Transcript Congress - Hackettstown School District

OBJECTIVES
1. Understand why a bicameral legislature was
selected
2. Explain the requirements for members of each
chamber, the election process, duties and
compensation.
3. Explain the general duties and powers of each
chamber
WHY BICAMERAL?
1. Historical: British Influence
2. Practical: Compromise
3. Theoretical: Checks & Balances
4. Representation:
House – the people
Senate – the states
TERMS AND SESSIONS
Term: 2 years
The 113th Congress began Jan ‘13
Session: “Business” year
Proposed bills not passed during
session are considered “dead”
THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Members: 435
Representation based on:
Population
2-year terms
QUALIFICATIONS FOR HOUSE MEMBERS
1. Age: 25
2. Citizenship: 7 years
3. Residency: in-state
Custom: Congressman should
live in district he/she serves
REAPPORTIONMENT
Seats are divided among states:
After the Census, based on pop. change
Redistricting ALSO req’d
 New Jersey = 12 representatives
Reapportionment Act of 1929
Permanent size of the House is 435
GERRYMANDERING
Redistricting: Redrawing districts
Gerrymandering: Redistricting to help
a political party, group or candidate
Common today at:
Congressional & State levels
 Can the Senate be gerrymandered?
GERRYMANDERING METHODS
Two Methods Used:
1. Concentrate opposition voters in one or a few districts
2. Spread opposition thinly among many districts
Goal: Create max. number of “safe seats”
5TH DISTRICT REPRESENTATIVE
SCOTT GARRETT
2003-2014
Moderate
Republican
House Committee on
Financial Services
House Committee on
Budget
SENATE
The Upper House
Size: 100
Popular Election:
1913
(17th Amendment)
SENATE
Term: 6 years
Continuous Body: 1/3 run for
reelection every 2 years
Represent: Entire state
Elected at-large: States elect
multiple senators
INCUMBENCY ADVANTAGE
LOVE CONGRESSMEN, BUT HATE CONGRESS?
QUALIFICATIONS
1. Minimum Age: 30
2. Citizenship: 9 years
3. Residency: in-state
SENATORS FROM NEW JERSEY
 Cory Booker (D)
 Bob Menendez (D)
INFORMAL QUALIFICATIONS
Political party
Gender
Ethnicity
Political experience
COMPENSATION
Salary: $174,000
Fringe benefits:
Franking Privilege (mail),
health care, gym, parking,
junkets (“research” travel)
Freedom from Arrest
ARTICLE I:
EXPRESSED POWERS
Tax & Spend
Borrow Money
Regulate trade (commerce clause)***
Print currency
Bankruptcy laws
Raise Army/Navy
Declare war
ARTICLE I:
EXPRESSED POWERS
Immigration & naturalization
Postal office
Copyrights & patents
Weights & measures
Govern territories
Create courts
Define crimes & punishments
ESTABLISHMENT CLAUSE
 The First Amendment's Establishment Clause prohibits the
government from making any law “respecting an
establishment of religion.”
 Forbids the government from establishing an official religion
 Prohibits government actions that unduly favor one religion
over another
 Prohibits the government from unduly preferring religion
over non-religion, or non-religion over religion.
LOGROLLING & PORK-BARREL
 Both are common practices in Congress
 Logrolling: two (or more) legislators agree for each to trade his vote on one bill he
cares little about in exchange for the other's vote on a bill that is personally much more
important to him
 Especially common when the legislators are relatively free of control by their national party
leaders and are trying to secure votes for bills that will concentrate sizable benefits
 Local projects such as Federally funded dams, bridges, highways, housing projects,VA hospitals, job-
training centers, military bases and the like are often pushed through by logrolling.
 Pork-Barrel Spending: Appropriations of public funds by Congress for projects that do
not serve the interests of any large portion of the country's citizenry but are nevertheless
vigorously promoted by a small group of legislators because they will pump outside
taxpayers' money and resources into the local districts these legislators represent.
 Successful promotion of such pork-barrel legislation (often through skillful logrolling) is very likely
to get the legislator re-elected by his constituents.
 Classic examples of such pork-barrel legislation include Federal appropriations bills for dams, river
and harbor improvements, bridge and highway construction, and job-training centers, as well as
legislation designed to prevent closure of obsolete or unneeded military installations, prisons,VA
hospitals and the like.
 Earmarks are one type of pork-barrel spending [OpenSecrets.org has a database of them!]
NON-LEGISLATIVE POWERS
Propose
Constitutional
Amendments
Impeachment
Electoral College (H: pres, S: vice pres)
Approve treaties & appointments
Oversight (investigations)
OVERSIGHT POWERS
 “watchful care”
 Checks the executive branch
 Prevents waste and fraud; protects civil liberties; ensures compliance with law; investigates executive performance;
& gathers information for making laws
 Takes many forms

