Congressional Congressional LeadershipLeadership

CivicsCivics

Mr. BloughMr. Blough

Leadership in Congress Leadership in Congress

How are we able to keep 435 How are we able to keep 435 representatives and 100 senators in representatives and 100 senators in order?order?– Quite Simply, leadership is the glue that Quite Simply, leadership is the glue that

holds Congress together!holds Congress together!

Leadership ResponsibilitiesLeadership Responsibilities

Promoting legislative agenda of the Promoting legislative agenda of the partyparty– Get bills passed that you likeGet bills passed that you like– Try and stop bills that you don’t likeTry and stop bills that you don’t like

Making committee assignments Making committee assignments (deciding who goes in which (deciding who goes in which committee)committee)

Making sure that each party is aligned Making sure that each party is aligned on certain issueson certain issues

Leadership PositionsLeadership Positions

Speaker of the House Speaker of the House President of the SenatePresident of the Senate Majority/Minority Floor LeadersMajority/Minority Floor Leaders Majority/Minority WhipsMajority/Minority Whips Republican/Democratic Conference ChairsRepublican/Democratic Conference Chairs Committee chairpersonsCommittee chairpersons

Speaker of the HouseSpeaker of the House

Most powerful person in the House of Reps.Most powerful person in the House of Reps.– Elected by members of House Elected by members of House – Each party nominates a candidate, majority Each party nominates a candidate, majority

winswins Third in to presidency after the VP Third in to presidency after the VP What he doesWhat he does

– Controls the legislative calendarControls the legislative calendar– Controls who goes into committeesControls who goes into committees– Decides who gets to speak and how longDecides who gets to speak and how long

Leader and national spokesperson of the Leader and national spokesperson of the majority partymajority party

Former Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D) Former Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D) passing the gavel to current Speaker passing the gavel to current Speaker

John Boehner (R)John Boehner (R)

House Minority LeaderHouse Minority Leader

Elected by members of the minority Elected by members of the minority party to serve as their spokespersonparty to serve as their spokesperson

Criticizes the program of the majority Criticizes the program of the majority partyparty

Basically the opponent of the Basically the opponent of the Speaker of the HouseSpeaker of the House

Seeks to block majority bills from Seeks to block majority bills from passingpassing

President of the SenatePresident of the Senate Vice-President is the President of the Vice-President is the President of the

Senate, but he’s seldom with the SenateSenate, but he’s seldom with the Senate The VP votes in the case of a tie, has little The VP votes in the case of a tie, has little

powerpower When VP isn’t in the Senate, the President When VP isn’t in the Senate, the President

Pro-Tempore (“President for a time”) is in Pro-Tempore (“President for a time”) is in charge of the senatecharge of the senate– Elected by other senatorsElected by other senators– Usually the majority party member with the Usually the majority party member with the

longest record of continuous servicelongest record of continuous service

President Pro Tempore = President Pro Tempore = Longest Serving SenatorLongest Serving Senator

Strom Thurmond -101 Robert Byrd - 94Strom Thurmond -101 Robert Byrd - 94

Republican (SC)Republican (SC) Democrat (WV) Democrat (WV)

Minority vs. Majority Minority vs. Majority LeadersLeaders

Majority leader = person who is in Majority leader = person who is in charge of the party who is currently has charge of the party who is currently has more seats in each housemore seats in each house

Minority leader = leader of the party Minority leader = leader of the party with the fewer seatswith the fewer seats

House (Republicans) -- Senate House (Republicans) -- Senate (Democrats)(Democrats)

Identify the parties of the majority and Identify the parties of the majority and minority leaders in each houseminority leaders in each house

Majority & Minority WhipsMajority & Minority Whips

Elected by party membersElected by party members Assist the floor leaders to keep track of Assist the floor leaders to keep track of

party members and lobby them for votesparty members and lobby them for votes Designed to make sure people within the Designed to make sure people within the

party are voting along party lines (“whip party are voting along party lines (“whip them into place”)them into place”)

Standing CommitteesStanding Committees

Committees are where the bulk of legislative Committees are where the bulk of legislative work is done (house and senate)work is done (house and senate)

Committees mark-up bills, hold hearings, Committees mark-up bills, hold hearings, conduct investigations, and perform oversightconduct investigations, and perform oversight

Committees concentrate on areas such as:Committees concentrate on areas such as:– BudgetBudget– MilitaryMilitary– HealthcareHealthcare– EducationEducation– Etc.Etc.

Subcommittees Subcommittees

Smaller, more specialized Smaller, more specialized committees that focus on very committees that focus on very specific issuesspecific issues

Committee within a CommitteeCommittee within a Committee– Education Subcommittee on elementary Education Subcommittee on elementary

educationeducation– Military Subcommittee on weaponsMilitary Subcommittee on weapons

Select CommitteesSelect Committees

Temporary committees designed to Temporary committees designed to address a specific issue at hand:address a specific issue at hand:– Global WarmingGlobal Warming– Steroids in baseballSteroids in baseball

Joint CommitteesJoint Committees

Committees that consist of members of Committees that consist of members of both the House and the Senateboth the House and the Senate

Like joint committees, Like joint committees, conference conference committeescommittees are designed to have both are designed to have both members of the House and Senate meet members of the House and Senate meet together to “iron-out” any differences in a together to “iron-out” any differences in a proposed billproposed bill

Committee AssignmentsCommittee Assignments

House & Senate rules provide that they House & Senate rules provide that they elect the members of committees at the elect the members of committees at the beginning of each Congress (post 1970)beginning of each Congress (post 1970)

Seniority is the normal basis for ranking Seniority is the normal basis for ranking among committee membersamong committee members– The longer a member is in the committee, the The longer a member is in the committee, the

more likely to become chair or ranking minority more likely to become chair or ranking minority membermember

Be able to explain all of the Be able to explain all of the following in your notes:following in your notes:

Majority/Minority leaders in Majority/Minority leaders in House/SenateHouse/Senate

Party WhipParty Whip Speaker of the HouseSpeaker of the House President pro temporePresident pro tempore

Individually, identify the Individually, identify the following:following:

1 Standing Committees1 Standing Committees 2 Subcommittees2 Subcommittees 3 Select Committees3 Select Committees 4 Joint Committees4 Joint Committees 5 Conference Committees5 Conference Committees