APNSLCongressOverview&BillstoLaw

COMMITTEES TherealworkofCongressoccursheredividesuptheworkonbills. THREEKINDS Standing:(mostimportant)permanentbodieswithspecifiedlegislativeresponsibilities Select:appointedforlimitedpurposeandlastingonlyafewCongresses Joint:bothrepresentativesandsenatorsserve;createdconferencecommitteeforrevision ofdifferentlegislationortoattackspecificnationalproblems. Republicanmajorityhadreducednumberofcommitteesinbothhouses MostpowergiventoCommitteeChair.TheyareALWAYSfromthemajoritypartyand usuallyhaveservedthelongesttenureonthatcommittee. Theirminoritycounterpartiscalledtherankingminoritymember.

STAFFAGENCIES CongressionalResearchService:respondstocongressionalrequestsforinfo;neutral politicalbody,thereforewillnotrecommendpolicy,butwillreportfactsandindicate argumentsfor/againstpolicies.Keepsstatustracksofmajorbills. GeneralAccountingOffice:financiallyauditsmoneyspentbyexecutivedepts,agenciesand policies,makesrecommendationonseveralgov.aspects. CongressionalBudgetOffice:advisesCongressonlikelyeconomiceffectsofdifferent spendingprogramsandpreparescostsofproposedpolicies.Preparesanalysisofprezs budgetandecoprojections. TYPESOFRESOLUTIONS

Simpleresolutionpassedbyonehouseandaffectsthathouse,notsignedbythepresident; doesnothavetheforceoflaw.Usuallyproceduralinnature.

Concurrentresolutionpassedbybothhousesandaffectsboth,notsignedbythepresident anddoesnothavetheforceoflaw.

Jointresolutionessentiallyalaw.Passedbybothhousesandsignedbythepresident. Ifusedtoproposeaconstitutionalamendment,2/3voterequiredinbothhousesbutthe presidentssignatureisunnecessary.

HOWABILLBECOMESALAW

BILLLAWcont.

Markupoccursincommitteesand/orsubcommitteesbutthesechangesarenotfinaluntil theyareapprovedbytheHouseortheSenate.

AbillonlymovesforwardifamajorityofthecommitteevotestoreportitouttotheHouseor Senate.Attachedtothebillarethecommitteesopinionsofthebill(includingdissenting opinions,ifany)

Mostbillsusuallydieincommitteesand/orsubcommittees(OVER90%) IntheHouse,adischargepetitioncanbefiledtoremoveabillfromcommitteeandputit directlyoutontothefloor,butitisrarelyused

IntheSenate,abillcanbedischargedfromcommitteesessionwhenamembermovestohave thebillcomedirectlybeforetheSenate.However,dischargeisrarelyusedbecausealmostany proposalcangettothefloorasanamendmenttoanotherbill.

Bothhousessetcalendarstohearandvoteonbills IntheHouse,theRulesCommitteereviewsmostbillsanddecideshowtheywillbeheard Closedrulemeansthatabillhasastricttimelimitondebateandthatnoamendmentscanbe offeredunlesstheycomefromthesponsoringcommittee.

Openrulepermitsanyamendmentstoabillfromthefloor Ariderisaprovisionaddedtoapieceoflegislationthatdoesnotpertaintothebillspurpose.It hastheabilitytostronglypersuadethepresidenttovoteonewayortheotherbasedonthe extentoftherider.Italsoallowslegislatorstoattachtothebillanypetprojectthattheywishto getpassed.

AChristmastreebillisabillthathasalotofridersattached.(RidersonlypermittedinSenate). BillsintheSenatemaybeconsideredinanyorderatanytimethatthemajorityoftheSenate chooseswhiletheHousestickstoaverytighthearingschedulethatdoesnotallowany individualcomplaintstobeheard.

