is not present
 Usually is the most senior member of the majority
party
Temporary Presiding Officer
 Presides when neither the vice president nor the
president pro temp is present
 Usually a senior member of the majority party
Majority & Minority Whips- Dick Durbin,
John Cornyn
 Serve the same function in the Senate as they do in the
House
 Democratic Whip: Senator Dick Durbin (Illinois)
Republican Whip: Senator John Cornyn (Texas)

17. The New Majority Leader in the Senate: Harry
Reid
Age: 67
Party: Democrat
Religion: Mormon
Political Experience:
Nevada State Legislature
Lieutenant Governor
Nevada Gaming Commission
House of Representatives
(1982)
Senate (1986)
Minority Leader (2005)
Majority Leader: 2007
Senators Durbin & Reid meet with President

18. Filibuster
Strom
Thurmond
(1957)
24 hours
against civil
rights
legislation
A senator refuses to give up the floor in order to
prevent a vote.
If 60 senators vote to end a filibuster, a vote must
be held within 30 hours. (cloture)
Huey Long
filibustered on
behalf of the
poor
Is the filibuster democratic?
We’ll debate this more in class!

19. Congressional Committees
Learning Goal:
Analyze Article I of the Constitution as it relates
to the legislative branch, including the roles of
the House and Senate; impeachment
proceedings; the role of the vice president; and
the enumerated legislative powers
10.12.a.1

20. “Congress in session is Congress on
display. Congress in committee is
Congress at work.”
President Woodrow Wilson
Concern of the Congress:
Full Scope of the Bill
The Congress debates
Concern of the Committee:
The Details of the Bill

21. View All Committees Here: http://www.gpoaccess.gov/congress/index.html
Select Committees Standing Committees Joint Committees
Authorizing Appropriations Rules Budget
• Make laws
• Hold
hearings
• Hearing
Schedule
• Determines
how much $
will be spent
• The
Immigration
Fence
• Sets the
Rules
• Jurisdiction
of the Senate
Rules
Committee
• Raises $ for
appropriation
s to spend
• House Ways
and Means
Committee
• Address
temporary
priorities in
Congress
• Senate
Select
Committee
on Ethics
• Address
issues of
concern to
both
chambers
• Joint
Committee
on
Economics

22. Committee
Leadership
If you are chosen head of a
committee, you will:
• Control your committee’s agenda
• Schedule meetings and hearing
of the full committee
• Help schedule subcommittee
hearings and meetings
• Handle committee’s budget and
staff
• Serve as the committee’s
spokesperson
• Sit on House and Senate
conference committees
• Steer your party’s legislative
agenda in the Senate
Find out who’s on the
new Democratic team
here:

23. Criteria for Committee Assignments
Party Loyalty:
Essentially your
voting record
Seniority:
Numbers of years
of service on a
particular
committee
Geography:
Vacancies tend to
be filled with people
from the same
states
Attitude:
Civil, cooperative &
willing to
compromise
Preference:
Senator Landrieu
serves on Energy &
Natural Resources,
key issues for
Louisiana

24. Closing Questions
• What are the roles of Congress in our
three branch government?
• How is Congress structured and why?
How does the structure of Congress affect
the way that Congress functions?
• Who has power in Congress and why?
• What role do committees play? Are they
democratic?

25. • Review
The Constitution grants the House of
Representatives the right to
• A.
confirm presidential appointments to executive
positions
• B.
initiate all impeachment proceedings
• C.
approve treaties with other nations
• D.
override objections by the Senate to proposed
legislation

26. • Review
What power is granted to the vice president
by the Constitution?
• A.
advice and consent to presidential treaties and
appointments
• B.
tie-breaking power in votes by the Senate
• C.
floor leadership in the House of
Representatives
• D.
power to veto legislative bills

27. • Review
A presidential veto of a legislative bill may
be overridden by
• A.
a 2/3 vote of either house of Congress
• B.
5 of 9 Supreme Court justices
• C.
a majority vote of both houses of Congress
• D.
a 2/3 vote of both houses of Congress

28. How a Bill Becomes a Law
The Journey of a Bill

29. Learning Goal
• Analyze the process by which a bill
becomes a law
• 10.12.a.1

30. Congress Makes Federal Laws
Follow
the bill
as it
moves
through
Congress

31. Introduction of the Bill
• The bill can come
from a variety of
sources:
• Individual citizens,
• Special interest
groups
• Corporations,
• Non-governmental
organizations
(NGOs)
• Only a member of
Congress can
introduce the bill
• A bill can start in
either House.

