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How congress works 1
- 1. How CongressHow Congress WorksWorks Part IPart I
- 2. Who’s in Congress?Who’s in Congress?
- 3. Demographic Profile of the 111th Congress Age GroupsAge Groups Source:Source: http://www.congress.org/congressorg/directory/demographics.tthttp://www.congress.org/congressorg/directory/demographics.tt PartyParty GenderGender EthnicityEthnicity
- 4. House-SenateHouse-Senate DifferencesDifferences HouseHouse 435 members; 2 yr435 members; 2 yr termsterms Low turnoverLow turnover Speaker bill referralSpeaker bill referral hard to challengehard to challenge Scheduling/rulesScheduling/rules controlled by majoritycontrolled by majority party with powerfulparty with powerful Rules CommitteeRules Committee ((controls time of debate,controls time of debate, amends., etc)amends., etc) SenateSenate 100 members; 6 yr100 members; 6 yr termsterms Moderate turnoverModerate turnover Referral decisionsReferral decisions easily challengedeasily challenged Scheduling/rulesScheduling/rules agreed to by majority &agreed to by majority & minority leadersminority leaders
- 5. House-SenateHouse-Senate DifferencesDifferences HouseHouse Debate limited to 1Debate limited to 1 hourhour Members policyMembers policy specialistsspecialists Emphasizes tax &Emphasizes tax & revenue policyrevenue policy More formal &More formal & impersonalimpersonal SenateSenate Unlimited debateUnlimited debate unless clotureunless cloture invokedinvoked Members policyMembers policy generalistsgeneralists Emphasizes foreignEmphasizes foreign policypolicy More informal &More informal & personalpersonal
- 6. Party LeadershipParty Leadership Bicameral Democratic LeadershipBicameral Democratic Leadership 110th Congress110th Congress Senate Republican LeadershipSenate Republican Leadership 110th Congress110th Congress
- 7. HOUSE LEADERSHIP Speaker (majority party) Democrats: • Majority Leader • Majority Whip • Chairman of the Caucus • Steering & Policy Committee • Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Speaker of the House Nancy Pelossi (D-CA) Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD) Majority Whip James Clyburn (D-SC)
- 8. HOUSE LEADERSHIP Republicans: • Minority Leader • Minority Whip • Chairman of Conference • Policy Committee • Committee on Committees • National Republican Congressional Committee • Research Committee Minority Leader John Boehner (R-OH) Minority Whip Eric Cantor (R-VA)
- 9. SENATE LEADERSHIPSENATE LEADERSHIP President of the Senate (Vice President) President Pro Tempore (majority party) Democrats: • Majority Leader • Majority Whip • Chairman of Conference • Policy Committee • Steering Committee • Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) President Pro Tem Robert Byrd (D-WV) Majority Whip Richard Durbin (D-IL) President of the Senate Joe Biden (D-DE)
- 10. SENATE LEADERSHIPSENATE LEADERSHIP Republicans: • Minority Leader • Minority Whip • Chairman of Conference • Policy Committee • Committee on Committees • Republican Senatorial Committee Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) Minority Whip Jon Kyl (R-AZ) QuickTime™ and a TIFF (Uncompressed) decompressor are needed to see this picture.
- 11. Strength of Party Structure? • Measure of party strength: 1. Ability of leaders to control party rules and organization 2. Extent to which party members vote together in the House and Senate • Senate: less party-centered and leader oriented
- 12. Party UnityParty Unity • Lower today than 100 years ago, but…..Lower today than 100 years ago, but….. • Ideology important variable explaining partyIdeology important variable explaining party voting (members vote with their party 80% ofvoting (members vote with their party 80% of the time)the time) • Party polarizationParty polarization - vote in which majority of- vote in which majority of democrats oppose majority of republicansdemocrats oppose majority of republicans • Polarization trends:Polarization trends: o 1976 HR = 36%; S = 37%1976 HR = 36%; S = 37% o 1995 HR = 73%; S = 69%1995 HR = 73%; S = 69% o 2000 HR = 43%; S = 49%2000 HR = 43%; S = 49%
- 13. CAUCUSES • Groups (may be bipartisan) meeting to pursue common legislative objectives • Rivals to parties in policy formulation • Examples: Democratic Study Group, Congressional Black Caucus, Tuesday Lunch Bunch, Human Rights, Congressional Caucus for Women’s Issues, Out of Iraq Caucus, Rural Caucus, Travel & Tourism Caucus, House Caucus on Missing and Exploited Children
- 14. "Congress in session is Congress on public exhibition, whilst Congress in its committee-rooms is Congress at work.” - Woodrow Wilson
- 15. Legislative Committees:Legislative Committees: Function and PurposeFunction and Purpose
- 16. Legislative Committees:Legislative Committees: Function & PurposeFunction & Purpose 1. Consider bills (a.k.a. “mark-up” bills) A bill with a member’s mark-up notes
- 17. Legislative Committees:Legislative Committees: Function & PurposeFunction & Purpose 2. Maintain oversight of executive agencies Secretary Donald Rumsfeld testifies before a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing re: the Department of Defense Budget (May, 2006)
- 18. Legislative Committees:Legislative Committees: Function & PurposeFunction & Purpose 3. Conduct investigations New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin testified before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee on Hurricane Katrina (Feb., 2006
- 19. Types of CommitteesTypes of Committees Standing Committees - permanent panel with full legislative functions and oversight responsibilities • Subcommittees – formed to tackle very specific tasks within the jurisdiction of the full committees Select or Special Committees - groups appointed for a limited purpose and limited duration Joint Committees - includes members of both chambers to conduct studies or perform housekeeping tasks Conference Committee - includes members of House & Senate to work out differences between similar bills
- 21. House Standing CommitteesHouse Standing Committees Agriculture Appropriations Armed Services Budget Education & Workforce Energy & Commerce Financial Services Government Reform House Admin. International Relations Judiciary Resources Rules Science Small Business Standards of Official Conduct Transportation & Infrastructure Veterans Affairs Ways & Means
- 22. Senate Standing Committees Agriculture, Nutrition, & Forestry Appropriations Armed Services Banking, Housing, & Urban Affairs Budget Commerce, Science, Transportation Energy & Natural Resources Environment and Public Works Finance Foreign Relations Governmental Affairs Health, Education, Labor & Pensions Judiciary Rules and Administration Small Business and Entrepreneurship Veterans Affairs
- 23. Special, Select Committees • House Select Committee on Energy Independence & Global Warming • Senate Select Committee on Ethics • House & Senate Select Committees on Intelligence Gen. Michael Hayden is sworn in during a full committee hearing of the Senate Select Intelligence Committee on his nomination to be director of the Central Intelligence Agency.
- 24. Joint Committees • Joint Economic Committee • Joint Committee on Printing • Joint Committee on Taxation Joint Committee onJoint Committee on Taxation hearingTaxation hearing
- 25. Title: Resolution Artist: Bob Gorrell Date: 12/28/06 Source: http://www.gorrellart.com/
- 26. Artist: R.J. Matson, New York Observer & Roll Call Date: 1/18/07 Source: http://www.cagle.com