How Congress Works

Insider’s Guide to the 112th Congress

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Katherine Hayes, JDAssociate Research Professor

How Congress Works: Learning Objectives

• Who are the leaders in Congress?• What are the roles of committees in Congress?• What are the major health committees and

subcommittees?• Roles of Congressional agencies

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Congressional Leaders - House

Majority party – party with more than half of congressional seats

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Minority party – party with less than half of congressional seats

House Floor Leaders

• Speaker• Majority leader –

majority party’s floor leader

• Majority Whip – assist majority leader

• Minority Leader – minority party’s floor leader

• Minority Whip – assists minority leader

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Speaker of The House

• Overall leader

• Member majority Party

• In charge of nearly everything that occurs in House

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John Boehner (OH)Speaker of the House

House Majority Leaders

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Eric Cantor (VA)

Majority Leader

Kevin McCarthy (CA)Majority Whip

House Minority Floor Leaders

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Nancy Pelosi (CA) Minority Leader

Stenny Hoyer (MD)Minority Whip

Jim Clyburn (SC)Assistant Minority Leader

Senate Majority Floor Leaders

Dick Durbin (IL)

Majority Whip

Harry Reid (NV)

Majority Leader

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Senate Minority Floor LeadersJon Kyl (AZ) Asst. Minority

Leader

Mitch McConnell (KY)

Minority Leader

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President of the Senate

Vice President is President of the Senate

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Joe Biden

Committee Membership

• Committee leaders (Chairs) are members of majority party

• Majority gets over half the seats on a committee

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Seniority System

• System where committees assignments given to those with the longest time in Congress

• Committee chairperson usually committee member in the majority with the most time in Congress (although not always)

• Minority is usually called ranking minority member or vice chair

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Key House Committees

• House Budget Committee• House Appropriations Committee• Authorizing Committees

– Energy & Commerce– Ways & Means

House Budget Committee

• Budget Resolution – Not sent to President– Hearings on fiscal year (FY) federal budget –

agency heads and interested parties testify on funding levels for federal programs

– Mark-up of Budget Resolution - drafts budget resolution for current FY 2011

– Manages budget resolution on House floor

Members House Budget CommitteeRepublicans

Paul Ryan (WI-01), Chairman

Scott Garrett (NJ-05), Vice-Chairman

Mike Simpson (ID-02), Appropriations Designee

John Campbell (CA-48)

Ken Calvert (CA-44), Appropriations Designee

Todd Akin (MO-02)

Tom Cole (OK-04), Appropriations Designee

Tom Price (GA-06), Ways & Means Designee

Tom McClintock (CA-04)

Jason Chaffetz (UT-03)

Marlin Stutzman (IN-03)

James Lankford (OK-05)

Diane Black (TN-06), Ways & Means Designee

Reid Ribble (WI-08)

Bill Flores (TX-17)

Mick Mulvaney (SC-05)

Tim Huelskamp (KS-01)

Todd Young (IN-09)

Justin Amash (MI-03)

Todd Rokita (IN-04)

Frank Guinta (NH-01)

Rob Woodall (GA-07)*, Rules Designee

DemocratsChris Van Hollen (MD-08), Ranking Member

Allyson Schwartz (PA-13)

Marcy Kaptur (OH-09)

Lloyd Doggett (TX-25), Ways & Means Designee

Earl Blumenauer (OR-03), Ways & Means Designee

Betty McCollum (MN-04)

John Yarmuth (KY-03)

Bill Pascrell (NJ-08)

Mike Honda (CA-15)

Tim Ryan (OH-17)

Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-20)

Gwen Moore (WI-04)

Kathy Castor (FL-11)

Heath Shuler (NC-11)

Karen Bass (CA-33)

Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01)

House Appropriations Committee

• Sets subcommittee allocations for subcommittee for each fiscal year

• 12 Subcommittees • Health-related Subcommittees

– Labor HHS – Medicare, Medicaid, Public Health, including funding for 330 grants

Members House Appropriations Subcommittee – Labor, HHS

RepublicansDenny Rehberg, Montana

Jerry Lewis, California

Rodney Alexander, Louisiana

Jack Kingston, Georgia

Kay Granger, Texas

Michael K. Simpson, Idaho

Jeff Flake, Arizona

Cynthia M. Lummis, Wyoming

DemocratsRosa L. DeLauro, Connecticut

Nita M. Lowey, New York

Jesse L. Jackson, Jr., Illinois

Lucille Roybal-Allard, California

Barbara Lee, California

House Energy & Commerce Committee

• Public Health Service Act (CDC, NIH, HRSA, Private insurance) Section 330 grants

• Food and Drug Administration (Drugs and devices)• Medicaid and Child Health Insurance Program – FQHC

payments• Medicare – FQHC Payments

– Part B (physician and outpatient hospital, home health, etc.)

