PSCI 1040 1nd Edition Lecture 5 Outline of Last Lecture I Texas Constitution II 7 Constitutions A Reconstruction III Characteristics of Texas Constitution IV Principles V Bill of Rights VI 3 Branches VII Comparing US and TX Constitutions Outline of Current Lecture The Legislature I II III IV V VI Representative Models House of Representatives Senate Organization of Congress A Parties B Committees C Duties of Congress Legislative Process Ways a bill can Die Current Lecture I Representative Models Trustee Model send people to Congress and they do what they think is best for the people Delegate Model our reps do what we tell them to do Politico Model members of Congress act on party agenda and act for themselves until the people complain Conscience Model do what people want until they believe it is wrong Symbolic Descriptive Model want a diverse body of representatives These notes represent a detailed interpretation of the professor s lecture GradeBuddy is best used as a supplement to your own notes not as a substitute II III IV House of Representatives 435 voting members with Washington DC and Puerto Rico having a special delegate that does not have a vote Must be 25 years of age and have been a US citizen for 7 years Must maintain residency in state or area they represent Serve 2 year terms Speaker of the House chosen by majority party members John Boehner is current Speaker Appoints people to Committees Majority Party Leaders Minority Party Leaders 1 rep chosen per party Strategy part of House Majority Minority Whips Job is to talk to members and find out what people want then report to Leaders Senate 100 members Democrats are current majority but lack full 60 members Must be 30 years of age 6 year terms TX Senators Ted Cruz and John Cornyn President of the Senate Vice President of the USA Can break ties but is usually not present President Pro Tempore Currently Patrick Leahy longest serving member is chosen Calls room to order Majority Minority Leaders Majority Harry Reid Majority Whip Dick Durbin Minority Leader Mitch McConnell Organization of Congress A Parties Groups of like minded people banding together attempting to take control of the government B Committees Legislative Sub organizations that specialize in particular policy areas to get the job done special attention to specific things Purposes of Standing Committees permanent committee Secure Pork legislation that brings money to their district Provide Expertise EX assign a member from a farming background to the committee of agriculture Serve as Party Agents party s policies represented well and win Relied on to tell Speaker how to vote and act for party s goals Screen Legislative Proposals listen to interest groups and decide on which proposals make it to Congress by hearings Important Committees in the House of Representatives Appropriations Committee decides how much money each agency gets Committee on Rules decides on amendments to legislation how much time may be spent on debate of the bill and controls rules of the decision making Ways Means Committee decide if budget should be approved Important Committees in the Senate Budget Committee Committee on Appropriations Foreign Relations handles justifying actions like wire tapping by NSA Finance bagging regulations in airports Congressional Committees Joint both House and Senate Select oversee investigations Conference Committees when a piece of legislation passes it must be in the same wording from both House and Senate take bill and put it together in one form C Duties of Congress Oversight set up rules and regulations on getting jobs done Have hearings over how the bill is being implemented Investigation Confirmation of Federal Judges and Senior Executive Officials Declare War V Legislative Process VI Ways a Bill Can Die Committee may never leave a desk Filibuster Senate Someone can talk for as long as they want then tag another member and may go on until the party that wants the bill gets tired of listening and chooses to let it die If there is no majority in the favoring party they can t vote to end filibuster and pass bill Conference Committee if House and Senate cannot agree on a single compromised form on the language of bill Presidential Veto can only be overridden with a 2 3 vote by Congress