Bell Ringer

1
Bell Ringer

• What age must one be to run for Congressperson?
  Senator?
• What were Jim Crow Laws?

Congressperson 25 years of age. Senate 30
years of age.
The systematic practice of discriminating against
and segregating Black people, especially as
practiced in the American South from the end of
Reconstruction to the mid-20th century.
2
Fast Fact

• The ZIP in Zip Code stands for Zone Improvement
  Plan.
• What is the purpose of Zip Codes?

They are used by the Post Office to deliver mail
more efficiently.
3
The Legislative BranchThe Organization of
Congress

• Chapter 5

4
Congressional Membership

• Section 1

5
Congressional Organization

• Bicameral Legislature
• House of Representatives
• Senate
• Congress purpose is to initiate and approve laws
  for the country.
• Terms begin on January 3 of odd numbered years
  and last for two years.
• Terms are divided into sessions, which last for
  one year and include time for holidays and
  vacations.

6
The Current Session
112th Congress
7
How many members of the House of Representatives
are there?

• Plus 4 delegates in the House
• District of Columbia
• Guam
• American Samoa
• Virgin Islands
• NONE CAN VOTE!
• Puerto Rico (resident commissioner).

435
8
Membership in the House

• Qualifications
• 25 years of age.
• United States citizen for 7 years.
• Legal resident of the state.
• Terms of Office
• 2 year terms.
• Elected in even-numbered years.
• Salary and Benefits
• 174,000 (as of January 1, 2009)
• Speaker of the House 223,500

9
The First Census
1790
10
(No Transcript)
11
Membership in the House (cont.)

• Representation and Reapportionment
• Based on census count.
• Reapportionment - a reallotment of congressional
  seats in the United States on the basis of census
  results.
• Reapportionment Act of 1929 set membership at
  435.
• Redistricting
• The redrawing of district lines based on
  reapportionment statistics.

12
Membership in the House (cont.)

• Abuses of redistricting power
• Creating congressional districts with very
  unequal populations.
• Gerrymandering
• Defined the political party in control of the
  state government draws a districts boundaries to
  gain an advantage in elections.
• Term comes from Elbridge Gerry.
• Packing drawing the lines so they include as
  many of the opposing partys voters as possible.
• Cracking dividing the opponents voters into
  other districts.

13
(No Transcript)
14
Three Redistricting Cases

• Baker v. Carr (1962). Page 754.
• Reynolds v. Sims (1964). Page 764.
• Wesberry v. Sanders (1964)- Page 767.
• one-person, one vote

15
Membership in the Senate

• Qualifications
• 30 years of age.
• United States citizen for 9 years.
• Legal resident of the state.
• Terms of Office
• 6 year terms.
• Elected in even-numbered years.
• 1/3 elected every two years.
• Salary and Benefits
• 174,000 (as of January 1, 2009)
• President Pro Temp - 193,400.

16
What prevents Congress from giving itself a pay
raise?
27th Amendment
17
Membership in the Senate (cont.)

• Senate Privileges
• Stationary
• Franking Privileges
• Postage for official business
• Medical Care
• Gymnasium
• Allowances to pay for home-state offices and
  staff, trips home, and communication.
• Tax deduction for maintaining two residences.

18
A Huge Benefit

• Congresspersons have certain privileges that
  protect them in their official capacity.
• Free from arrest in all cases except treason,
  felony, and breach of the peace.
• Cannot be sued for anything they say on the House
  or Senate floor.
• Does not apply to outside of chambers, news
  releases or newsletters.

19
Congressional Judgment Calls

• Exclusion
• The refusal, by a majority vote, not to seat an
  elected member of Congress.
• Expulsion
• Only in most serious cases and by a 2/3 vote.
• Censure
• Formal disapproval of a members actions.
• Reprimand published in official records.

20
Alabama Congressional Districts
21
Alabamas Congressmen
Terry Everett 2nd
Jo Bonner 1st
Mike Rogers 3rd
Robert Aderholt 4th
Bobby Bright 2nd
Mo Brooks 5th
Spencer Bachus 6th
Terri Sewell 7th
22
Alabamas Senators
Richard Shelby
Jeff Sessions
23
The House of RepresentativesAnd Lawmaking

• Section 2

24
Rules for Lawmaking

• Article I, Section 5 orders each house to make
  their own rules.
• Thomas Jefferson wrote the first rule book.

25

• It is much more material that there be a rule to
  go by, than what the rule is that there may be a
  uniformity of proceeding in business not subject
  to the caprice whims of the Speaker or
  captiousness criticism of the members.
• Thomas Jefferson

26
Rules of the House

• Print the rules every two years.
• Rules are aimed at defining the actions of the
  individual representatives while in the House
  Chambers and moving legislation along quickly.
• Rule Committee serves as the traffic officer.
  Keeps the proper flow going.

27
How???

• The House forms Committees, in which bills and/or
  legislation is assigned for further study and
  reporting.
• Keeps the House, as a whole, from being
  overburdened with work.

