AP Gov 2.2

Who leads the HOR?

Lead by the speaker of the house (elected & member of the majority party)

What are parliamentary procedures?

The system of rules and practices

Majority & Minority Leaders HOR

Help guide their perspective party members in policy making issues like debates & enforcing discipline

Who leads the senate?

the VP (non-voting member that only votes to break a tie)

Who is the leader when the VP is not around?

The President Pro Tempore (member of the majority party)

Majority & Minority Leaders Senate

Sets the legislative agenda

• Majority controls calendar assignments of bills

What are standing committees?

Deals with issues that are always present (like money)

• Senate=Appropriations Committee (Decides use of Federal Money)

• HOR=Ways & Means Committee (Chief Tax-writing party)

What is a Joint Committee?

*Both for the HOR and Senate

Oversees certain administration functions

• JC on the Library (Library of Congress)

• JC on Printing (Government Printing Office)

What is a select committee?

A committee for a specific, short-term purpose

• Missouri Compromise (legislative measure that established where slavery could exist in the United State)

What is a conference committee?

meant to reconcile differences between HOR and senate about bills

What is the House Rules Committee?

(HOR) The gatekeeper of all legislation

What two things help the house manage work flow?

• Committee of Whole: Relaxes rules for debate so that amendments to bills can be debated

• Discharge Positions: If a bill gets stuck in a committee, they can take it to the floor of the house to vote on it

Why does the HOR have more regulations than the senate

the senate has an unlimited debate system

What is a Filibuster (S)

AN attempt to stall a bill for more debate

What was the longest senator to filibuster?

STM Thurman of the Civil Rights Act

What two things can end a Filibuster?

1. Cloture Rule: Can end by a 3/5 vote (currently means 60 senators)

2. Unanimous Consent: Agreement of all senators to expedite legislative work

How does a bill come into law?

1. Sponsored by a member of either HOR of the Senate

2. Considered & debated (could be added by non-germane riders [provisions added to a bill that have no relationship to the subject matter of the bill itself] or pork barrel spending [funds are marked for a particular representative’s cause])

3. Assigned to a committee & continuation of debate

4. Comes out of committee & is voted by congress

5. Once passed, goes to the president

what can debating over a law be called?

logrolling

What are the budgetary processes

1. Mandatory Spending (anything that is require by law like Medicare)

2. Disectatory Spending (anything that can be debated like human resources)

What is deficient spending

when the mandatory spending exceeds the national revenue