Congress Balancing National Goals and Local Interests

Congress: Balancing National Goals and Local Interests

Congress • Bicameral Legislature (2 year session) • Requirements • House of Representatives (Population) • 2 year terms • Apportionment • State regardless of size-1 seat guaranteed • Congressional districts • Senate • 6 year terms (Rotates every 2 years based on Class) • Equal Representation

1929 -federal law set House seats at 435 total members representing the 50 states. The smallest state is guaranteed at least 1 congressional district (U. S. Constitution) Congressional Districts

States or independent commissions have the power to change (redraw) US and State legislative districts lines after the US Census determines the state populations. 2008 -CA voters approved Prop 11 which created an Independent Commission (CA Citizens Redistricting Commission) to redraw CA state districts lines instead of the CA State Legislature. 2010 -CA Prop 20 allows for this same Commission to also redraw congressional district lines. Redistricting

• CA Citizens Redistricting Commission (CCRC) • • 14 -Member Commission 5 - Democrats 5 -Republicans 4 -unaffiliated/Other Party Recent CA Propositions

Gerrymandering • Districts are drawn in unusual shapes to influence a certain political party or group • Districts lines drawn to ensure demographics favor the party in power • principalitiesandpowers. blogspot. com/2010/03/. . .

• After the census, every state receives a new share of house seats according to the population changes. • States can gain or lose congressional seats and sometimes have no change in number. • “One Person, One Vote” • US Supreme Court (Wesberry v. Sanders) 1964 • Districts must contain, as close as possible, equal number of people. • If congressional districts are not equal populations, then the value of people’s votes are not the same. Reapportionment

The Power of Incumbency • • • one-simple-idea. com/What. All. Voters. Should. Do 1. htm Franks Professional Staff Access to Media Name Recognition Pork Barrel

Congress as a Career: Election to Congress l The Pitfalls of Incumbency • Troublesome Issues • Personal Misconduct • Turnout Variation: • The Midterm Election Problem Strong Challengers: A Problem for Senators

Congress as a Career: Election to Congress l The Pitfalls of Incumbency (continued) Re-Elect Congresswoman • Redistricting: A Problem NANCY PELOSI for House Members • Reapportionment • Gerrymandering U. S. CONGRESS

Congressional Leadership l Party Leadership in Congress • The House Leadership • The Speaker of The Speaker, Paul Ryan House of Representatives House • The Senate Leadership • President of the Senate • The Power of the Party Leaders Vice President Joe Biden President of the Senate

th House Leadership 115 • http: //www. house. gov/leadership/ • Speaker of the House • Paul Ryan (R-WI) • Majority Leader • Kevin Mc. Carthy (R-CA) • Majority Whip • Steve Scalise (R-LA) • Minority Leader • Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) • Minority Whip • Steny Hoyer (D-MD)

115 th Senate Leadership • http: //www. senate. gov/pagelayout/senators/a_three_sections_w ith_teasers/leadership. htm • President of the Senate • VP of the United States • President Pro Tempore • Orrin Hatch (R-UT) • Majority Leader • Mitch Mc. Connell (R-KY) • Majority Whip • John Cornyn (R-TX) • Minority Leader • Charles Shumer (D-NY) • Minority Whip • Richard Durbin (D-IL)

• January 2017 -January 2019 • House Members by Political Parties (435) • 239 -Republicans (57%) • 194 -Democrats (43%) • 84/435 Women (19%) § Senate Members by Political Parties (100) § § 52 -Republicans 46 -Democrats 2 -Independents 21/100 Women (21%) th Congress 115

• Committee Chairs: • Committee chairs are always members of the majority party • Have most seniority • Most consecutive years on a particular committee • Based strictly on time served on committee • Chairperson of committees schedules meetings, determine order of hearing bills, can lead debates when bills reach floor of chamber for full vote Congressional Leadership

The Committee System l Committee Types: • Standing Committees • 20 permanent committees in House & 16 in Senate • Responsible for a particular area of public policy • Foreign policy, agriculture, defense, labor, judiciary • House committees average 35 -40 in House • Half in Senate

• Select Committees • Created to perform specific tasks & are disbanded after they are done • Joint Committees • Compose of members of Senate & House • Conference Committees • Joint committees form temporarily to work out differences in House & Senate versions of a particular bill The Committee System

• Committee Jurisdiction • 1946 Legislative Reorganization Act • Requires that each bill introduced in Congress be referred to the proper committee • Jurisdiction • The policy area in which it is authorized to act-must be sent to it for deliberation The Committee System

How A Bill Becomes Law l Committee Hearings and Decisions • Bill is a proposed legislative act • Bills are prepared by executive agencies, interest • • • groups, member of Congress Only Members can formally submit a bill for reconsideration Only about 10% of bills that committees consider reach the floor for a vote Other bills are tabled or “killed”

• Committee Hearings and Decisions • If a bill has merit, subcommittees will schedule hearings, invite testimony by lobbyist, administrators, & experts who inform members on suggested policy • In full committees & subcommittees can revise a bill in House • Senate bills can only be amended by all Senators How A Bill Becomes Law

• From Committee to the Floor • House Rules Committee • Schedules bill, limits debates • Allow for open or closed rule (Amendments) • House is too large to operate effectively without strict rules for the handling of legislation by full chamber • Senate has No Rules Committee How A Bill Becomes Law

• Cloture (Senate Only) • All Senate bills are subject to unlimited debate unless a 3/5 majority of the full • Senate votes and limits debate to 30 hours • Filibuster (Senate Only) • A procedural tactic whereby a minority of senators prevent a bill from coming to a vote by holding the floor & talking until other senators give in & the bill is withdrawn from consideration How A Bill Becomes Law

• Leadership and Floor Action • Conference Committee • • Irons out differences of 2 versions of a bill Compromise and come up with 1 version Final vote from House & Senate for approval Members of the conference committees are usually appointed from the House & Senate standing committees that worked on the bill originally • Final version sent to president How A Bill Becomes Law

• President has 10 days • Signs bill-becomes Law • Veto- refuse to sign-kills bill sent back to Congress with reasons for veto • Congress can override the veto with 2/3 vote of both Houses bill becomes Law • If president does not sign or veto within 10 days except Sundays, and Congress in session Bill becomes law • Pocket Veto • If Congress not in session bill dies if president takes no action How A Bill Becomes Law