FLOORDEBATEINHOUSE FloordebateintheHouseonrevenuebillsandmostotherbillsisdiscussedbytheCommittee oftheWholewhichisa100memberquorumencompassingwhoeverhappenstobeonthe flooratthattime. TheCommitteeoftheWholedebates,amends,anddecidesthefinalwordingofthebillbut mustsenditbacktotheHousetovoteonit. IntheCommitteeoftheWhole,thesponsoringcommitteeguidesthediscussionandallotstime equallybetweenproponentsandopponentsandlimitsspeakingtime.Onlygermane amendmentsarepermittedifruleallowsbutridersareneverpermitted. Aquorumcallisadelaytacticusedtopostponeactiononabillbyrollcallingtoseeifthe minimumnumberofmembersispresent.Iftherearemissingmembers,theHousemust adjournorsendsomeonetofindthemissingmembers. FLOORDEBATEINSENATE IntheSenate,therearenotimelimitsfordebatingabill,anamendmentcanbeofferedatany time,andsenatorsneednotaddressanythingrelevanttothebilliftheywish. Riderscanbeusedandamendmentsdonotneedtopertaintothebill AcloturemotioncanendaSenatefilibusterif16Senatorssignapetitionforclotureand3/5 (60)oftheSenatevoteyesonthepetition.Ifitpasses,eachSenatorislimitedtoonehourof debateonabill Filibustersandcloturevoteshasbecomemorepopularrecently. DoubletrackinghasallowedtoSenatetocontinuewithnormalbusinessduringafilibusterby temporarilyshelvingthebill.ThisalsoallowstheSenatorsfilibusteringabilltorestandtakea break,whichmakesiteasiertofilibuster. METHODS:VOTINGONBILLS

Voicevote:membersshoutyeaornay;division(standing)vote:membersstandandare counted;inbothofthesevotes,namesarenotrecorded.

Tellervote:memberslineupinyealinesandnaylinesandrecordtheirvoteswithateller. Namesareonlyrecordedattherequestof20members.

Rollcallvote:nowdoneelectronically,recordsthevoteofeachname;canbedoneatthe requestof1/5oftherepresentativespresentinHouse.

TheSenatedoesnotuseatellervotenorelectroniccounters IfabillpassesintheHouseandSenateindifferentversions,thedifferencesmustbeironedout. Minordifferencesareconcludedbythelasthousetoactonthebillsendingthebillbackto otherhouse,whichacceptsthealterations.

Ifthedifferencesaremajor,aconferencecommitteebetweenthetwohousesisheld.Members ofthecommitteearepickedupthechairmenofthecommitteesthathandledthebillinthe HouseandtheSenate.Thereareusuallybetween315members.Debateinconference committeesisveryarduousandcaneitherbeopenorclosedtothepublic.Oftenthelegislation ischangedsubstantially.

MostconferencecommitteesusuallyfavortheSenateversionofthebill.Afteradecisionis reached,thehousescaneitheracceptorrejectthereport.Inmostcases,itisacceptedandsent tothepresidentforsignature.Ifthepresidentvetoes,thebillreturnstothehouseoforigin. Bothhousescanoverridethevetois2/3ofeachhouseapprove.

Thereare435votingrepresentativesintheHouse.Ifalltheserepresentativesvoted,itwould take2/3rdsof435=290votestooverrideaveto.IntheSenate,italsotakesa2/3rdsof100 members=67votestooverrideaveto.(Butifonly90actuallyvoted,thenitwouldtakeonly 2/3of90=60votestooverride).Assumingallmembersturnouttovote,290(House)+67 (Senate)=357totalvotesarerequiredtooverrideapresidentialveto.

REDUCINGPOWERANDPERKS Manycongressionalwouldbereformersclaimthatlegislatorsoveruseporkbarrellegislation, whicharebillsthatgivetangiblebenefitstoagroupofconstituentsinordertowinvotes,but thatlegislatorsareveryslowtopassmeaningfullegislationregardingnationalpolicy. Thefrankingprivilege,orfreepostage,isthemosttreasuredperkofcongressionalincumbents becausetheycansendoutcampaignliteratureforfree. Manyreformersdonotagreewiththefrankingprivilegeorwishtoprohibititbecauseitcomes directlyfromtaxpayers. Inthepast,Congresshasexempteditselffromthelawsitpassed,claimingitwouldviolatethe separationofpowers.Inresponsetopubliccriticismofthispractice,in1995,Congresspassed abillthatrequiresCongresstoobeyelevenimportantlawsgoverningthingssuchascivilrights, occupationalsafety,andfairlaborstandards,andfamilyleave. Reformersclaimthatporkbarrellegislation(bringhomethebacon)isamisallocationoftax dollarsbecauseitsupportstrivialsocialprojectsforreelectionprospects. Truthfully,notallporkisbadbecausemanycongressionaldistrictsgetbenefitsthatarelong overduetothem.Additionally,spendingonporklegislationisonlyasmallfractionofwhatis spentonentitlementprograms. ETHICSANDCONGRESS Somearguethattheseparationofpowershasfosteredcorruptionratherthanpreventeditlike theFramershopeditwouldbecausewithpowerplacedinthehandsofmany,therearemany opportunitiestoexerciseinfluenceandtosatisfyfavorseekers. AcitizenorientedCongress=aporkbarrelorientedCongress.

