Congress

Chapter 11

The Representatives & Senators$175,000/yr House & Senate$223,000/yr Speaker & V.P.$193,400/yr President Pro Tem/

Majority & Minority

Non-Salary: “Fringe Benefits” Tax deductions Travel allowances Health & Life insurance Retirement plan Allowances for offices and staff Franking privilege – mail postage-free Free printing Free from arrest while in session (Excluding cases of

treason and felony)

Avg. cost per citizen =

hamburger, fries, & a Coke

The Representatives & Senators Characteristics of Members of Congress

NOT a cross section of the American people White, male, mid-60’s 94/538 – Women* 43/538 – African American* 28/538 – Hispanic* 9/538 – Asian* Most are lawyers; 72% have college degrees Upper-middle class hard-working Americans (Typical

Schedule begins @ 8:00am, ends @ 9:30pm)

* According to the statistics for the 111th Congress

Why Bicameral? A Bicameral Congress – 2 House

Legislature1. Historical: Most of the Framers of the

Constitution were already familiar with the British Parliament (2 Houses: House of Lords & House of Commons)

2. Practical: fair and equal representation in both houses of Congress

3. Theoretical: in hopes that one house might act as a check on the other

Terms & Sessions Terms of Congress – 2 years

Start Date: January 3rd of odd-numbered years Sessions – period of time in which

congress assembles and conducts business 2 Sessions for every term Adjourning a session can be done by both

houses or the president Special Sessions: called in case of an

emergency

Congress

1.Larger body Smaller body

2.Shorter term Longer term

3.Smaller Larger constituencies constituencies

4.Younger Older membership membership

The House of Representatives

The Senate

5.Less prestige More prestige

6.Lower visibility Higher visibility in in the news media the news media

7.Strict rules, Flexible rules, limited debate nearly unlimited

debate

8.Most work is done Work is split more in committees, Not on evenly betweenthe floor committees and

the floor

The House of Representatives

The Senate

9.No power over Approves or rejects treaties and treaties and presidential presidentialappointments appointments

10.Single-member At-large electionsdistrict elections

The House of Representatives

The Senate

Congressional Elections Incumbents: those already holding office

Incumbents usually win Easier for those in the House than the Senate –

Why?

Richard Luger

Senator

1976 – Present

Currently in 6th Terms

Todd Rokita

Representative

2010- Present

Currently in 1stTerm

Advantages of Incumbents Advertising

Visibility is #1: visits home, ads, etc. Credit Claiming

Go to Constituents and stress policymaking record

Servicing the Constituency through Case Work (“Cutting through the Red Tape”)

Pork Barrel: federal projects and grants available to cities, businesses, colleges and institutions

Advantages of Incumbents Position Taking (more important in

Senate Elections) Weak Opponents

How is Congress Organized? The Presiding Officers

Speaker of the House: is both elected presiding officer of the House and the acknowledged leader of its majority party

Presides over every session of the House, or occasionally appoints a member as the temporary presiding officer

Follows the Vice President in the line of succession to the presidency

How is Congress Organized? The President of the Senate =

Vice President Constitution assigned the job – not

chosen by a party Powers: recognize members, put

questions to a vote, etc. Can NOT take the floor to speak or

debate and may vote only to break a tie

How is Congress Organized? President Pro Tempore serves

in the Vice President’s absence Is elected by the Senate itself

and is always a leading member of the majority party

Follows the Speaker of the House in the line of presidential succession

How is Congress Organized?The Floor Leaders

Majority/Minority Floor LeadersThe Majority Floor leader’s post is

the more powerful in each house because they hold more seats (votes) than the other party

Majority/Minority Whips: assistant floor leaders

How is Congress Organized? Committee Chairmen: those

members that head the standing committees in each chamber

Seniority Rule Unwritten custom Head of each committee is almost

always the longest-serving majority party member of that committee

Committees in Congress The Role of Committees

Committee Assignments House: 19, 9 – 75 members in each Senate: 17, 12 – 28 members in each Representatives are usually assigned to one

or two; Senators three or four Bills receive their most thorough

consideration while in committee

Committees in Congress The House Rules Committee: “Traffic Cop”

Every bill must be cleared by the Rules Committee

Select Committees: most are formed to investigate a current matter (Ex. Study of the Elderly, Covert operations in Iran, Spruce Budworm problem, etc.)

Joint & Conference Committees: One composed of members of both houses

Standing Committees: Separate subject-matter committees in each house of Congress that handle bills in different policy areas

How a Bill Becomes a Law 1st Step: Introduced, given a name and

number (Ex. H.R. 3410 or S. 210) Bill in Committee

Most bills introduced Congress are pigeonholed – die in committee

Introducing the Bill in the Senate Bill are introduced by Senators; Private citizens can

create a bill (not introduce) Rules for Debate

The Filibuster An attempt to “talk a bill to death;” stalling tactic to delay

or prevent action on a measure Cloture Rule: used to stop a filibuster (needs 3/5 vote to

end it)

President’s Powers The President may sign the bill, and it then

becomes law (LAW) The President may veto the bill. He will not sign

and will attach a veto message to the bill. (NOT LAW, YET – Congress may get a combined 2/3 agreement – BECOMES LAW)

The President may allow the bill to become law without signing it – by not acting on it within 10 days, not counting Sundays, of receiving it. (LAW)

Pocket Veto: If Congress adjourns its session within 10 days of submitting a bill to the President, and the President does not act, the measure dies (NOT LAW)