Chapter 12 American Government

Standing Committee examples

Rules, Ways and Means, Foreign Affairs

Select Committee examples

Serve select committee on secret military Nicaraguan opposition

Presiding officer of the House

Speaker of the House

Bill introduced, given number and title, read ____ times

2

The Constitution gives the President _____ options

4

Joint Committee

A committee composed of members of both houses (House of Representatives and the Senate)

Committee of the Whole

A device in which a legislative body is considered one large committee. All members of the legislative body are members of such a committee

Standing Committee

A permanent committee established in a legislature, usually focusing on a policy area

A bill is a

A proposed law

Rider

A provision included in a bill on a subject other than the one covered in the bill

Concurrent Resolution

A statement of position on an issue used by the House and Senate acting jointly; does not have the force of law and does not require the President's signature

Conference Committee

A temporary joint body created to iron out out the difference between bills passed by the House and the Senate before they are sent to the President

What are the functions of the President of the Senate?

Assigned by vice president. Presides and keeps order of the Senate, but cannot cast votes on legislation.

Standing committee functions

Decide fates of bills

The Senate is reluctant to use _______ to limit debate

Cloture

Bill referred to

Committee

The conference committee works out a __________ version of the bill

Compromise

If the House passes a different version of the bill, a

Conference Committee is formed

In practice, just the threat of a _______, an attempt to "talk a bill to death" can result in the Senate's failure to consider certain bills

Filibuster

Senators may use the _______ to prevent a vote on a bill

Filibuster

What are the functions of the floor leaders and their whips in both houses?

Floor leaders - Party Officers picked by party colleagues. They are legislative strategists, and carry out decisions of their parties' caucuses and steer floor action to their parties' benefit. They are also chief spokesman for the party in their chamber. Party Whips - Assist Floor leaders and serve as a liason between the party's leadership and its rank and file members. Help with checking of voting.

The senate votes on the bills; if it passes the bill goes to the

House

What does a select committee do?

Investigate a specific issue

A joint resolution is like a bill because

It has the force of law

What does a Conference Committee do?

It irons out the differences between Senate and House versions of a bill; creating a compromise bill to be voted on

Joint Committee examples

Joint Economic Committee Joint Committee on Printing Joint Committee on the Library of Congress

________ calls bill to debate on floor

Majority Floor Leader

Quorum

Majority of members for a official vote

Party Officers of the senate

Majority/Minority floor leader Majority/Minority Whip

Party Officers of the House

Majority/Minority floor leader, Majority/Minority Whip

How does the House Rules Committee act as a "traffic cop" in the lower house?

Make sure many different members are introduced

A resolution deals with

Matters concerning either house alone

A concurrent resolution deals with

Matters in which the House and Senate must act jointly

At a first reading of a bill, the clerk

Numbers and names the bill and enters it into the house journal and the congressional record

Select Committee

Panels set up for a specific purpose and for a limited time.

Discharge Petition

Petition that, if signed by majority of the House of Representatives' members, will pry a bill from committee and bring it to the floor for consideration.

By not acting on a bill sent by Congress within 10 days of adjourning, the President performs a ---

Pocket Veto

The bill is sent to the

President

Presiding officers of the Senate

President of the senate and President pro-tempore

What are the functions of the Speaker of the House?

Presides and keeps order of the house. Also names members of all select and conference committees, and signs bills and resolutions passed by the House

Five courses of action a committee may take on a bill are

Report bill favorably, refuse to report the bill, report bill in amended form, report bill with an unfavorable recommendation, report a committee bill

After a bill has been passed and signed by the Speaker

The bill is placed on the senate presidents desk

Most bills are introduced in congress by

The executive branch, interest groups, private citizens (Congressmen) (Senate)

What does a joint committee do?

They are used to investigate in nature and issue periodic reports to the House and Senate for a floor vote

The President may _______ a bill sent to him by Congress by refusing to sign it

Veto

Four types of votes in the House are

Voice votes, standing vote, 1/5 quorum votes, roll call vote