Congress 2.2 Structures, powers, and functions of congress Flashcards
(22 cards)
how is congress organized
leadership roles, committees, and procedures
Majority party
most members in one house; is in a strong position to set the agenda through its leaders and committee chairpersons
House of reps leadership: Speaker of the house
-constitution mentions speaker of the house
-House members choose/vote on who the speaker will be
-Speaker of the house will always be a member of the majority party
-Speaker has the power to recognize who can speak and who can’t
-Speaker makes committee assignments
House of reps leadership: Majority and Minority leaders of the house
-Guide their own party members in policy making issues
-direct debates
-Majority and Minority leaders want to make sure that their members are working together to achieve policy outcomes favorable to their party and leaders make sure that is happening.
House of reps leadership: Majority and Minority whips
-Responsible for party disciplines
-Make sure party members are walking in line with party goals
-Make sure House representatives vote
Senate leadership: President of the senate
-Constitution mentions
-Vice President of the US is the president of the Senate
—VP: a non-voting member of the senate
-votes to break a tie
Senate leadership: President Pro Tempore
(Pro Tem)
-Senate members will choose problem
-Member of the majority party (leads the senate when the vice president is not present)
Senate leadership: Majority and Minority leaders
-The majority leader sets the legislative agenda by determining which bills reach the floor for debate and which do not.
-Majority leader controls the calendar assignments of bills.
——-Calendar determines what bills and resolutions are awaiting debate and voting.
Committees: definition
-Smaller groups of legislators who debate and draft precise legislation
Committees: Types: Standing committee
-Remains from session to session
-Deals with issues that are always present
-Example: Appropriations committee (senate) -debates and makes decisions on where federal money is going to be spent
-Example 2: Ways and Means committee (House)- responsible for taxation bills.
Committees: Types: Joint committee
-Groups that involves members from both houses House and Senate
-Joint committee on library
-joint committee on printing: deals with the publishing arm of the federal government
Committees: Types: confrerence committee
-Formed if both houses can’t agree on a bill
-hammer out differences to come to a bill both houses can agree on
Committees: Types: Select
-A temporary committee that is formed for a specific purpose
House rules committee
-Gatekeeper for all legislation
If the house rules committee does not let a bill through for debate it essentially dies
-Decides when votes take place and assigns bills to various committees for debate and revision
Discharge petition
-if a bill gets stuck in committee the House can get a majority vote which brings that bill out of committee and to the floor for a vote
How Senate gets work done
-rules for debate are a lot more relaxed beacause of its small size
-unlimited debate
Fillibuster
attempt to stall or kill a bill by talking for a long time/threatening filibuster
-senate
Cloture rule
senate can get a filibuster to end by a 3/5 voter for senators (60). Can then bring bill to a vote
Unanimous Consent
Call for an agreement of all senators to restrict certain privileges for the sake of getting work done faster
-Example: If all senators agree that there will be not filibuster than the senate can proceed without fear of filibuster.
Mandatory spending
Money that they (congress) has to distribute by law
-Medicare
-Medicaid
Discretionary spending
Everything left over from mandatory spending
Deficit spending
spending more money than congress has
