Government

Chapter outline

Section 1:  Congress Organizes

Objective:  To understand the organizational structure of both houses of Congress.

A.     Congress Convenes

1. Opening day of the house

a.

b.

c.

2. Opening day in the Senate

a.

B.  Presiding Officers

1.      Speaker of the House

a.

b.

     2.      President of the Senate

  C.  Floor leaders and other party officers

1.      Majority leaders

2.      Minority leaders

3.      Whips

D.  Committee Chairpersons

     -Seniority rule

Section 2:  Committees in Congress

Objective:  Understand the committees system and different types

A.      Standing Committees-

1.

2.

3.

B.       House Rules Committee

1.

C.  Select Committees

D.  Joint and Conference Committees

Section 3:  How a bill becomes a law

Objective:  Understand the legislative process in the House of Representatives

A.  Types of Bills and Resolutions

1.      Bills-

      2.      Joint Resolutions-

      3.      Concurrent Resolutions-

4.      Resolutions-

B.  The first reading-

C.       The Bill in Committee-

1.

2.  The full committee can:

      -

      -pigeonhole-

      -

      -

D.      Rules and Calendars

E.  Bill on the Floor

1.      Committee of the Whole

2.      Debate

3.  Voting

       a.

       b.

       c.

       d.

  F.      Final Steps

Section 4:  Bills in the Senate and Final stages

Objective:  Understand the handling of the bills in the Senate and the final stages.

A.  Introducing the Bills in the Senate.

B.     Senates Rules for debate.

C.     Conference Committees

D.     President Acts

1.

2.

3.

4.

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