I II Chapter 8 Outline Congressional Rules and Procedures 1 The rules established by Congress protect the majority and minority rights divide the workload help contain conflict promote fair play and distribute power 2 Congress favors opponents of legislation and hinders proponents 3 Rules can be used to block or advance actions of either chamber Introduction of Bills 1 Only Congressional members can introduce legislation 2 Sponsor is the member who introduces the bill often want cosponsors to gain support of the bill cosponsors from the opposing partying is even better 3 Required legislation funding measurers make up the majority of the Congressional agenda A Drafting 4 Bills not acted on automatically die at the end of the two year Congress 1 Words are the building block of policy and battle grounds for editing deleting or modifying terms and phases 2 Acronyms are very popular because they attract public attention 3 How issues are framed are extremely important to how the public will perceive them 4 Congress now frequently uses omnibus bills or megabills to hide legislation command broad support avoid hard votes and avoid special interest groups 5 Public bills general questions that become public law if passed 6 Private bills individual matters claims against the government and become private law if pasted B Timing 1 The success of a bill largely depends on when it is introduced 2 Timing can be impacted by recent previous or upcoming elections legislators monitor conditions to introduce bills at the right time III Referral of Bills 1 Once introduced bills go to the appropriate standing committee 2 The wording of a bill can impact which committee it goes to and its ultimate chance of passage 3 Sponsors invoke language that will send their bills to sympathetic not hostile committees 4 5 Causes of decline in passed bills use of omnibus or megabills widespread congressional 112th Congress 10 569 public health bills introduced 238 2 3 became law sentiment that more bills may not be the answer to the problems of the nation political stalemates from complexity of issues intensity of partisanship legislative executive and bicameral conflicts and narrow party divisions in Congress Scheduling in the House 1 Bills reported from committees are listed in the chronological order in several House IV calendars 2 The Speaker with cooperation from the party committee leaders the president and orders determines when where how bills come up C Shortcuts for Minor Bills 1 Special days are reserved for minor noncontroversial bills 2 Suspension of the rules is another time saving opinion 3 Legislation that comes up under suspension of the rules does not have to be reported from committee allows only forty minute debate no amendments and requires 2 3 vote to pass 4 Suspension of the rules serve two purposes outlet for members to achieve policy and party goals and deduces members frustration with limited or closed amendments 5 House cluster voting rule votes on a group of bills debated under the suspension of rules will be postponed until later in the day or within two days D The Strategic of the Rules Committee 1 The influence the Speaker has over the Rules Committee ensures the Speaker can bring measures to the floor and shape procedural consideration 2 Four types of rules granted by the Rules Committee a Open rules any lawmaker may purpose germane relevant to a subject under consideration amendments b Closed rules prohibits amendments from rank and file members c Modified rules have two forms 1 Modified open require the pre printing of amendments and impose a time limit on the amendment process or both 2 Modified closed grant only one amendment to the minority party d Structured rules restrict the number of amendments to those specified in the rule itself or in the Rules Committee s report 3 Several reasons for creative rules wider use of multiple referrals rise of megabills desire of majority party to exert greater control over floor procedures impatience for floor dilatory challenges limit the number of amendments or keep unfriendly amendments off the floor 4 Open rules clash with the fundamental objective of the majority party 5 Minority parties object to the wider use of restrictive rules because the rules block them from offering and getting votes on their policy alternatives E Dislodging a Bill from Committee 1 Legislators have three choice to circumvent committees a The discharge petition permits the House to relieve a committee of jurisdiction over a stalled measure b Calendar Wednesday rule on Wednesdays committees may bring from the House calendar their measures that have not received a rule c Power of extraction Rules Committee committee can propose rules that make bills in order for the House debate even if the bills hasn t been introduced or reported on by standing committee 2 Circumventing committees have proven to be relative difficult House Floor Procedures 1 House meets Monday Friday starting generally at noon 2 The bell signals the beginning of the daily session votes quorum calls recesses and V adjournments F Adoption of Rules lines G Committee of the Whole 1 The Speaker along with consideration of others decides how the House will debate a bill 2 Rules are rarely defended because majority party members generally vote along party 1 2 Its function is to expedite consideration of bills promote involvement of members in debates and the amendment process Its another form of the House with different rules 100 person quorum five minute debate on amendments majority party colleague presides over the committee instead of Speaker H The Amending Process 1 Amendments are the heart of decision making and shape the final bill 2 If open rules are in place opponents will overload the bill with objectionable amendments killing the bill when it comes to a vote 1 Before the 1970 Legislation Reorganization Act amendments were handle by voice vote I Voting with no public record J 2 Now 25 member support is needed for a recoded vote Final Passage 1 Two forms of motion to recommit straight motion to return to committee and forthwith which means the bill will never leave the House 2 Two political purposes for these defeat delay or eviscerate majority party policies and force vulnerable majority leaders to vote on gotcha amendments Scheduling in the Senate 1 Senate rules emphasize individual prerogatives and minority rights 2 Scheduling Calendar of Business public and private bills reported by committees