Chapter 4C Outline Flashcards
Describe the organizational and procedural differences in the chambers of Congress.
House:
1. Clerk of House in preceding term presides at the beginning of the first day’s session.
2. Clerk calls chamber to order and checks the roll of representative elects.
3. Members-to-be then choose a Speaker (usually long-standing member of majority party).
4. Speaker takes oath of office.
5. Speaker swears in the rest of members, as a body.
6. House elects clerk, parliamentarian, sergeant at arms, chief administrative officer, and chaplain.
House adopts rules that will govern its proceedings through the term.
Members of the twenty permanent committees of the House are appointed by a floor vote.
Senate: does not face large organizational problems at beginning of term
-Newly elected and reelected members must be sworn in, and vacancies in Senate organization and on committees must be filled.
Presiding Officers
House:
Speaker of the House - elected presiding officer of House and the acknowledged leader of his/her majority party; duties are to preside over and to keep order during House meetings
Senate:
-Vice President : cannot take floor to speak or debate; can only vote when a tie occurs
Explain how a bill becomes a law.
If bill is started in House of Representatives:
- Committee Action - bill is referred to standing committee for study, hearings, revision, and approval
- Rules Committee - sets conditions for debate and amendments on the floor
- Floor Action - bill is debated; if passed, goes to Senate
- Committee Action - bill is referred to standing committee
- Floor Action - bill is debated; if passed, goes to Conference Committee (resolves differences between House and Senate versions of bill)
- Congressional Approval - House and Senate vote on final passage; if approved, is sent to President
- Presidential Action - President either signs or vetoes bill (vetoed bill returns to Congress; veto may be overridden)
When a subcommittee has completed its work on a bill, it can do one of five things…
- report bill with “do pass” recommendation
- pigeonhole / refuse to report bill
- report bill in amended form
- report bill with an unfavorable recommendation
- report a committee bill (original bill is substantially rewritten)
House Calendars
Union Calendar - all bills having to do with revenue, appropriations, or government property
Private Calendar - all private bills
Corrections Calendar - all bills from Union or House Calendar taken out of order by unanimous consent of the House of Representatives
Discharge Calendar - petitions to discharge bills from committee
Majority v. Minority
majority - party that makes up larger portion of group
minority - party that makes up lesser portion of group
Majority Leader v. Minority Leader
Majority Leader - floor leader of the party that holds the majority of seats in each house
Minority Leader - floor leader of the party that holds the minority of seats in each house
Bill
a proposed law presented to House or Senate for consideration (all revenue bills must be introduced to House first)
Private v. Public Bills
public bill - apply to nation as a whole (i.e. tax measure)
private bill - apply to certain persons or places rather than to the entire nation
Law
bill that has been approved by both Houses of Congress and the President
Veto
President refuses to sign bill; bill must be returned to home from which it originated along with President’s objections
Filibuster
attempt to “talk a bill to death”; stalling tactic used by minority party to prevent Senate from acting on a measure
Cloture Rule
⅗ of Senate must vote for motion in order for rule to become effective; limits debate - no more than another 30 hours may be spent on measure (must come to final vote)
Committee
group of persons elected or appointed to perform some service or function, as to investigate, report on, or act upon a particular matter
Committee Chair
highest officer of an organized group such as a board, a committee, or a deliberative assembly; typically elected or appointed by the members of the group
