Congress Gets Organized!

The First Day in the HouseAll members are sworn inHouse elects the Speaker

Always a member of the majority party – they have picked them in private meetings before session

Congress Gets Organized!

The First Day in the HouseMembers are put into committees

Also prearranged Majority party gets a majority in every committee

Seniority Rule – longest serving members get the first pick, become chairperson

Congress Gets Organized!

First Day in the Senate1/3 of the members are sworn in (only 1/3 coming off of election)

Vacant committee seats are filled

Committees

Committee – expert groups of Congressmen who decide what bills will go to the whole house for a vote

Most work in Congress is done in committees

Types of Committees

Standing Committee – permanent committees that remain from session to session

Current Standing Committees in the House of Representatives

AgricultureAppropriationsArmed ServicesBudgetEducation and the

WorkforceEnergy and CommerceFinancial ServicesGovernment ReformHouse AdministrationInternational Relations

JudiciaryResourcesRulesScienceSmall BusinessStandards of Official

ConductTransportation and

InfrastructureVeterans AffairsWays and Means

Current Standing Committees in the Senate

Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry

Appropriations Armed Services Banking, Housing, and

Urban Affairs Budget Commerce, Science, and

Transportation Energy and Natural

Resources Environment and Public

Works

Finance Foreign Relations Governmental Affairs Health, Education, Labor,

and Pensions Indian Affairs Judiciary Rules and Administration Small Business Veterans Affairs

Types of Committees

Select or Special Committees – Temporary committee to investigate wrongdoing or research a special matterExamples: Senate Watergate Committee, Select Committee on Aging

Types of Committees

Joint Committees – have members of both the House and SenateConference Committees – compromise different versions of bills between House and Senate

How a Bill Becomes a Law

How a Bill Becomes a Law

Step 1 – The House/SenateBill is introduced

Can only be introduced by a member of the House

Bill is read to the entire chamber

How a Bill Becomes a Law

Step 2 – The House/SenateReferred to a standing committee Speaker of the House chooses the committee

Full committee decides whether to consider it, or “pigeonhole” it

How a Bill Becomes a Law

Step 3 – The House/SenateReferred to subcommittee

Chairman of the committee decides which subcommittee

Subcommittee does the vast majority of research and work on the bill

90% of bills die in steps 2 and 3

How a Bill Becomes a Law

Step 4 – The House/SenateCommittee/Subcommittee Hearings

Government officials, experts invited to speak in favor or against bills

Congressmen may take “junkets,” or trips to locations for further research

Meanwhile, they “markup,” or make changes to the bill

How a Bill Becomes a Law

Step 5 – The House/SenateSent back to full committee

Committee can eitherSend the bill to step 6 with a “do pass” recommendation

Or refuse to report the bill, thus killing it

Oh, no!!

How a Bill Becomes a Law

*If the rest of Congress disagrees with a committee’s decision to kill a bill, there is one option*

Discharge Petition – majority of the House votes to pull a dead bill out of committee

How a Bill Becomes a Law

Step 6 – The House/SenateReferred to Rules Committee

Places bill on the calendar Sets the rules for time limits and number of amendments allowed

Oh, no!!

How a Bill Becomes a Law

Step 7 – The House/SenateWhole House Debates

During debate, members can propose amendments to add onto the bill

In the House, amendments must be relevant to the subject of the bill

How a Bill Becomes a Law

Step 8 – The HouseWhole House Votes

Majority vote passes, sends bill to the Senate

How a Bill Becomes a Law

Step 9 – The SenateIntroduced in the Senate

Step 10 – The SenateReferred to a standing committee Senate Majority Leader chooses which committee

How a Bill Becomes a Law

Step 11-12 – The SenateSame as House – referred to subcommittee, back to committee, then out to floor for debate

How a Bill Becomes a LawStep 13 – The SenateWhole Senate Debates

No Rules Committee, so no limits on time or amendmentsFilibuster – talking at length to stall action on a bill, can only be ended by cloture (60 votes)

Riders – amendments that have nothing to do with a bill

How a Bill Becomes a Law

Step 14 – The SenateSenate votes

Step 15 – Conference CommitteeMembers of both houses’ subcommittees that worked on the bill compromise

Both houses then vote again on the compromise bill

How a Bill Becomes a Law

Step 16 – The PresidentPresident has 4 options:

Sign the bill, make it law Veto the bill, explain why

Goes back to Congress, who can override with 2/3 vote in both houses

How a Bill Becomes a Law

Wait 10 days and let it become law without his signature

Pocket Veto - If Congress ends its session before 10 days are up, bill dies without a veto