amendments to a bill
changes to a bill
Baker v. Carr outcome & impact
- mayer of underrepresennted area claimed that apportionment denied
voters in an urban area equal protection under the law cuz pop. was
growing fast but number representing them wasn't enough
1. SCOTUS
decided that the fed. govt has the power to judge the
constitutionality of a state's voting distrricts
2. states must
redistrict every 10 years
- gave more power to fed govt
checks and balances of legislative branch with exe. and jud. branch
legi & exe: President can veto, but Congress can veto
override
legi & jud: legi makes laws, but judicial can
declare unconstitutional
Closed rules
Rule from HRC that prohibits amendments to a particular bill during House floor actioncloture
Cloture
- only in Senate
- Senate legislative procedure used to end a
filibuster, allowing voting time
Concurrent Resolution
- passed by both house and senate
- generally used to make or
amend rules that apply to both houses
- used to express the
sentiments of both of the houses.
- not submitted to the
President for approval
- ex. setting time for Congress'
adjournment
- does not have force of law
Conference Committee
- in both chambers
- temporary joint committee to reconcile
differences in legislation that passed in both chambers.
- goal
is to make one version of the bill that both House and Senate agrees upon.
delegate
- Congress member who votes based on how they think the people in
their home state or district would want them to vote
- truly
represents their people
discharge petition
- both chambers
- device by which any member of HOR or Senate,
after bill held for 30 days, may ask to be brought to the floor again
so it doesn't die
filibuster
- only in Senate
- Senate legislative tactic to delay voting
time on a bill or nomination by prolonging debate
- "talking
a bill to death"
gerrymandering def & types
- state' way to gain political advantage from redistricting
1.
Partisan gerrymandering - redistricting to get advantage to certain
party
2. Racial gerrymandering - redistricting to get advantage
for certain race
hold
- only in Senate
- tactic where a senator tells Senate
leadership he or she doesn't want a bill or a nomination to be brought
to the floor/consideration.
- prevents bill from coming to floor
until hold removed
Hopper
- only in HoR
- box attached to the side of the Clerk's desk in
HoR where a proposed legislative bills are dropped and officially
introduced in future
House Rules Committee
- reviews most bills before it goes to the two houses. Determines
time for debate, the date, etc.
- huge influence on the outcome
of bills
House Ways and Means Committee
Chief tax-writing committee of the House
how are Representatives elected
direct voting by district voters
how are senators elected
direct voting by state voters
Joint Committee
- most are permanant
- members from both chambers discuss
-
primarily tasked with addressing specific issues or conducting
investigations rather than proposing legislation.
- used for
conducting investigations and overseeing specific areas of legislation
rather than creating new laws.
- requires President's signature
Joint Resolution
- in both chambers
= bill
- generally used for continuing
or emergency appropriations.
- used for proposing amendments to
the Constitution
legislative powers of Congress
- power to tax
- to borrow money
- to regulate interstate
commerce
- raise a militia
- establish post offices
length of term for representative
2 years
length of term of senator
6 years
logrolling
- in both chambers
- practice where legislators exchange support
for legislation that need more individual support
Majority Leader of Senate
3rd in Senate hierarchy
- controls policy agenda
Majority Leader of the House
- 2nd to Speaker of the House in hierarchy
- responsible to
managing annual legislative agenda, scheduling legislation for
consideration, etc.
Majority Whip of House
3rd to Speaker of the House in hierarchy
- organizes membership
for votes
- monitors legislation for majority party
-
secures legislation votes
- responsible for keeping tabs on how
members of the caucus will vote on upcoming issues (meetings of
members of a political party or faction to discuss and decide on
policies, strategies, and candidate selections)
Majority Whip of Senate
4th in Senate hierarchy
- counts and rounds votes
- assists
majority leader
markup
happens in both houses
- changes made to a bill in committees
Minority Leader of Senate
3rd in Senate hierarchy
- negotiates w/ majority party
-
directs minority activities
- leads floor debate for minority party
Minority Leader of the House
- 2nd to Speaker of the House in hierarchy
- floor leader of the
other political party
- speaks on behalf of party, policies,
protects minority rights, etc.
