CONGRESS - Essay Plans; legislation

Question 1

1a) CONGRESS IS INEFFECTIVE IN PERFORMING ITS LEGISLATIVE FUNCTION

Procedures of Congress mean that will of majority can be frustrated by a well-organised minority.

Answer 1

The longest filibuster? Senator Strom Thurmond in 1957 when he spoke for 24 hours in opposition to the Civil Rights Act.

Senate Dems failed in Jan 2022 to pass a filibustering laws to pass a voting bill amid opposition from all 50 Reps and moderate Dem Sens - Manchin and Sinema.

Question 2

1b) CONGRESS IS EFFECTIVE IN PERFORMING ITS LEGISLATIVE FUNCTION

Righting wrongs

Answer 2

Filibusters can be ended by a cloture motion which is a procedure that requires the agreement of 60 senators – this would bring the debate to a close.

The motion is then presented to the Senate, and at least 60 senators must vote to invoke it – if this happens, the filibuster is ended, and the bill is allowed to move forward to a vote.

117th Congress – 142 motions filed; 120 clotures invoked.

Question 3

2a) CONGRESS IS EFFECTIVE IN PERFORMING ITS LEGISLATIVE FUNCTION

Productive

Answer 3

Congress is passing more bills increasingly in each session –

150 new Acts of Congress are signed into law every year.

117th Congress so far has enacted 57 laws.

Question 4

2b) CONGRESS IS INEFFECTIVE IN PERFORMING ITS LEGISLATIVE FUNCTION

Unproductive

Answer 4

Only a small minority of bills actually are passed into laws (approx. 3%)

The House voted 12 times to repeal Obamacare – a complete waste of time because the president would have vetoed it, and the Senate would have sustained the veto

Question 5

3a) CONGRESS IS EFFECTIVE IN PERFORMING ITS LEGISLATIVE FUNCTION

Bipartisanship

Answer 5

117th Congress:

U.S. Innovation and Competition Act, which was a package of bills broadly intended to help the United States compete with China.

The components in the package were reported on a bipartisan basis by a variety of Senate committees, and the bill ultimately passed by a 68-32 vote.

The base bill increases funding for scientific research and semiconductor production.

It calls on the administration to impose sanctions against the perpetrators of human rights abuses against the Uyghurs in and around Xinjiang, China.

Question 6

3b) CONGRESS IS INEFFECTIVE IN PERFORMING ITS LEGISLATIVE FUNCTION

Partisanship

Answer 6

15th Nov 2021 - House passed the $1 trillion infrastructure bill which includes broadband, transport, and utility funding.

Only 13 Republicans supported it.

A number of progressives, who have consistently called for both the infrastructure and the separate economic package, known as the Build Back Better Act, to move together, voted “no” on the legislation.

AOC was one of them - reflects the 100-party-system etc.