For Professor Davisson

CONGRESS: A BICAMERAL LEGISLATION

The most powerful branch? THE FOUNDING FATHERS VISUALIZED THE CONGRESS AS THE MOST POWERFUL BRANCH. ACCORDING TO HAMILTON, IT WAS THE GRAND REPOSITORY OF THE DEMOCRATIC PRINCIPLES OF GOVERNMENT.

INTEGRATED SINCE THE ERA OF THE FRAMERS BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES AND THE SENATE

THE REPRESENTATIVES HAS BEEN ALWAYS SELECTED BY THE CITIZENS. THE SENATORS WERE ORIGINALLY ELECTED BY STATE LEGISLATORS; BUT ARE ELECTED BY THE CITIZENS SINCE 1913.

WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF A BICAMERAL LEGISLATION IN THE U.S.?

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CURRENT ORGANIZATION

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES: 435 MEMBERS

(The figure is revised every 10 years because…)

SENATE: 100 MEMBERS, because...

A PORTRAIT OF THE MEMBERS OF THE CONGRESS 1

PREREQUISITES.

VERY FEW.

SENATE: AGE OF THIRTY, CITIZEN OF THE U.S. FOR AT LEAST NINE YEARS, A RESIDENT OF THE STATE HE/SHE INTENDS TO REPRESENT.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES: AGE OF 25, CITIZEN OF THE UNITED STATES FOR AT LEAST SEVEN YEARS. A RESIDENT OF THE STATE HE/SHE INTENDS TO REPRESENT.

A PORTRAIT OF THE MEMBERS OF THE CONGRESS 2

THE TYPICAL MEMBER OF THE CONGRESS IS:

A MIDDLE-AGE, EDUCATED WHITE MAN. LAWYERS OUTNUMBERED THE MEMBERS OF OTHER PROFESSIONS (40%). NEXT, BUSINESS AND BANKING ARE THE MOST COMMON OCCUPATIONS.

UP TO THIS POINT, WOMEN DO NOT HAVE ENOUGH REPRESENTATION: IN 2014 WOMEN HAD 80 SEATS IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, AND 12 IN SENATE.

CONSEQUENCES (IF ANY)?

TWO KEY ISSUES RELATED TO THE ELECTION OF ITS MEMBERS

- Incumbents had an edge because...

Consequences?

- Gerrymandering. The practice by the party controlling the state legislature of drawing district boundaries to maximize the number of seats the party can win.

GERRYMANDERING

LEADERSHIP IN THE CONGRESS HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES:

THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE IS THE PRESIDING OFFICER OF THE HOUSE, THE LEADER OF THE MAJORITY PARTY AND SECOND IN LINE, BEHIND THE VICE-PRESIDENT, TO SUCCEED THE PRESIDENT.

THE SPEAKER IS AIDED IN HIS/HER FUNCTIONS BY THE MAJORITY LEADER (WHO SCHEDULE BILLS IN THE HOUSE) AND THE PARTY WHIPS, WHO INFORM THE SPEAKER ABOUT THE VIEWS OF THE REPRESENTATIVES.

LEADERSHIP IN THE CONGRESS SENATE:

- THE VICE-PRESIDENT OF THE U.S. ACCORDING TO THE CONSTITUTION IS THE PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE. YET, THE VICE-PRESIDENT DOES NOT HAVE MUCH POWER EXCEPT WHEN HE/SHE CASTS A VOTE TO BREAK A TIE.

- THE PRESIDENT PRO-TEMPORE IS THE PRESIDING OFFICER OF THE SENATE. HE/SHE IS USUALLY THE MAJORITY PARTY SENATOR WITH THE LONGEST CONTINUOUS SERVICE. THE DESIGNATED SENATE WHIPS AID THE PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE.

DAY-TO DAY WORK IN THE CONGRESS 1 THE COMMITTEE SYSTEM: The Little Legislations according to President Wilson

- COMMITTEES AND SUBCOMMITTEES CARRY OUT THE WORK OF THE CONGRESS.

