20th Amendment - Noon of the 3rd day of Jan. of every odd-numbered year - aka changes every two years. Sessions last one year, so each change/term has two sessions. Congress convenes(begins sessions) in January and adjourns or recesses as it sees fit.

House of Representatives

• The people’s branch, meaning the only branch originally directly elected by voters.

• Close and accountable to the people

• Elected every two years

• More lax requirements than the Senate

• More strictly structured than the Senate (ie. limited debate time)

Senate

• More stable of the branches

  • Insulated from emotions and the whims of the voters

  • Elected every 6 years and staggered so 1/3 changes every 2 years, protecting against quick change.

• Originally selected by state legislatures with direct election by voters

What does Congress do?

Lawmaking

• The most important power of Congress is to pass laws in areas of national policy

Budgeting

• Sets the federal budget

• Pork barrel spending- the allocation of money to projects in districts or states.

• Logrolling- Members of Congress trading votes to get their earmarks passed.

Oversight

• Watch how the laws are applied

Checks and Balances

War

• Congress declares war

• Senate ratifies treaties

Judicial Authority

• Congress creates lower federal courts and sets number of justices

• Senate advises and consents over nominees

Executive Nominations

• Senate advises and consents over nominees

Impeachment

• House of Representatives charges impeachment

• Senate holds trial and convicts

Constituencies

• Definition: Bodies of voters in an area who elect a Representative or Senator

• Representatives serve in a single-member district

• Senators serve with two Senators to each full state

Apportionment

• Every 10 years, seats of House are apportioned or redistributed based on population shifts reflected on the census

• The Reapportionment Act of 1929 set size of House to 435 seats.

• Seats are distributed by population, not land area

• Each state draws its district lines

• Gerrymandering is drawing lines for districts that favor a certain political party

• Experience and money are major factors used in campaigns

  • Experience builds reputation over time through increased knowledge, political organization, skills, and history.

  • Money is the lifeblood of a campaign with the cost of ads, events, airtime, and staff. Incumbents raise more money.

    • Avg cost of running in the House is $500,000

    • Avg cost of running in the Senate is $1.5 million

• Incumbents have many advantages

  • Franking Privilege- Free use of the US Mail Service for incumbents.

  • Name Recognition

  • Casework

People

House of Representatives

Speaker of the House

• Only House leadership position described in the US Constitution

• Leader of the House

• Member of the majority party (usually)

• Most powerful member of House

• Second in line for Presidency by Succession

• Raise money in PACS for party members

• Controls the House agenda and committee assignments

Majority Leader

• Assistant to the Speaker of the House

• Sets the majority party’s agenda

• Member of majority party

Majority Whip

• Assitant to the majority leader

• Collects information on member voting and support on key votes

• Sets party strategy

• Encourages party unity

• Member of majority party

Minority Leader

• Leader of minority party

• Coordinates activity within the party

• Member of minority party

Minority Whip

Note this is the similar to Majority Whip

• Assitant to the minority leader

• Collects information on member voting and support on key votes

• Sets party strategy

• Encourages party unity

• Member of minority party

Senate

Vice President

• Official Leader according to US Constitution

• President of Senate

• Casts tie-breaking vote

President Pro Tempore

• Presides when VP not present

• No official power

• Oldest person from majority party

Senate Majority Leader

• Leader of Senate majority party

• Most powerful individual in Senate (though not as powerful as Speaker of the House)

Senate Minority Leader

• Leader of Senate minority party

Majority Whip and Minority Whip

Committees

• Committee membership determined by party leaders and reflects the ratio of party membership in each chamber.

• House committees are larger than Senate committees

• Assignments based on constituents, fundraising ability, and party leadership

Committee Chair

• Sets agenda for committee

• Member of majority party

Types of Committees

Standing Committees

• Permanent

• Divided by policy area

• Where most of the work gets done

Joint Committees

• Members of both chambers

• Focus public attention on an issue

• Gather information for Congress

Conference Committees

• Members of both chambers

• Normally on initial standing committee

• When there are differences between House and Senate version of a bill, resolves differences

Select Committees

• Temporary

• Normally for investigations

Lawmaking

Bill- a proposed law presented to House or Senate

• Bills may start in both chambers

  • Tax bills are an exception and must start in House (closer to the people)

• Bills may be public (apply to whole nation) or private (apply only to certain people)

Rider- Provision not likely to pass on its own but added to the bill in hopes of passing

• Often tracked to appropriations measures

• “Earmarks”

• Christmas Tree Bill- a bill with many riders

1. Clerk of Senate or House numbers each bill. A title is also given to each to be written in House journal and congressional record.

2. Bill is read for the first time.

   1. If in House, Speaker refers bill to standing committee(s)

   2. If in Senate, Majority Leader refers bill to standing committee(s)

3. Committees do work on bill.

   1. Chairman assigns bill to subcommittee(s)

   2. Subcommittee holds hearings, gets testimony, reads reports, votes, etc. They use all of this to make modifications.

   3. Bill returns to full committee.

   4. Most introduced bills are pigeonholed or buried in committee

   5. Discharge petitions remove a bill from committee

4. Floor debate is scheduled

   1. If in the House…

      1. Placed on one of three House calendars

      2. Rules committee sets date, time, and limits on debate

5. Floor debate occurs

   1. If in the House

      1. Second reading of bill

      2. Committee of the whole- all members sitting as one large committee with less strict rules and a smaller quorum

      3. Debate is very limited for efficiency

      4. Vote by voice vote or a roll-call vote

      5. Bill passes with simple majority

   2. If in the Senate

      1. Senate proceedings are much less formal than in the House

      2. Debate is unrestricted

         1. Filibuster- Attempt to talk a bill to death using unlimited debate

         2. Cloture- ends filibuster by ending debate

      3. Other details are the same as in the House

      4. Bills can die in the Senate in multiple ways

         1. Hold- Senator objects to a bill (or part of a bill), communicates concern to majority leader, and bill passage is delayed

         2. Unanimous Consent Agreement- Sets consideration terms for the bill and may limit debate time

6. House-Senate Conference Committee

   1. Bill may look different after leaving the two chambers, so conference committee produces a compromise bill.

   2. Exists as a temporary joint committee

7. Both chambers have final vote on bill

8. President Action

   1. If signs bill, bill becomes a law.

   2. If refuse to sign bill, vetoed and returned to origin.

      1. The House and Senate can still pass bill with a 2/3 vote in both chambers.

   3. If no action in 10 days while Congress in session, bill becomes law.

   4. If no action within 10 days but Congress adjourned session, bill does not become law.

Federal Budget

• The federal government uses the budget to cover expenses for the fiscal year

• Mandatory Spending- Spending required by law and locked in the budget

  • Entitlement Programs- Programs providing benefits for those who qualify under law regardless of income

  • Interest on Federal Debt

• Discretionary Spending- Spending for programs and policies at the discretion of Congress and the President

  • Military

  • Education

  • Scientific Research

  • Agriculture

• Budget set by President and Congress

  • President submits budget for Congressional authorization.

  • Congress produces budget resolution, providing broad spending goals.

  • Appropriations committee allocated for specific programs.

  • Congress passes a resolution and the President signs it.