U.S.

Congress

The House of Representatives

Recap:

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Term

2 years

Representation by population
435 members

Effects:

Much of their time is

devoted to serving the
interests of their
constituents.

=A person whom a

member of Congress
has been elected to

Committees: Work Horse

Smaller groups efficiency

Reps have more influence
Allows Reps to specialize in issues that are
important to their constituents

Committees in the House:

Committee on Agriculture
Committee on Appropriations
Committee on Armed

Services
Committee on the Budget
Committee on Education and
Labor
Committee on Energy and
Commerce
Committee on Financial
Services
Committee on Foreign Affairs

Committee on Oversight

and Government Reform

Committee on Rules
Committee on Science
and Technology
Committee on Standards
of Official Conduct
Committee on Veterans'
Affairs
Committee on Ways and
Means
Committee on Homeland
Security

House:

Rules Committee

Also known as the Traffic officer

Helps direct the flow of legislation.
Rules Committee Can:
o Move bills ahead
o Hold them back
o Stop them completely

Include a time limit for debate

Limit amending on the floor
Settles disputes among other committees

CALENDARS
Lists bills that are up for consideration

Calendars:
1. Union Calendar: Money issues
2. House Calendar: Public bills
3. Private Calendar: Individual people or places
4. Consent Calendar: any bill that the House gives unanimous
consent to debate out of regular order
5. Discharge Calendar: is used for petitions to discharge a bill from
committee.

Party Influence

Republicans sit on the right, Democrats on

the left.

Majority party:
o Selects the leaders
o Controls the flow of legislative work
o Appoints committee chairs

Leadership in the House

Purposes:
1.Organize and unify party members
2.Schedule the work of the House
3.Make certain that lawmakers are present for
key floor votes
4.Distribute and collect information
5.Keep the House in touch with the president
6.Influence lawmakers to support the policies of
their political party

Speaker of the House

John Boehner (R-OH)

A caucus (closed meeting) of the majority party
chooses the Speaker at the start of each session
and the whole House confirms.

Can decide which members to recognize first.

Appoints members of some committees
Refers bills to committees
Follows the VP in line of presidential succession

Speaker of the House

John Boehner (R-OH)

Majority Floor Leader

Kevin McCarthy (R-CA)

Elected by the party
o Steer the partys bills through the House
o Plan the partys legislative programs
o Check up on committee leaders

Majority Floor Leader

Kevin McCarthy (R-CA

Minority Floor Leader

Nancy Pelosi (D-CA)

Party official
Elected by the party
o Develops criticisms of the majority partys bills
o Tries to keep representatives in the minority party
working together

Minority
Floor
Leader

Nancy Pelosi
(D-CA)

Majority/Minority Whip

Steve Scalise(Maj, R-LA) and

Steny Hoyer (Min, D-MD)
Assistant floor leaders
o Watch how members intend to vote on bills
o Persuade them to vote as the party wishes
o See that party members are present to vote.

Steve Scalise & Steny Hoyer

How the House Bills are Scheduled

BILL = A proposed law

QUORUM

The minimum number of members who

must be present to permit a legislative body
to take official action.

A quorum consists of the majority of the

House218 members

Senate

Recap:

Term: 6 years
Representation by state
100 members

Effects:

The Senate is a deliberative body.

Plenty of debate

Rules:

More flexible
Give senators maximum freedom to express
their ideas

Usually allows unlimited debate on proposed

legislation

Leadership

Vice President

Joe Biden
Presides in the Senate
o Votes to break a tie
o Can recognize members and put questions to a
vote
o May not participate in Senate debates
o Can try to influence through personal contact

President of the Senate:

Joe Biden

President Pro Tempore

Orrin Hatch (R-UT)

for the time being
Elected by the Senate

From the majority party and usually the most

senior member

o Presides when the VP is gone

President Pro Tempore

Orrin Hatch (R-UT)

Majority Floor Leader

Mitch McConnell (R-KY)

Most important office in the Senate
Elected by the party
Party official
o Steers the partys bills through
o Plans the work schedule and agenda
o Encourages party attendance at important
Senate sessions
o Organizes party support on key bills

Majority Floor Leader

Mitch McConnell (R-KY)

Minority Floor Leader

Harry Reid (D-NV)

Elected by the party
Party officials
o Develops criticisms of the majority partys bills
o Tries to keep senators in the minority party
working together

Minority Floor Leader

Harry Reid (D-NV))

Majority/Minority Whip

John Cornyn (Maj, R-TX)

Richard Durbin (Min, D-IL) and
Assistant floor leaders
o Watch how party members intend to vote on bills
o Persuade members to vote as the party wishes
o See that party members are present to vote

Richard Durbin (Min, D-IL) & John Cornyn (Maj, R-TX)

Calendars:
1.The Calendar of General Orders: bills
2.Executive Calendar: treaties and
nominations

FILIBUSTER:

Opposition wants to defeat a bill by continuing

to talk until a majority of the Senate either
abandons the bill or agrees to modify its most
controversial provisions.

Can be stopped when 3/5ths of the Senate (about

60) votes for cloture.

Cloture = A procedure that allows each

senator to speak only 1 hour on a bill under

debate.

The threat of a filibuster is usually enough to delay

Ted Cruz Filibuster Sep

2013

Ted Cruz Green Eggs and

Ham

Unit 4 PROJECT
Page 8
Research Report

 1. Pick a Partner. Or you may work

alone
2. Pick an issue (page 7)
Check off partners + issues with me
If there is something else youd like to
research, come get it approved by me.

3.** Find out what Congress is doing

about this issue
4. Create presentation PP or Prezi
You will be presenting to class on April 1

5. Write your Congressman

Senator or Rep
Show me before you send it, or screen shot
before you send email