- "spokesperson for minority party"
Minority Whip of Senate
4th in Senate hierarchy
- assists minority leader
- gathers votes
Minority Whip of the House
3rd to Speaker of the House in hierarchy
- assists minority
leader
- gathers votes for minority party
- monitors
legislation for minority party
- responsible for keeping tabs on
how members of the caucus will vote on upcoming issues (meetings of
members of a political party or faction to discuss and decide on
policies, strategies, and candidate selections)
Modified rules
rule from HRC that allows more amendments but w/ more limits, like a time limit on debate
nonlegislative powers of Congress
- propose constitutional amendments
- choose president if no
majority/verify votes
- impeachment power
- investigate
powers
- oversight
- confirm appointments
- declare
war
- ratify treaties
Omnibus legislation
- in both chambers
- proposed law that covers diverse/unrelated topics
Open rules
rule from HRC that permits amendment from floor of House
partisan
members in Congress who feels they must always vote along party
lines, thus supporting their political party
- loyal party
member
- reluctant to compromise with political opponents
Pocket veto
President or any other govt official's way of killing a bill by not
taking any action in time.
- doesn't involve vetoing
-
retaining the bill unsigned until it is too late for it to be dealt
with during the legislative session.
politico
role played by elected representatives who act as trustees or as
delegates, depending on the issue
- tries to keep everyone happy
pork-barrel
in both chambers
- legislation or spending intended to benefit
constituents of a politician in return for their political support,
either in the form of campaign contributions or votes
powers specifically for HOR
impeachment power
- elect president if no one received majority
of electoral votes during presidential elections (majority)
-
sole power to introduce revenue bills
powers specifically for Senate
- power to confirm presidential nominees
- power to
approve/advise treaties (2/3)/appointments (1/2)
- power to trial
all impeachments
President of Senate
1st in Senate hierarchy
- Also Vice President
- breaks ties
in Senate
- formally presides over the receiving and counting of
electoral ballots cast in presidential elections.
President pro tempore
2nd in Senate hierarchy
- facilitates what is happening in
Senate (conducts business around)
Process of bill becoming a law
1. bill placed in hopper, assigned a #
2. Standing Committee
revises/votes on whether or not it should continue.
3. if
approved, goes to Rules Committee- assigns rules to a bill
4.
Goes to House Floor, representatives discuss and vote on the
bill
5. Goes to Senate
6. presiding officer recognizes
Senator to introduce bill, it is assigned a number
7. Standing
Committee - bill is revised and voted on whether or not it should
continue
8. if approved, goes to Senate Floor.
9. if
approved, goes to Conference Committee, leaders from both houses meet
to iron out differences
10. Conference report - final bill is
required both houses to agree (majority).
11. presidential
approval - either vetoed, signed, or pocket vetoed
- if senate introduces a bill, it goes through steps 6-8 first
and then House steps
qualifications of a representative
- 25 years old
- 7 years as a US Citizen
- reside in state
when getting elected
qualifications of a senator
- 30 years old
- 9 years as a US Citizen
- reside in state
when getting elected
reapportionment def + process
process used to determine representation in the HOR
1. census
(fed govt lvl, counting every people in US every decade)
2.
apportionment (fed govt lvl, assigning the number of representatives
to states, determined by pop. number.)
3. redistricting (state
govt lvl. states redraws state lines)
Rules Committee
House Rules Committee
Select/Special Committee
- either in House or Senate
- temporary committee to address
issues like health crises.
- can suggest new laws and recommend
changes
- temporary committee established to investigate a
specific issue or perform a particular function that falls outside the
scope of standing committees
Shaw v. Reno outcome & impact
- N. Carolina assigned districts based on race, so residents accused
them of trying to get more black representatives.
- Q: did the
claim that NC did racial gerrymandering raise constitutional issue for
14th amendment Equal Protection Clause
- decision: the shape of
congressional districts were bizarre enough to suggest racial
gerrymandering
- impact: racial gerrymandering is unconstitutional.
Simple Resolution
- passed by one house
- matters concerning the operation of
either House or Senate
- Collective opinion on a policy issue or
event. Issued from one chamber of Congress
- It is used to
initiate action involving only that house, such as establishing a
committee or altering the houses' rules.
- does not have force of
law
Ex. Condolences on the death of a member of the chamber,
advice from the chamber on how to deal with a foreign policy issue.
Speaker of the House
- only in HoR
- who determines amendments chosen for
consideration
- keeps order during debate
- most powerful in
Congress
- 2nd to succeed President after Vice President
Standing Committee
permanent committee in either house
trustee
- member of Congress who acts according to their own beliefs regardless of party beliefs
unanimous consent agreement
- only in Senate
- formal process where all board members
approve decision without debate (usually for minor issues, quick decision)
veto override
in both chambers
- legislature passes a bill despite President's
rejection, 2/3 both houses.
ways of gerrymandering & def
1. Packing
- state legislative moves/concentrates one type of
voters into 1 district, reducing their influence on other
districts.
2. Cracking
- separating voters of 1 type into
many districts, preventing them from getting enough power in a
district to elect a preferred candidate