Target 26: I can explain the structure and functions of congressional committees. (T4, L5). 

Target 27: I can identify the process through which a bill or joint resolution passes in order to become a law (T4, L6). 

Target 28: I can explain the various types of committees and their duties within the legislative process (T4. L6). 

Notes from class:

• Congress introduces a bill

  • Has an idea

    • Can come from executive, special interest group, or constituents (anyone can write a bill)

  • Needs to write bill and be submitted into hopper

    • Starts in House or Senate. Lets say ours starts in house.

  • Assigned number (S for senate, HR for house)

  • First Reading: 

    • Goes to speaker or president of senate

    • Read by Title

    • Assigned to committee

    • Doesn’t have to be assigned to committee, and will die (lots of power for speaker)

  • Goes to Committee

    • 20 standing committees in house, 16 in senate. Select committees are temporary. There are also joint commitees (made of both house and senate) and conference committee (which I will get to in a second)

    • Bulk die here. Not even scheduled for hearing, or sent to subcommittee to die, changed to improve. Can be put aside (tabled) after hearing. It is voted on for being sent to floor. 

    • Bill is about naming helicopters (HR307)

    • Senate Armed Services Committee

    • Can be “marked up” sent to floor

  • Goes to Rules Committee

    • How long is debate? Can there be amendments?

    • Open vs. closed (Open means amendments, closed means no.)

    • Put on calendar here for second reading. Most bills that make it past this point pass because they believe it has the ability to pass on the floor. Not assigning date is called pigeonholing.

    • Open can pass easier because bill can be changed on floor. 

      • This can enable congresspeople to attach “riders” or parts to a bill that have nothing to do with the original intent of bill, such as repealing the affordable health care act.

  • Second Reading

    • Then put into committee of the whole

      • debated, amendments may be added. Needs simply majority vote to add amendments.

      • Then bill is voted on

      • Can be amended and sent back to committee

  • Third Reading

    • floor of house 219 = pass

    • Amendments not made at this point, but can be with 2/3rd vote

  • Then sent to Senate and process repeats itself

    • Senate makes its own bill (S307)

    • In senate, leadership can refuse to schedule a vote, or members can filibuster

      • Filibuster – can stop bill even if you are in minority of senate

      • Not in constitution

      • Strom Thurmond – 24 hours and 8 minutes 1957 civil rights act

      • Cloture: shutting down a filibuster. 60 votes for cloture (means move it on next). filibusters and clotures have increased over time.

      • Essentially, if a bill can’t get 60 votes in the senate, it won’t pass no matter what.

  • Once it passes both houses, it goes to conference committee

    • Make sure S307 and HR 307 are the same

    • THEN IT GOES BACK TO HOUSE AND SENATE!!!

    • Signed by speaker and Pres of senate

  • THEN it goes to president

    • He can sign it

    • Veto it

    • Or let it die (pocket veto). Only available at the end of congressional term. Pres neither sines nor vetos, and then congress adjourns session, bill dies. 

    • If congress is still in session for 10 days, it automatically passes without presidents signature.

    • Override veto with 2/3 vote.

• High mortality rate of bill (out of 10000, 500 pass)

  • Speaker can not refer it to committee

  • Committee can kill bill by not voting on it or not getting a majority, so it doesn’t go to the floor

  • Or vote to send it back to committee (which will kill it usually)

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