– Part C (Medicare Advantage – private private insurers offering all Medicare benefits)

– Part D (private insurers offering prescription drug coverage)

Members House Energy & Commerce

RepublicansFred Upton (MI)

Joe Barton (TX)

Cliff Stearns (FL)

Ed Whitfield (KY)

John Shimkus (IL)

Joseph R. Pitts (PA)

Mary Bono Mack (CA)

Greg Walden (OR)

Lee Terry (NE)

Mike Rogers (MI)

Sue Myrick (NC)

John Sullivan (OK)

Tim Murphy (PA)

Michael Burgess (TX)

Marsha Blackburn (TN)

Brian P. Bilbray (CA)

Charles F. Bass (NH)

Phil Gingrey (GA)

Steve Scalise (LA)

Bob Latta (OH)

Cathy McMorris Rodgers (WA)

Gregg Harper (MS)

Leonard Lance (NJ)

Bill Cassidy (LA)

Brett Guthrie (KY)

Pete Olson (TX)

David McKinley (WV)

Cory Gardner (CO)

Mike Pompeo (KS)

Adam Kinzinger (IL)

Morgan Griffith (VA)

DemocratsHenry A. Waxman (CA)

John D. Dingell (MI)

Edward J. Markey (MA)

Edolphus Towns (NY)

Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ)

Bobby L. Rush (IL)

Anna G. Eshoo (CA)

Eliot L. Engel (NY)

Gene Green (TX)

Diana DeGette (CO)

Lois Capps (CA)

Michael F. Doyle (PA)

Jan Schakowsky (IL)

Charles A. Gonzalez (TX)

Tammy Baldwin (WI)

Mike Ross (AR)

Jim Matheson (UT)

G. K. Butterfield (NC)

John Barrow (GA)

Doris O. Matsui (CA)

Donna Christensen (VI)

Kathy Castor (FL)

John Sarbanes (MD)

House Ways & Means Committee• Internal Revenue Code (Insurance deductibility, exclusion and

tax credits)• Medicare

– Part A (hospitals and other inpatient providers)– Parts of part B (outpatient hospital, home health, not

physicians)– Part C (Medicare Advantage – private insurers offering all

Medicare benefits)– Part D (Private insurers offering prescription drug

coverage)

Members House Ways & Means

RepublicansDave Camp, MI, Chairman

Wally Herger, CA

Sam Johnson, TX

Kevin Brady, TX

Paul Ryan, WI

Devin Nunes, CA

Pat Tiberi, OH

Geoff Davis, KY

Dave G. Reichert, WA

Charles W. Boustany Jr., LA

Peter J. Roskam, IL

Jim Gerlach, PA

Tom Price, GA

Vern Buchanan, FL

Adrian Smith, NE

Aaron Schock, IL

Lynn Jenkins, KS

Erik Paulsen, MN

Kenny Marchant, TX

Rick Berg, ND

Diane Black, TN

Tom Reed, NY

DemocratsSander Levin, MI Ranking Member

Charles B. Rangel, NY*

Fortney Pete Stark, CA

Jim McDermott, WA

John Lewis, GA

Richard E. Neal, MA

Xavier Becerra, CA

Lloyd Doggett, TX

Mike Thompson, CA

John B. Larson, CT

Earl Blumenauer, OR

Ron Kind, WI

Bill Pascrell Jr., NJ

Shelley Berkley, NV

Joseph Crowley, NY

Key Senate Committees

• Senate Budget Committee• Senate Appropriations Committee• Committees of Jurisdiction

– Finance– Health, Education, Labor & Pensions

• Senate Rules Committee

Senate Budget Committee

• Reports Budget Resolution– Holds hearings on fiscal year (FY)budget –

Agency heads and interested parties testify on funding levels for federal programs

– Drafts budget resolution for current fiscal year (FY 2011)

– Manages budget resolution on House floor

Members Senate Budget Committee

DemocratsKent Conrad, (Chair) South Dakota

Patty Murray, Washington

Ron Wyden, Oregon

Bill Nelson, Florida

Debbie Stabenow, Michigan

Benjamin L. Cardin, Maryland

Bernie Sanders, Vermont

Sheldon Whitehouse, Rhode Island

Mark R. Warner, Virginia

Jeff Merkley, Oregon

Mark Begich, Alaska

Chris Coons, Delaware

RepublicansJeff Sessions

Alabama

Charles Grassley, Iowa

Mike Enzi, Wyoming

Mike Crapo, Idaho

John Cornyn, Texas

Lindsey Graham, South Carolina

John Thune, South Dakota

Rob Portman, Ohio

Pat Toomey, Pennsylvania

Ron Johnson, Wisconsin

Kelly Ayotte, New Hampshire

Senate Appropriations Committee

• Sets subcommittee allocations for subcommittee for each fiscal year

• 12 Subcommittees • Health-related Subcommittees

– Labor HHS – Medicare, Medicaid, Public Health– Agriculture – FDA– Others (Military Construction/VA, Defense,