32. The Bill is Assigned to Committee
• Each House has
standing committees
that consider their bills.
• Each committee has a
chair (from the
Majority) and a
ranking member (from
the minority).
• They “mark-up” (edit)
the bill so it will pass on
the floor.
• They can also
“pigeonhole” or kill the
bill in committee.
• The bill must also pass
through the House
Rules Committee.

33. The Bill is Reported To the Floor
• If the bill is passed by
the committee, it is sent
to the whole House for
debate and vote.
• The committee has
“reported the bill
favorably to the floor.”
• The Speaker
determines which bills
are discussed and for
how long.
• Committee chairs and
ranking members give
out time to debate to
other members.

34. The Bill is Debated and Voted On in the House
• Bills can be considered
by the whole House at
once: called “Committee
of the Whole”
• Votes are done
electronically in the
House. This is a role call
vote.
• A tote board on the wall
shows the tally. Red =
oppose. Green = Agree
Yellow = Abstain
• Votes can be taken by
voice “yeas and nays” or
a “teller vote” where
members file past the
sergeant at arms.

35. The Bill Goes to the Senate
• The bill is sent to the
US Senate. A Senate
version is written with
the letter S. and a
number. House bills
have HR.
• As in the House, the bill
must be referred to the
appropriate standing
committee.
• Committees hold
hearings and make
changes to the bill.
• The committee can
‘report” the bill to the
Senate floor.

36. The Bill is Debated and Voted On in the Senate
• The Senate Majority
Leader determines which
bills are scheduled, when
and for how long.
• As in the House, the bill
must be referred to the
appropriate standing
committee.
• Debate in the Senate is
unlimited. Filibusters can
be used by the minority to
block bills.
• 3/5 (60) of the Senate must
agree to end debate (this is
called “cloture”)
• The Senate Rules
committee is much weaker
than the House’s.

37. Both Houses Must Pass the Bill
• A simple majority in
both houses is needed
to pass the bill (51%).
• In the House: 218
needed to control the
House.
• In the Senate: 51
senators needed to pass
the bill (and control the
Senate).

38. Differences Between Houses Must Be Reconciled
• Each house passes its own
bill.
• Any differences must be
ironed out and made into
one bill.
• The bill is considered by a
conference committee,
made up of both House and
Senate members.
• They negotiate and
compromise and send the
combined bill back to both
houses.
• A vote on the “conference
report” must be taken and
passed by both Houses.

39. The Bill is Sent to the President
• The president can sign the bill
if he wants it to become law.
• He can include “signing
statements” that say how the
law should be enforced or if
parts will not be enforced.
• The president can veto or
reject the bill. He must include
his reasons and
recommendations for
correction.
• The president can choose not
to act on the bill. If Congress is
in session, the bill becomes law
after 10 days.
• If Congress is not in session,
the bill dies after 10 days. This
is called a “pocket veto.”

40. The Bill Becomes Law
• If the president vetoes
the bill, both Houses
can reconsider the bill.
• Two-thirds (67%) of
both Houses are needed
to override the
President’s veto.
• In the House: 369
needed for override.
Senate: 67.
• If president signs the
bill, it is a federal law
that each state must
follow.

41. • Review
In which of the following settings is a bill
most likely to be changed/re-written?
• A.
in the Appropriations Committee
• B.
in sub-committee
• C.
by the Rules Committee
• D.
on the House or Senate Floor

42. • Review
In which of the following activities is a
lobbyist most likely to participate?
• A.
selecting Congressional candidates who favor
their interest
• B.
contacting government officials by phone, email
or letter
• C.
raising money from members for election
campaigns
• D.
organizing violent events to gain favor for their
cause