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1. What are the 5 names of the powers that belong to Congress? (remember the DEEE)

• written? b. given to? c. #ed? d. only?

E. not in Constitution but suggested (Necessary and Proper or Elastic Clause)?

2. What powers belong to both Congress and the states?

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3. What are some limits placed on Congress?

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* I need 2 male volunteers.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n9defOwVWS8&vl=en

Pin the description on the Congressman

House Rep Senator

6-3

How Congress Functions

I. Basic Jobs of Members

• to represent the people in their district/state (trouble-shooters for constituents)

-Casework--requests for help from constituents

-Examples:

• Public works in the area (post offices, dams, VA hospitals, mass transit)
• Get fed’l grants and contracts to their people (if they benefit people back home they’re called pork-barrel projects (federal treasury being the pork; Representatives pulling out a piece of the fat for his/her district/state)

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*Why would they want to spend so much time helping their constituents?

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High Speed Rail?

Why help out constituents?

• Help win re-election
• Helps lawmakers get a closer look at how programs are doing (ex. Social Security, Medicare, Healthcare)
• Helps average citizens deal w/ fed’l gov’t agencies and bureaucracy

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B. Make laws

• Take part in committee work
• Listen to people who testify in public hearings
• Vote on laws in committees and on the floor

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II. Congressional Rules

-Developed to help Congress operate

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-House has more rules than Senate

why??? House has more representatives

-speaking ability is limited

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-Parliamentary Procedures

both Houses of Congress use a formal system of debate which keeps the debate orderly

III. Congressional Leadership

A. In both the House and Senate:

-Majority Leader

-typically sets floor agenda and oversees committee chairmen; elected by party in power

-Minority Leader

-leader of the opposition; sets agenda for party w/ less #s

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House Majority Leader

Steny Hoyer (D)

House Minority

Leader

Kevin McCarthy (R)

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116th Congress: U.S. House of Representatives

116th Congress: U.S. House of Representatives

• Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D)
• Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R)

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116th Congress: Senate

Party Whips:each party in each House has a party whip who ensures party members vote in line w/ the party platform

House of Representatives

Senate

Rep. Jim Clyburn (D) Rep. Steve Scalise (R) Sen. John Thune (R) Sen. Dick Durbin (D)

B. House Leaders

-Speaker of the House

- runs the House of Representatives

-sets up the calendar and schedules bills for debate

C. Senate Leaders

-Vice President

-official leader but only votes in a tie and is rarely present

-President Pro-Tempore

-leads Senate in place of VP (mostly ceremonial); longest serving Senator from majority party

Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D)

V.P. Mike Pence (R)

President Pro Tem

Charles Grassley (R)�

IV. How Work is Done

-in a committee system (small groups) to divide the work load of Congress

A. Committee Types

-standing committees-- Permanent committees of Congress who study, revise, and pass legislation

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-select committees—special committees which study more temporary problems

-joint committees-- committees which involve members of both Houses of Congress meeting together

-conference: work out difference in bills b/w H and S

Senate committees

Midterm Questions:

a) Bills are studied in great depth in committees (after they are introduced they are sent to committees)

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b) bills must look identical from the House and Senate before going to the President. A conference committee (members from both the H and S would meet to make it look the same.

B. From committee to smaller committees (Sub-Committees)

-study bills in-depth

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-public hearings-- Meetings held by legislative committees in order to allow public comments and information to be given to legislative committees

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Colbert Testifies in sub-committee

C. Committee Membership

-Based on seniority

-longest serving members of the majority party get the better committees

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-Party leaders make committee assignments

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-majority party of each house appoints the chairperson of each committee

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