Legislative Branch)

Members Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, HHS

Democrats

Tom Harkin (Chairman) (IA)

Daniel Inouye (HI)

Herb Kohl (WI)

Patty Murray (WA)

Mary Landrieu (LA)

Richard Durbin (IL)

Jack Reed (RI)

Mark Pryor (AR)

Barbara Mikulski (MD)

Sherrod Brown (OH)

Republicans

Richard Shelby (Ranking) (AL)

Thad Cochran (MS)

Kay Bailey Hutchison (TX)

Lamar Alexander (TN)

Ron Johnson (WI)

Mark Kirk (IL)

Lindsey Graham (SC)

Jerry Moran (KS)

Senate Finance Committee

• Tax Code (exclusion, deductibility and tax credits)

• Medicaid and Child Health Insurance Program – FQHC payments

• Medicare (parts A, B, C and D) – FQHC payments

• Maternal and Child Health Block Grant

Members of Senate Finance Committee

DemocratsMax Baucus, (Chair), MT

John D. Rockefeller IV, WV

Kent Conrad, ND

Jeff Bingaman, NM

John F. Kerry , MA

Ron Wyden, OR

Charles E. Schumer, NY

Debbie Stabenow, MI

Maria Cantwell, WA

Bill Nelson, FL

Robert Menendez, NJ

Thomas R. Carper, DE

Benjamin L. Cardin, MD

RepublicansOrrin Hatch, (Ranking), UT

Chuck Grassley, IA

Olympia J. Snowe, ME

Jon Kyl, AZ

Mike Crapo, ID

Pat Roberts, KS

Michael B. Enzi, WY

John Cornyn, TX

Tom Coburn, OK

John Thune, SD

Richard Burr, NC

Senate Health, Education, Labor & Pensions Committee

• Public Health Service Act (Section 330 grants)• Food and Drug Administration• ERISA

Members of Senate HELP Committee

Democrats

Tom Harkin (IA), Chair

Barbara A. Mikulski (MD)

Jeff Bingaman (NM)

Patty Murray (WA)

Bernard Sanders (I) (VT)

Robert P. Casey, Jr. (PA)

Kay R. Hagan (NC)

Jeff Merkley (OR)

Al Franken (MN)

Michael F. Bennet (CO)

Sheldon Whitehouse (RI)

Richard Blumenthal (CT)

Republicans

Michael B. Enzi (WY), Ranking

Lamar Alexander (TN)

Richard Burr (NC)

Johnny Isakson (GA)

Rand Paul (KY)

Orrin G. Hatch (UT)

John McCain (AZ)

Pat Roberts (KS)

Lisa Murkowski (AK)

Mark Kirk (IL)

How a Bill Typically Moves through Congress

• Committee hearing on an issue or specific legislation

• Committee “mark-up” and reporting of legislation

• Floor consideration • Identical legislation must be passed by both

houses before being “enrolled” and sent to the President for signature

Conference Committees

• Ad hoc committee established for the specific purpose of resolving differences between House-passed and Senate-passed legislation.

• Appointed by leadership in each party and in each body.

• Develop conference agreement that must be voted on by each body.

• Alternatives to conference committee – “pass back”

Congressional “Agencies”

• Congressional Budget Office• Government Accountability Office• Library of Congress• MedPAC – Medicare Payment Advisory

Commission• MACPAC – Medicaid Payment Advisory

Commission• Others

Library of Congress: Congressional Research Service

• Independent Research arm of Congress

• Different from GAO in that they are usually more research oriented than investigative.

• Seen as balanced and well-respected by Congress and staff

Congressional Budget Office• Official Scorekeeper of

the Congress• Provides cost-estimates

on legislation considered by Congress

• In most cases, CBO must determine the cost to the federal government prior to floor consideration of legislation.

Government Accountability Office• Congressional

“watchdog”• Comptroller General –

Gene Dodaro• Independent research

and oversight of federal programs

• Provides studies, reports and recommendations to Congress

MedPAC

• Medicare Payment Assessment Commission

• Made up of 17 commissioners

• Make recommendations to Congress (Senate Finance, House W&M, House E&C Committees)

MACPAC

• Medicaid & CHIP Payment Assessment Commission– Advises Congress re:

Medicaid and CHIP– 17 commissioners– Authorized under

PPACA– First report March 15,

2011