SomerulesonethicsintheSenateandHouse:SenatorsandCongressmenmaynotreceivegifts fromtotalingmorethan$100,oracceptanycontributionsorgiftsfromlobbyists.ASenators outsideincomemaynotexceed15%ofasenatorssalary.Housemembersmaytravelatthe expenseofothersifitrelatestobusiness.ExSenatorsandExHousemembersmaynottryto influencemembersofCongressforoneyearafterleavingoffice.

SETTINGTHEAGENDA Thepoliticalagendainvolveswhattomakepolicyabout Atanygiventime,certainsharedbeliefsdeterminewhatislegitimateforthegovernmenttodo. Thislegitimacyisaffectedbysharedpoliticalvalues,theimpactofcustomandtradition,the impactofeventssuchaswarsanddepressions,andchangesinthewaypoliticalelitesthinkand talkaboutpolitics. LEGITSCOPEOFGOVACTION Changesinattitudeandtheimpactofeventstendtoincreasethescopeoflegitimate governmentaction.Theexpansionofgovernmenthasbeenanonpartisanprocess. Duringwartime(orafteraterroristattack),thepeopleauthorizethegovernmenttodo whateverisnecessarytowin.Duringadepression,thepeoplealsoexpectthegovernmenttodo something. Sometimes,thegovernmentenlargesitsagendaofpolicyissueswithoutanycrisisor widespreadpublicdemand,evenwhenconditionsatwhichapolicyisdirectedareimproving (i.e.programstocombaturbanpovertywereadoptedinthemid1960swhenthenumberof people(blackandwhite)livingbelowthepovertylinewasdeclining). Manypoliciesaretheresultofsmallgroupsofpeopleenlargingthescopeofgovernment throughtheirdemands.Sometimestheyareorganizedgroupslikecorporationorunionsand othertimestheyareunorganizedgroupslikeurbanminorities.

DeTocquevilleobservedthatcitizensaremostrestlesswhentheyhavestartedtobecome betteroff(relativedeprivation).

Onoccasion,agroupwillexpressitsdissatisfactionviolently(i.etheblackriotsinAmerican citiesinthemid1960s).

Thecourts,thebureaucracy,andtheSenatehavebecomeparticularlyimportantinsettingthe agenda.

Thecourtsmakedecisionsthatforceactionbytheotherbranchesofgovernment;theysetoffa chainreactionthataltersthepoliticalagenda(BrownvBoardofEducation).

Thecourtsarethepreferredvehiclesfortheadvocatesofunpopularcaseswherethereisno majority.

Thebureaucracyissolargeandincludessomanyexpertsthatithasbecomeasourceofpolicy proposalsaswellasanimplementerofthoseproposalsthatbecomealaw.

ThefactthattheSenatehasbecomeasourceforpoliticalchangecanbeseeninthefactthat manysenatorsaretemptedtorunforpresidentandraisenewissuestothepublic.

HOUSE 435membersthatserve2yearterms Canonlyonemajorcommitteeassignment(policyspecialists) Speakersreferralofbillstocommitteeishardtochallenge Committeesalmostalwaysconsiderlegislationfirst Schedulingandrulesarecontrolledbythemajorityparty RulesCommitteeispowerful;controlstimeofdebate,admissibilityofamendments Debateisusuallylimitedtoonehour Nogermaneamendmentsmaynotbeintroducedfromthefloor Revenuebillsmuststarthere.

DecidesPresidentifnowinnerinElectoralCollege.

SENATE 100membersthatserve6yearterms(staggeredterms) Cansiton2ormorecommittees(policygeneralists) Referraldecisionsareeasytochallenge Committeeconsiderationiseasilybypassed Schedulingandrulesaregenerallyagreedtobymajorityandminorityleaders RulesCommitteeisweak;fewlimitsondebateoramendments Debateisunlimitedunlessshortenedbyunanimousconsentorbyinvokingcloture Nogermaneamendmentsmaybeintroduced.(Riders) ChooseVPifnowinnerinecollege. Domembersrepresenttheirvoters? Representationalview(delegate)membersvotetopleasetheirconstituentsinordertosecure reelection. Organizationalviewwherememberstakecuesfromtheirpartyonhowtovote. Attitudinalview(trustee)themembersideologydetermineshis/hervote.