Congress in Action
“Do Congressmen Wear Official Pins?”
Congressional Leadership
• House of Representatives
– Speaker of the House
• Duties
• Current Speaker of the House?
Paul Ryan
• Senate
– President of the Senate
• Duties
– President Pro Tempore
• Current President Pro Tempore?
Orin Hatch
Leadership’s Functions
• Party Caucus (100 in 1993, 694 in 2014)
– Article Link
• Committee Chairmen
• Floor Leaders
– Party “Whips”
• Seniority Rule (unwritten)
Committees
• Standing Committees
• House Rules Committee
• Select Committees
• Joint and Conference Committees
Journal Write #8
• Describe how a proposed bill becomes an
actual federal law from start to finish.
How a “Bill” becomes a “Law”
1. A proposed law (a “bill”) is written
2. Bill is presented by a member of Congress
– Single vs Rider
– H.R. or S.
3. Bill goes to a subcommittee (usually)
– Public Hearings and “Junkets”
– Changes proposed
– Vote on taking bill to full committee
– Most bills die at this point
House of Representatives Procedures
• Video
1. Bill placed on schedule (one of five calendars)
2. Committee of the Whole (video)
3. Debate
– Rules Committee and time limits
4. Vote on the bill
– 4 methods
• SNL Chris Farley
Senate Procedures
• Video
1. Bill introduced
2. Debate
– Filibuster to kill a bill
• Video of 12 hour filibuster
– Cloture to force a vote
3. Vote
Final Actions
• Conference Committees
– Identical Form Requirement
• President’s options
1. Sign bill
2. No action after 10 days?
3. “Pocket veto”
4. Veto
• Congress override of a veto
• Video!