- THEY USED TO BE TEMPORARY, NOW MOST ARE PERMANENT (SEE p. 370)

- THEY DEFINE THE AGENDA OF THE CONGRESS. - THEY SCREEN THOUSANDS OF BILLS THAT ARE INTRODUCED

DURING EACH SESSION, AND DECIDE WHICH OF THEM SHOULD BE RECOMMENDED FOR CONSIDERATION BY THE FLOOR OF THE HOUSE OR THE SENATE.

DAY-TO DAY WORK IN THE CONGRESS 2 THE COMMITTEE SYSTEM: SIZE AND MEMBERSHIP

- THE LEADERSHIP OF THE POLITICAL PARTIES MADE THE ASSIGNMENTS TO THE COMMITTEES, TAKING INTO ACCOUNT EXPERTISE AND ALSO POLITICAL INTERESTS. THE PRINCIPLE OF SENIORITY PREVAILS IN EACH COMMITTEE: THE MEMBER OF THE MAJORITY PARTY WITH THE LONGEST CONTINUOUS SERVICES ON A COMMITTEE AUTOMATICALLY BECOMES A CHAIR.

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN AFTER ELECTIONS, A DIFFERENT PARTY DOMINATES THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES & THE SENATE?

DAY-TO DAY WORK IN THE CONGRESS 3 THE CONGRESSIONAL STAFF:

- AT THE BEGINNING OF THE 20TH CENTURY THERE WERE ONLY FEW ASSISTANTS, NOW MORE THAN 11,000, PLUS THOSE LOCATED IN THE OFFICES AT THEIR DISTRICTS/STATE. AMONG THEIR FUNCTIONS ARE: DRAFTING LEGISLATION AND COMMUNITY SERVICE.

- MORE ADVICE IN POLICY ANALYSIS IS PROVIDED BY THE CONGRESSIONAL RESEARCH SERVICE, GENERAL ACCOUNTABILITY OFFICE, AND CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE.

PRINCIPAL TASKS OF THE CONGRESS 1. LAW-MAKING. The Framers of the Constitution explicitly stipulated this.

Which are the most important influences on members of Congress Voting decisions?

2. THE POWER TO TAX. Setting of taxing and spending policies for the nation. 3. THE POWER OF PRODUCING THE BUDGET. POWER OF APPROPRIATION. It has been

accompanied by debates and stalemate. Up to the point that on October 1, 2013, only the government “essential services” were maintained and the government was “shut down.”

4. CASEWORK. Constituency Service. What is ”Pork barrel” legislation?

PRINCIPAL TASKS OF THE CONGRESS 5. CONGRESSIONAL OVERSIGHT. Congress is responsible for overseeing the activities of executive agencies in charge of implementing policy. The Congress may ask agencies of the Executive Branch to produce a report, initiate hearings or a formal investigation on them, or increase/decrease their budget

according their performance.

Exercise-Due October 6. The most commonly known function of the Congress is making laws.

- Review the major steps of lawmaking process (pages 374-378). - Provide an assessment of such process. - Include a commentary on why so many bills do not become a law.

Congress can override the President's Veto... by two thirds majority vote in both Houses. It rarely happens but: Yesterday, “Congress voted overwhelmingly to override a veto by President Obama for the first time, passing into law a bill that would allow the families of those killed in the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks to sue Saudi Arabia for any role in the plot. Democrats in large numbers joined with Republicans to deliver a remarkable rebuke to the president. The 97-to-1 vote in the Senate and the 348-to-77 vote in the House displayed the enduring power of the Sept. 11 families in Washington and the diminishing influence here of the Saudi government.

The new law, enacted over the fierce objections of the White House, immediately alters the legal landscape. American courts could seize Saudi assets to pay for any judgment obtained by the Sept. 11 families, while Saudi officials have warned they might need to sell off hundreds of billions of dollars in holdings in the United States to avoid such an outcome.” Source: JENNIFER STEINHAUER et al, “The Congress Allows Saudis to be Sued Over 9/11 Attacks.” The New York Times. September 29, 2016.

Any Consequences? Closure for the families affected by 9-11?

The “Pandora Box” for the U.S.?

What do you think?