Congress Chapter 13
Introduction Congress is the first branch of the government It is also seen as the most broken and distrusted Surprisingly, incumbents still win re-election (more so in the House, less so in the Senate!) Framers designed Nat l Congress to be cautious & deliberate during legislative process Regular voters directly elect members of the House and Senate, only!
Congress versus Parliament There are two areas that separate Congress from Parliament How they become members What they do as a member Parliamentary governments - a candidate is backed by the national party, so when one votes for a candidate, they are actually voting for their party, not so much the person In US Congress, we vote for a person based on their goals/promises, (hopefully) not their party
Congress versus Parliament Parliament - members of the legislative branch choose the head of the executive branch (Prime Minister, cabinet members) If they lose faith in this person, they will issue a vote of no confidence and the person is replaced and another voted in to power In Congress, they have no control over who the President is and the only way they can eject him is through impeachment
Congress versus Parliament Parliament is designed to assist the government with carrying out its goals Parliament is paid poorly for this job and has very little space assistance to do the job Congress is designed to represent its constituents and put new ideas into law The typical Congressman makes $174K/year plus has budget to pay for up to 20 staffers and their office is paid for
Powers of Congress 1. Create/collect taxes 2. Borrow money 3. Regulate trade 4. Create naturalization/ bankruptcy rules 5. Coin money, punish counterfeiters 6. Establish post offices/roads 7. Set standard weights/measures Constitution Article I Section 8 8. Create inferior courts 9. Define and punish piracies 10. Declare war 11. Raise/support army/navy 12. Create a militia 13. Exercise legislative powers 14. Make all laws necessary and proper
Evolution of Congress The Founders knew that the only way to get the states to approve the Constitution was to have a legislative branch that protected states interests Thus a bicameral (two-chamber) legislature House of Representatives - directly elected by the people and were responsible to them for re-election The Senate was chosen by the House members [Seventeenth Amendment, 1913, called for direct election (by the people) of Senators] House more formal debate, Senate less so, more time Legislative process is lengthy, decentralized, compromise!
Evolution of Congress While debate is a necessary tool for the House and Senate to function, bills can be talked to death in the Senate Filibuster - prolonged speech designed to delay action on a bill, once allowed to speak, senator can talk forever A cloture motion is the only way to end filibuster 60 Senators have to agree to end discussion of the topic Senators do not like to initiate it because the tables can be turned on them if they are filibustering Check chart page 349 for differences between HofR & Sen
Who is in Congress Incumbents have the upper hand during election periods free mailing (franking) privileges can travel frequently can make headlines by sponsoring/voting for bills receive more $$ for campaigns than opponents can provide more services for constituents most importantly, they can fund local projects (pork barrel) such as education grants, build roads, etc. Incumbent senators less likely to be re-elected than their counterparts in the House
Do Members Represent their Voters? There are three ways a Congress member can behave: Representational: they vote based on what will please their constituency (delegate) Organizational: Since constituency doesn t know how they vote, the Congressperson feels its more important to do what the party/other Congressmen people want (partisan) Attitudinal: there are so many conflicting issues that cancel each other out that the Congressperson is free to vote however they see fit (trustee)
The majority party in the Senate gets to choose the President pro tempore (2 nd in command of the Senate) First in command? Vice President Today: Mike Pence Parties and Caucuses
Parties and Caucuses Our current President Pro Tempore is Orrin Hatch (UT-Rep.) His job: to serve in place of the V.P.s absence When acting as presiding member of Senate he cannot participate in debates/votes he can choose a replacement temporarily
Parties and Caucuses The real power in the Senate is with the Majority Leader and the Majority Whip The minority party also has a Leader and a Whip The Majority Leader schedules the business of the Senate, is recognized first during debates, and can convince other Congressmen to focus on particular issues The Majority/minority whip helps the party leader stay informed about what other party members think and assists in pushing certain agendas
Majority Leader - Senate Mitch McConnell (R), KY Parties and Caucuses Majority Whip - Senate John Cornyn (R), TX
Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D), NY Parties and Caucuses Minority Whip Dick Durbin (D), IL
The House of Representatives has a similar setup Parties and Caucuses The leader of the House is the Speaker of the House Paul Ryan (R), WI
Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, Rep. CA Parties and Caucuses Majority Whip Steve Scalise, LA
Parties and Caucuses Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, Dem. CA Minority Whip Steny Hoyer, Dem. MD
Parties and Caucuses Caucuses are like special interest groups within Congress Congressional Caucuses are groups of members who unite to push legislative or ideological agendas Some examples include: Congressional Black Caucus (liberal Black Democrats), The Blue Dog Coalition (moderate/conservative Democrats who favor centrist fiscal policy)
Committees Committees are where the bulk of Congress work is conducted There are three types of committees: Standing committees (permanent) subject matter oversee bureaucracy s implementation of laws Select committees (limited purpose, short lived) Joint committees (both House and Senate members serve on the committee) Conference committee designed to resolve differences between the House and Senate on a piece of legislation before final passage
Committees Usually the committees reflect the ratio of Republicans to Democrats, however the majority party could take more seats if they want to HofR comm chairs always majority party Some changes have taken place in the last decade to try to simplify the process: Banned proxy voting Limited committee chair terms to 6 years, Speaker s to eight years More frequent floor debate Reduced number of committees
Congressional Committees Subcommittees work out details of legislation Standing committees members foster expertise Committee work more important in the House most work done in committees than the Floor House Rules Comm more powerful than Sen s Most bills die in committees, never make it to Floor debate in either chamber Influence of Comm Chairs has diminished over last 20+ years List of Committees on pages 338-339
Staffs and Specialized Offices Staffers play a large role in Congress today by being the ones to negotiate deals, do most of the research, make contact with constituents Congress has thus become less collegial and more individualistic Congress has also created Staff Agencies to assist Congress as the President s Cabinet assists him
Staffs and Specialized Offices Congressional Research Service (CRS): Keeps track of every major bill and looks up data for and against bills (www.thomas.gov) General Accounting Office (GAO): Audits money spent by the executive branch and agencies as well as makes recommendations Led by the General Comptroller (appointed by President) Office of Management/Budget prep of executive spending proposals submitted to Congress Congressional Budget Office (CBO): Prepares economic analysis of the president s budget and provides projections based on economic trends