Committee inquiries and hearings

Formal consultations & reports from president

Senate advice & consent for presidential nominations & treaties

House impeachment proceedings & subsequent Senate trials

House & Senate proceedings under the 25th Amendment (if president becomes disabled or VP becomes vacant)

Informal meetings between legislators & executive officials

Congressional membership on governmental commissions

Studies by committees & support agencies
 Has helped to force officials out of office, change policies, & provide new controls on the executive
 Example: In 1949, probes by special Senate investigating subcommittees revealed corruption in the Truman
administration, resulting in reorganization of agencies & formation of a White House commission to study
corruption
DISCUSSION
1. Members of Congress tend to have a particular
demographic profile—most members are middleaged, male, white, well-educated attorneys. Is this a
matter of concern?
2. Should the number of terms served by members
of Congress be limited, as they are for the
president?
COMMITTEES


Most work is done in Committees because Senate & House are too big

Committee responsible for investigating proposed legislation (hearings from experts, other members of Congress, executive
branch officials, private-sector organizations, & individual citizens)

Decide whether to report a new bill favorably or recommend it is passed with amendments

21 in House; 15 in Senate + 4 joint permanent committees with members from both houses: Library of Congress, Printing,
Taxation, & Economic

In 114th House: Men chair 20 committees; Women chair 1 (House Administration Committee)

Not specifically outlined in Constitution, but began in 1789 in the House
Standing committees




Permanent, one-house, limited to a single policy area
Joint committees

Permanent*, two-house, limited to a single policy area, OR

Temporary, two-house, limited to a single crisis/investigation
Select committees

Temporary*, one-house, limited to a single crisis/investigation, OR

Permanent, one-house, reviews complex/overlapping policy issues
Conference committees

VERY temporary, two-house, limited to rewording a single bill

Used if a bill passes in different editions in the House and Senate
COMMITTEES TO KNOW
 House
 Rules committee
 Powerful standing committee that affects EVERY bill
 Does not specialize in a policy area
 Ways & Means committee
 Specializes in taxation
 Senate
 Judiciary committee
 Interviews potential federal judges (and other legal/courts issues)
 House & Senate
 Appropriations committees
 Reviews spending; members EXCELLENT at funding “pet” projects (pork)
STANDING COMMITTEES
House
Senate

Agriculture
 Agriculture, Nutrition, &Forestry

Appropriations

Armed Services
 Appropriations

Budget
 Armed Services

Education & The Workforce
 Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs

Energy& Commerce

Ethics
 Budget

Financial Services
 Commerce, Science, & Transportation

Foreign Affairs
 Energy & Natural Resources

Homeland Security

House Administration
 Environment and Public Works

Intelligence
 Finance

Judiciary
 Foreign Relations

Natural Resources

Oversight & Government Reform
 Health, Education, labor, & Pensions

Rules
 Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs

Science, Space, & Technology
 Judiciary

Small Business

Transportation & Infrastructure
 Rules & Administration

Veterans’ Affairs
 Small Business & Entrepreneurship

Ways and Means
 Veterans’ Affairs
HOUSE VS SENATE
 House

Rules Committee: Sets limits on amendment & length of debate


Closed (none) vs. open (germane only: related to bill’s content)
Committee of the Whole: subverts the quorum requirement

100 member body that allows debate on a bill (but not a vote)

Initiates all revenue (taxing & spending) bills
in theory only

Discharge petition: forces bills out of committee
 Senate

Filibuster: Tradition of unlimited debate; a “stalling” tactic

Cloture: a 3/5 vote of present Senators ends a filibuster

Amendment: Riders/non-germane (unrelated) amendment allowed

Senate is known for uncontrolled earmarks/“Porkbarrel” spending

Approve appointments (majority) and ratify treaties (2/3 vote)