Unit 3 AP Gov

Private vs. Public Bill

• Private: individuals/places, claims against gov

• Public: general nation, controversial, long debate

Joint Resolution

Both houses, force of law, corrects bill’s errors, passes amendments

Simple Resolution

1 house, addresses new rule

Concurrent Resolution

both houses, not force of law, often abt. date for adjourning Congress

Steps for bill

1. Introduced & given no. by Congress (can be proposed by ppl)

2. Committee hearings (testimony; outside groups can speak)

3. Mark-up session/reporting bill (committee decides changes, majority vote to kill or pass, report including bill description & changes as well as committee actions & opinions)

4. Floor action

• Debating/amending: House & Senate, amendments need majority vote

• Voting: after 3rd reading

5. Final steps *if 1 house doesn’t accept, conference committee figures it out

• President: must sign or veto (Congress can override with ⅔ vote both houses, can hold up to 10 days (if they don’t act=pocket veto)

• Bill becomes law, given no., added to U.S. code

House of Representatives Term

2 year term, all reelected every even year

Senate Term Length

6 year terms & ⅓ is reelected every 2 years

Requirements for Representative

25 years old, state resident, citizen for 7 years

Requirements for Senator

30 years old, state resident, citizen for 9 years

House of Representatives responsibilities

Introduce revenue bills, choose president if no Electoral College winner, initiate impeachment

Senate responsibilities

Advice & consent (for judges, cabinet, president), approval of treaties (⅔ vote), holds trial of impeached

Congress Organization

House —> Party —> Leadership —> Committees

House of Representatives Leadership

Speaker of the House (leader), Floor Leaders (debate in party), Whip(main floor leader), Conference Chairs(party matters)

Senate Leadership

 President of Senate (VP), President Pro Tempore (sr. member maj. party), Senate Majority Leader (chief legislature w/ most power), Whips, Conference Chair

Types of Permanent Committees

Standing & Joint

Types of Temporary Commitees

Select or special commitees, Conferance commitees

Standing Commitee

Permanent focus on specific subject, most of Congress’ work, chaired by senior member of majority party, under rules of each house

• ex. Steering & Policy committee (democrats)

• ex. Committee on Committees (republicans)

Joint Committees

Members of both houses address long-term issues, research based work

Select/special committees

Limited time, particular study/investigation to see if more Congress action needed

• can be 1 house or both

Conference committees

Fixes differences on passed bills that have different forms from each house, both houses do markup session

Caucus

Non-governmental group with similar interests in Congress

Senate debate rules

• can speak desired length —> Filibuster (talks long time to kill bill)

• cloture (⅔ needed to stop bill debate)

• unanimous consent

• can propose not germane amendments

• hold (stalls bill)

House of Representatives Debate Rules

• limited speaking

• only germane amendments

• committee of the whole(longer debate, less ppl)

• discharge petition (brings bill out of committee onto floor)

• ways & means committee (taxes)

• rules committee (assigns bills, schedules debate, etc.)

OMB (Office of Management and Budget)

influences presidential spending (it is in executive office), makes annual budget

CBO (Congressional Budget Office)

Congress nonpartisan accountants, checks OMB/presidential spending

Main Revenue Sources

income tax, corporate tax, social insurance, tariffs/excise tax, other sources (ex. interest on gov)

Mandatory spending

SS, medicare, etc., most of budget

Discretionary Spending

less budget than mandatory, military defense, resources, etc.

Examples of checks on the president

Impeachment (House), trial of impeachment (senate),