28
Responsibilities of House Leaders

• Organizing and unifying party members.
• Scheduling the work of the House.
• Making certain that lawmakers are present for key
  floor votes.
• Distributing and collecting information
• Keeping the House in touch with the president.
• Influencing lawmakers to support the policies of
  their political parties.

29
House Leaders

• Speaker of the House
• Powerful position (elected by majority party).
• Appoints some committee members.
• Schedules bills for action.
• Refers bills to proper House committee.

Speaker of the House Rep. John Boehner, (OH)
30

• Majority Leader
• Help plan the partys legislative program.
• Steer important bills through.
• Urge committee chairpersons to finish work on
  bills important to the party.

Eric Cantor (VA)
31
Majority Whip

• Whip - A member of a legislative body, such as
  the U.S. Congress charged by his or her party
  with enforcing party discipline and ensuring
  attendance.
• Assistant to the Majority leader.

Kevin McCarthy (CA)
32
Other Important People
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (CA)
House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (MD)
33
How Bills are Scheduled

• Proposal is made
• Introduced in House and placed in hopper
• Speaker sends it to committee
• If it survives the committee it is placed on a
  calendar
• House votes and sends to Senate

More to Come...
34
House Calendars

• Union Calendar bills dealing with money issues.
• House Calendar mostly public bills.
• Private Calendar bills that deal with
  individuals or places.
• Consent Calendar bills in which House has
  consented to debate out of order.
• Discharge Calendar used to petition bills be
  released from committee.

35
The Senate

• Section 3

36
Informality

• Smaller, more personal.
• Ensure maximum freedom.
• Unlimited debate (usually).

37
The Senate Leaders
38
President of the Senate

• Is the Vice-President of the United States.
• Mostly a figure-head
• Limited abilities cast a deciding vote.

Joe Biden
39
President Pro Tempore

• Presides in absence of President of the Senate.
• Usually most senior member of majority party.

Daniel Inouye (D-HI)
40
R.I.P. Senator Robert Byrd

• Life
• November 20, 1917 June 28, 2010
• In office
• January 3, 1959  June 28, 2010

41
Majority and Minority Leaders

• Most important officers in the Senate.
• Job steer the bills through!!!

Harry Reid (NV) Majority Leader
Mitch McConnell (KY) Minority Leader
42
Majority and Minority Whips
Jon Kyl (AZ) Minority Whip
Richard Durbin (IL) Majority Whip
43
Scheduling Senate Bills

• Anyone introduces.
• Placed on calendar.
• Sent to committee.
• Marked-up and returned.
• Vote.

44
Senate Calendars.

• The Calendar of General Orders
• Listing of all considerable bills.
• Executive Calendar
• Schedules treaties and nominations.

45
How the Legislative Branch Works
3119
46
The Filibuster

• Defined Informal term for any attempt to block
  or delay Senate action on a bill or other matter
  by debating it at length, by offering numerous
  procedural motions, or by any other delaying or
  obstructive actions.
• From the early 19th century Spanish and
  Portuguese pirates, "filibusteros", who held
  ships hostage for ransom.

47

• Must stand and stick to subject for 3 hours, then
  it is free reign.
• Can never stop or sit down.
• Strom Thurmond holds the record.
• 24 hours 18 minutes in 1957 over the Civil Rights
  Act.
• Other famous filibusters
• Huey Long
• Wayne Morse

48
Can a filibuster be broken?
YES

• Cloture - The only procedure by which the Senate
  can vote to place a time limit on consideration
  of a bill or other matter, and thereby overcome a
  filibuster. Under the cloture rule (Rule XXII),
  the Senate may limit consideration of a pending
  matter to 30 additional hours, but only by vote
  of three-fifths of the full Senate, normally 60
  votes.

49
Congressional Committees

• Section 4

50
Congressional Committees

• Their purpose
• To help ease the workload by allowing
  Congressional members to divide their work.
• They can become specialists.
• To help select the bills that are most crucial to
  our government.
• To hold public hearing and investigations.

51
(No Transcript)
52
Kinds of Committees

• Standing Committees
• Permanent
• Subcommittee
• Specialized groups from the Standing Committees
• Select Committees
• Temporary
• Study specialized interest
• Joint Committees
• Made up from both Houses
• Conference Committees
• Temporary
• Formed when both Houses pass different versions
  of the same bill.

53
Staff and Support Agencies

• Chapter 5, Section 5

54
Types

• Personal
• Committee

55
Personal

• Work directly for senators and representatives.
• Administrative Assistant
• Runs the office, supervises schedule, political
  advise.
• Legislative Assistant
• Informs about pending legislation and status of
  legislation in general.
• Caseworker
• Deals with requests from constituents.

56
Committee

• Work for House and Senate committees
• Draft bills, study issues, collect information,
  plan committee hearing, write memos, prepare
  committee reports.

57
Support Agencies

• Library of Congress
• Congressional Budget Office
• Budget preparation
• General Accounting Office
• Watchdog of spending
• Government Printing Office