UNITED STATES CONGRESS

Senior Social Studies

Senate Committees in Action

Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) speaks on Net Neutrality

Leadership of the House

Speaker of the House: John Boehner(R-OH)

Majority Leader: Eric Cantor (R-VA)

Their Duties:

Presiding officer Third in line to

Presidency Decides who speaks Makes committee

appointments Schedules bills for

action

Floor leader of the party

Steers bills through House

Makes sure important bills make it out of committee

Speaker Majority Leader

Minority Leader & Whips

Minority Leader: Nancy Pelosi (D-CA)

Whips: Majority (Kevin McCarthy (R-CA); Minority (Steny Hoyer D-MD)

Benefits of Majority Party

Their Duties:

Assistant Floor Leaders

Watch how party members vote on bills

“Persuades” them to vote the party line

Can’t schedule work Floor leader of the

party Steers bills through

House Makes sure

important bills make it out of committee

Whips Minority Leader

Leadership of the Senate

Senate President: Vice President Joseph BidenOnly can cast a tiebreaking vote

President Pro Tempore: Daniel K. Inouye (HI) Longest serving majority-party member; Presiding officer when VP isn’t in Senate

Their Duties:

Tie-Breaking Vote Can recognize

members Can’t 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

Majority & Minority Leaders

Majority Leader: Harry Reid (D-NV)

Minority Leader: Mitch McConnell (R-KY)

Their Duties:

Steers party bills Plans the Senate’s

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

Assistant Leaders (Whips)

Majority: Richard Durbin (D-Il)

Minority: Jon Kyl (R-AZ)

Current Approval Ratings

About 47%

5 to 8%

President Congress

Current Disapproval Ratings

About50%

90 to 95%

President Congress

But….

Congressional Powers

Expressed (enumerated) v. implied (necessary & proper)

Taxing & spending (appropriations); also BORROWING

Bankruptcy Interstate commerce (Heart of Atlanta Motel case) Copyrights, patents, weights measures Admitting new states Foreign policy (war, funding the military) Print money; run post office

Powers Denied

Ex Post FactoHabeas CorpusBills of Attainder