1. Congress AP Government

2. Our Goals: Understand how members of Congress are elected Evaluate the structure, leadership, and powers of congress Construct the lawmaking process Compare the House and the Senate Investigate the current Congressional docket 3. To start our discussion, you must define: Members Calendar Constituents Reapportionment Gerrymandering Incumbent Anddifferentiate between Senate and House elections. 4. Its a bicameral legislature, but Theres DIFFERENCES between the House and Senate 5. Congressional Powers Enumerated (stated) powers: Taxing & spending (appropriations); also BORROWING Regulate interstate commerce (Heart of Atlanta Motel case) Laws concerning copyrights, patents, weights measures, and bankruptcy Admitting new states Declare war Print money; run post office Impeachment process Create the Federal judiciary Implied powers (necessary & proper) 6. Leadership of the House Speaker of the House: John Boehner(R- OH)elected by a party caucus Majority Leader: Eric Cantor (R- VA) 7. Their Duties: Always from the majority party Presiding officer Third in line to Presidency Decides who speaks & sets rules for debate Makes committee appointments Schedules bills for action Assists the Speaker Floor leader of the party Plans party strategies Steers bills through House Makes sure important bills make it out of committee Speaker Majority Leader 8. Minority Leader & Whips Minority Leader: Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) Whips: Majority (Kevin McCarthy (R- CA); Minority (Steny Hoyer D-MD) 9. Their Duties: Assistant Floor Leaders Informs members of the calendar Watch how party members vote on bills Persuades them to vote the party line Leader of the minority party Cant schedule work Floor leader of the party Steers bills through House Makes sure important bills make it out of committee Whips Minority Leader 10. Leadership of the Senate Only can cast a tiebreaking vote Longest serving majority-party member; Presiding officer when VP isnt in Senate Senate President: Vice President Joseph Biden President Pro Tempore: Patrick Leahy (VT) 11. Their Duties: Tie-Breaking Vote Can recognize members to speak Cant debate Can try to influence Senators Spends more time w/President Usually most senior member & from majority party VP usually not in Senate so PPT fills in Can participate in debates Vice President President Pro Tempore 12. Majority & Minority Leaders Majority Leader: Harry Reid (D- NV) Minority Leader: Mitch McConnell (R-KY) 13. Their Duties: Steers party bills Plans the Senates work agenda (like Speaker of House) Works w/minority leader Keep the party in line Schedules w/majority leader Steers party bills Keeps party in line Criticisms Majority Leader Minority Leader 14. Assistant Leaders (Whips) Majority: Richard Durbin (D-Il) Minority: Jon Kyl (R-AZ) 15. Further Work Congressional Committee Web quest How a Bill Becomes a Law puzzleuse: http://votesmart.org/education/how-a-bill-becomes-law#.Ue8sgo21GII Redistricting Researching a current bill in Congress