AGENDA Wed 11/16 & Thurs 11/17

RAP# 25: It Oughta be a Law! I’m Just a Bill! 12 Stepping It Congress Overview Review HW: R & R

RAP #25: It Oughta be a Law!

Think of a bill that you would like to see passed into law to improve the lives of high school seniors across the country. Give your bill a catchy title Write 2-3 sentence summary of the bill

Draw a flow-chart of the steps necessary to get your bill passed into law. Include at least 3 steps Star the most important step and give a reason why it

is the most important

12 Stepping It With your partner, select a proposed bill (either

from your RAPs or an original one you create together). Using your textbook and provided reading

chapter, determine the path your bill will take to reach the President’s desk starting at the House of Reps.

You must use exactly 12 steps in the process! Your 12 steps might be different than another groups,

so don’t compare and don’t cheat!

How a Bill Becomes a Law!

Chp 12 Sec 3 and 4

Bills and Resolutions

Bill- proposed law Joint Resolution- Proposal for action that has force

of law but is not a law, usually temporary Concurrent Resolution- statement of position, House

and Senate Resolution- one house, an action without the force

of law Rider- extra tacked onto bill, usually wont pass alone

Bill in House

1. Read by Speaker and given to appropriate committee

2. Committee reviews and revises (most get rejected here)… if bill sits in committee too long it can be forced out by a discharge petition (rarely done)

Committees refer bills to subcommittees who gather info on it

Bill in House (cont.)

3. After the work in sub-committees, any of the following things can happen in the full committee:

a) Report favorably (pass it on to floor for debate)

b) Refuse to report the bill (Pigeonhole) • (happens to most)

c) Revise/Change it & pass it on

d) Report with an unfavorable recommendation

e) Create a new bill in committee (substitution) & pass it on

Bill in House (cont.)

4. If passed from committee the bill goes to the floor for debate Remember the role of the Rules committee

Often a time limit for debate May prohibit amendments May call some measures ahead of others Rules can be suspended to speed up process

Quorum needed (218 for full House, 100 if Committee of the Whole) to do any business

1 hour time limit (unless unanimous consent) Speaker can force off-subject speakers to give up the floor Members can demand a vote

Bill in House (cont.)5. Voting

usually by voice (aye or no), results announced by Speaker

Standing vote, counted by clerk 1/5 can request teller vote (electronic voting now) 1/5 can demand roll-call or record vote (only type

to use for overriding presidential veto)

Transition

After bill is passed it is engrossed (printed in final agreed upon form) and read one last time for a final vote

If passed, Speaker signs and a page takes to Senate president’s desk

Bill in the Senate

6. Introduced & numbered (same as House)

7. Assigned to committee (same as House)

8. Sub-committee study, hearings, etc. and report to full committee (same as House)

Bill in the Senate (cont.)

9. Debate- big difference here, much more open in Senate, can speak as long as they wantFilibuster- This is when Senator’s attempt to “talk a bill

to death”Cloture- basically voting to make someone stop

talking/filibustering

10. Senate floor vote (same as House w/o teller or electronic voting

Bill in Senate (cont.)

Bill must be passed by both houses in identical form… nothing can be different

11. If Senate wants to revise then they must call a conference committee to do so with the House

12. Bill gets passed by both Senate and House, revised or unrevised

President and Bill

Bill passed by both houses of Congress is then sent to the President. He can do any of the following 4 things when he receives the bill:

1. sign it- becomes law2. veto it- it dies or must be overridden by a 2/3 vote of

Congress3. If President does not act in 10 days it automatically

becomes a law4. Pocket veto-Congress adjourns within 10 days of

submission and President does not act

Chapter 4

Types of Constitutional Powers

Delegated Powers The federal government has only the

powers given to it by the Constitution which is the supreme law of the land

There are three types of delegated powers:1. Expressed- directly written in the Constitution2. Implied- not stated by implied by the powers that

are expressed3. Inherent- powers possessed because of the

nature of the position

Reserved Powers

These powers belong only to the States! 10th Amendment

Ex: setting divorce law

Concurrent Powers

Powers that both the State and National Government share Ex: taxes

Denied Powers

There are powers that neither the state nor national governments possess Ex: power to define a national religion

Chp 10 Sec 1

Congress & House of Representatives

Representative Democracy

We have already discussed that the United States is not a direct democracy but a representative one

We elect a legislative body (Congress) to represent us and make government decisions on our behalf

We have a bicameral legislature which includes an upper house (Senate) and a lower house (House of Representatives)

Terms and Sessions

A term is a length of time between elections- terms start on January 3rd of odd years

Each congressional term is 2 years Members of the House serve for 2 years

between elections Senators serve 6 year terms They meet for 2 sessions per term that last

for months

Size

Senate equal representation per state 2 senators per state for a total of 100

House of Representatives 435 members based on population Reevaluated (reapportioned) every 10 years

based on the census

Elections

Congressional elections are held on the Tuesday following the first Monday in November in each even numbered year

When they are not the same year as presidential elections they are called off-year elections

Elections are done in districts Single member districts=one rep per district General ticket=states vote as a whole/at large

Gerrymandering

This is drawing districts to exclude a certain group or to make a certain party more powerful

House Member Qualifications

25 years old Citizen for 7 years Must live in the state you are representing Usually live in the district you represent

Chp 10 Sec 3 and 4

The Senate and Congress

Election and Terms

Only 100 Senators so it is a more prestigious position

There are 2 Senators per state Before the 17th amendment Senators were

chosen by state legislatures but now are elected by the people in November

It is an at-large election

Election and Terms

Senators serve 6 year terms There are no term limits for Senators Because the elections/terms are staggered

they are called a continuous body What are the advantages to longer terms and

staggered elections?

Senate Qualifications

30 years old Citizen for 9 years Must live in state elected Senate can kick its own members out but it is

rare

Backgrounds

While Congress is getting more diverse it is dominated by older, white, Protestant males

Most are married with children They are overwhelmingly from legal

backgrounds Usually college educated Is this an accurate representation of the

country?

Duties of Congress

Number one job is to make laws Also serve on committees Represent and serve their constituents Are politicians Act as watch dog of those in power

Voting Options When member of Congress vote they can

be serving their constituents, themselves, or outside forces. They can vote as: Trustees- independent judgment, call issues as they

see them, no outside influence Delegate- represent the needs and opinions of those

that elected them, not about their own beliefs Partisans- vote in line with political party, most

common What is the problem with partisan voting?

Politicos- combine all of the above, hard to balance

Salary and Benefits Congress sets its own pay They make $174,000 a year

a pay CUT for many of them Leadership makes $193,400 Speaker of the House $223,500 Annual cost of living increase, unless vote against Allowed a tax deduction to have two households

(one in state/district and one in Washington DC) as well as money for travel

Good retirement plan Franking privilege- free mail