How Congress Is Organized

Ch. 8Sec. 3

Pp. 223-228

Congress The terms, or meeting

periods, have been numbered since their 1st meeting in 1789

Current Congress is the 110th

Stay in session from Jan. 3rd until they vote to end the session (usually Oct.)

Division into committees is not in the Constitution

Leadership in Congress Presiding officer in the

House of Representatives is the Speaker of the House

Presiding officer in the Senate is the Vice President, or the President Pro Tempore when the VP is absent.

The political parties make decisions about the leadership positions

Joe BidenVice President/President of Senate

Speaker of the House Most powerful

member Presides over

sessions (decides order of business and who may speak)

Appoints committee members and refers bills to committees

John Boehner

Congressional Leadership Vice president

presides over Senate, but can not take part in debates and only votes when there is a tie

Chief officers of majority and minority party in House and Senate are Floor Leaders

Work with committee leaders and help guide bills through Congress

Working in Committees Citizens, interest groups,

and the president can draw up bills

Congressmen introduce them and they are given numbers

They are then sent to one of the standing committees, and they decide if they will be introduced to Congress

Committees are needed, because over 10,000 bills introduced in a term

Committees in Congress Select committees are

formed to deal with problems not covered by standing committees

Joint committees have members from both houses and usually conduct investigations

Conference committees are formed when the two houses can not agree on a bill

The President’s Role President can sign a bill

into law 2 kinds of veto –

a) send it back unsigned and Congress can override it by a 2/3 voteb) pocket veto – keeps bill for 10 days, during which Congress ends their session

Questions The most powerful member of

the House of Representative is thea. Speakerb. U.S. Presidentc. President pro tempored. Majority floor leader

Questions The Constitution does not tell

thea. House to pick a Speakerb. Senate to pick a presidentc. Congress how to make laws. d. Vice President to lead the Senate.

Questions Why is a system of committees

necessary in Congress?a. too few members of Congressb. too many bills to studyc. citizens demanded committeesd. U.S. Constitution requires it

Questions Only a member of Congress can

a. Draw up a billb. Veto a billc. Introduce a billd. All of the above

Questions Floor leaders work to

a. create an elastic clause for the Constitution.

b. gain the favor of special interest groups.

c. guide bills through Congress. d. assist in selecting judges.

Questions In order to reach the President,

a bill must pass througha. the state legislaturesb. only the Senatec. a standing committeed. both houses of Congress

Questions What is true of events that can occur

after the President vetoes a bill?a. the bill is deadb. bill returns to committeec. The Speaker has a day to change

the billd. Congress can override by two-thirds

vote