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What types of actions can members of Congress take to represent voters’ interests, and what rules govern congressional activities?
Types of Bills and Resolutions
• Two types of bills:
1. Private bills: Individual people or places
2. Public bills: General matters (nation-wide)
• Two types of Resolutions:
1. Simple: covers matters affecting only one house of Congress
• Example: Election of Committee Members
2. Joint: Passed in the same form by both houses
• Example: Declaration of War
• Earmarks: Specifying that some part of a funding bill will go towards a certain purpose.
• Rider: A provision on a subject other than the one covered in the bill.
Usually attached to bills that are likely to pass.
Types of Bills and Resolutions (cont.)
• Key Facts:
• 3 to 5 percent of all bills become laws
• Reasons:
Creating law is long and complicated
Sponsors must be willing to compromise with others.
Many bills are introduced to make a statement only!
Types of Bills and Resolutions (cont.)
Introducing a Bill1. House: Bill placed in hopper (box)
2. Senate: Presiding officer must first recognize the senator, who then formally introduces it.
Role of Committees:
• Hearings: Committee listens to testimony from experts on the bill’s subject, as well as, government officials and interest groups
• Markup Session: Decide what changes, if any, to make to the bill.
• Final Vote: Committee votes to either kill the bill or report it
Floor Action in Congress
• Floor Debate: Few lawmakers take part in a floor debate (completed in Committee)
• Vote: Follows debate – “Aye” or “No”
• 4 ways to vote:
1. Voice Vote
2. Standing Vote
3. Roll Call: Alphabetical Order
4. Recorded Vote: Electronic (House)
Final Steps in Passing Bills• Bill must pass Congress (identical form)
• Conference Committee: Work out differences of bill
• Approved bills must be signed by the President
• Presidential Veto (Returns Bill)
• Pocket Veto – Refusal to sign during last 10 days of session
• Congressional Override: 2/3 vote of Congress
• Laws: Registered with the National Archives and Records Service.
Content Vocabulary
• tax
• closed rule
• appropriation
• authorization bill
• entitlement
Reading Strategy
Create a graphic organizer to show the role of Congress in making and passing tax laws.
A. A
B. B
A. the House Ways and Means Committee
B. the Senate Committee on Finance
Who has the greatest influence on tax law?
A B
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Making Decisions About Taxes
• The national government gets most of its revenues from taxes—money that people and businesses pay to support the government.
• Most important work on tax laws occurs in the House of Ways and Means Committee.
Comparing Governments
• For many years, the committee’s tax bills were debated on the House floor under a closed rule which forbids members from offering any amendments to a bill from the floor.
• In the Senate, the Committee on Finance has primary responsibility for tax matters.
Making Decisions About Taxes (cont.)
Comparing Governments
A. A
B. B
C. C
D. D A B C D
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Almost all important work on tax laws occurs in
A. the Senate.B. the Special Committee
on Tax Law.C. the House Ways and
Means Committee.D. the Senate Ways and
Means Committee.
Appropriating Money
• The power of appropriation, or approval of government spending, belongs to Congress.
• Congress follows a two-step procedure in appropriating money—an authorization bill and an appropriations bill.
– An authorization bill sets up a federal program and specifies how much money can be appropriated for it.
– An appropriations bill is necessary to receive the money that was authorized.
• Both House and Senate appropriations committees have 12 subcommittees covering the same policy areas.
• Uncontrollables are expenditures the government is legally committed to.
– Some uncontrollables are known as entitlements because they are social programs that entitle individuals to a certain program or monetary benefit.
Appropriating Money (cont.)
A. A
B. B
C. C
D. D A B C D
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Some expenditures to which the government is legally committed are called
A. distributions. B. entitlements.C. taxes.D. dividends.
Reading Strategy
As you read, fill in a chart like the one below to list the different influences on lawmakers in Congress.
A. A
B. B
A. what their constituents want
B. what they believe is right
Should lawmakers vote based on what their constituents want or based on what the lawmaker believes is right?
A B
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Influences on Lawmakers
• There are several factors that influence how a lawmaker votes:
– temperament—some may be willing to take risks while others “play it safe”
– the nature of the issue
– congressional staffers
A. A
B. B
C. C
How might congressional staffers influence decisions made by lawmakers?
A. they provide research B. they vote on issues
when lawmakers are unavailable
C. they represent lawmakers at their request
A B C
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The Influence of Voters
• Lawmakers’ decisions (and political careers) are influenced by voters in several ways, including:
– voter expectations based on lawmakers’ voting records,
– visiting the districts of their constituents to gauge their opinions,
– messages from voters to find out what issues concern them most, and
– the opinions of their key supporters, including those who work in their campaigns and contribute money.
The Influence of Voters (cont.)
A. A
B. B
C. C
D. D A B C D
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How can voters influence decisions made by lawmakers?
A. voter expresses expectation
B. constituents in lawmakers district voice their opinion
C. e-mails and letters expressing key concerns
D. A, B, and C
The Influence of Parties
• Both major political parties—Republicans and Democrats—take stands on major issues and come out for or against certain legislation.
• Both Democrats and Republicans tend to vote with their parties.
• Very few issues are unaffected by party identity.
A. A
B. B
C. C
D. D A B C D
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How might a lawmaker’s party influence their votes?
A. party members often have different political views
B. requirement of party membership
C. pressure from party leaders
D. pressure from special-interest groups
Other Influences on Congress
• The president can influence Congress in several ways:
– by influencing public opinion through speeches and television appearances, and
– by supporting legislative goals of individual members of Congress.
Other Influences on Congress (cont.)
• Lobbyists try to convince members of Congress to support policies favored by the groups they represent.
• Lobbying is their effort to persuade officials to support their point of view.
• Political Action Committees are political fund-raising organizations established by corporations, labor unions, and other special-interest groups.
A. A
B. B
C. C
D. D A B C D
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Those who try to convince members of Congress to support policies favored by the special-interest groups they represent are called
A. PACs.B. lobbyists.C. party leaders.D. congressional aides.
A. A
B. B
C. C
D. D A B C D
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A. pork-barrel legislation
B. logrollingC. bothD. neither
Which, if any, of these practices do you find unfair in the creation of law?
Handling Problems
• Caseworkers: Help constituents with problems
• Casework serves three important purposes:
1. It helps lawmakers get reelected.
2. It is one way in which Congress monitors the performance of the executive branch.
3. Casework provides a way for the average citizen to cope with the huge national government.
Helping the District or State• 3 ways to bring federal projects to districts and states:
1. Pork-barrel legislation: (Voted on by Congress)
• Federal Treasury helps out a locality
2. Federal grants and contracts (Awarded by Agencies)
• Federal $ awarded to states
3. Keep existing federal projects
