Civics Unit 2.2 (ch. 6.4)

Congress and Lawmaking

Pair Share• Please answer1. What is the difference b/w a

standing committee & a conference committee? What determines a House or Senate member’s committee assignment?

2. What is the difference b/w a public and a private bill?

3. How is a joint resolution like a bill?4. What is a filibuster?

I. Working Together in LawmakingA. Debate Clause- Art I Sec 6-

Gives members of Congress immunity from lawsuits for statements made in legislative chambers

B. Compromise- blending and adjusting competing views and interests to accomplish something

C. Consensus- agreement between groups

D. Negotiation- meet and talk with others to create compromise or agreement

II. Congressional OrganizationA. Congressional

committees- groups that focus on specific issues for oversight and management1. standing

committees- permanent committees

2. select committees- temporary committees with specific issue (usually just to investigate) -9/11 Commission

3. joint committees- have members of both houses4. subcommittees- smaller groups within

committees

-Veterans' Affairs, -Armed Services-Energy and Natural Resources-Health, Education,Labor, and Pensions-Select Committee on Intelligence

-Armed Services -Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions-Small Business and Entrepreneurship

B. Committee Assignments1. Seniority system- senators and reps who

have been in longest get preferred committee spots

2. Party in power controls chairmanship

III. How a Bill Becomes a Law

A. Types of Bills Passed1. Private Bills- individual people or places2. Public Bills- apply to entire nation and

involve general matters (ex: taxation, Medicare)1. Most bills are public bills

$116 Billion for Katrina reliefHR 3200- America's Affordable Health Choices Act

3. Resolutions- formal approved statements on lawmakers opinions or decisionsa. Joint Resolution- passed by both houses and

law if signed by President (same as a bill)b. Non-binding Resolutions - are not law but

just say lawmakers opinions

What do you think the artist is saying about lawmaking?

B. Step 1- Introducing1. Can start in either Senate or House 2. ONLY a Senator or a Representative

introduce a bill for Congress to consider

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tyeJ55o3El0School House Rock -I’m just a bill –video

C. Step 2- Committee Action1. Proposed bill is sent to appropriate

committee2. Committee can:

a. Pass bill as isb. Pass bill w/changesc. Replace w/new billd. Ignore bill to die (“pigeonholing”)e. Kill bill w/majority vote

D. Step 3- Debating 1. Bills passed in committee are debated by

the whole House or Senate2. Rules of Debate- House of

Representatives sets rules, usually time limits

3. Filibuster- talking a bill to deatha. Only in the Senate, no time limit for speakingb. Senator can delay vote by speaking for hours

until the bill’s sponsor withdraws itc. Vote for cloture- end filibuster with 3/5 vote

(most bills must pass with 60 votes) Rand Paul Filabuster http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4MwjvOxSgic

E. Step 4- Voting1. All members vote (in whichever house

the bill began in)1. Yea (yes)2. Nay (no)3. Present (very few do this)

F. Step 5- Sent to Other House1. If bill passed in one house, it is sent to the

other for approval2. Senate and House must pass identical bills3. If disagreement, a conference

committee from both houses meets to work out differences

G. Step 6- Signing 1. President can sign the bill into law2. President can veto –reject the bill

1. (Congress can override a veto with 2/3 but this is rare)

3. President can do nothinga. If Congress is in session, bill passesb. If not, it is pocket vetoed