The Work of Congress
11,000 Bills!
 During one two-year session of congress, more than 11,000
bills are presented.
 Would it be possible for congress to go through all of them?
 What would you do if you were in charge?
Committees
 Both the House and the Senate have committees
 Committees are members of either the House or Senate that
specialize in a field.
 Committees
Committees
Types of Committees
 Standing Committees: Permanent committee that evaluates
bills and either kills them or passes them along for another
debate.
 Select Committees: A temporary committee appointed for a
limited purpose
 Joint committee: Legislative committee made up of
members of both houses of Congress
 Conference Committee: Temporary house-Senate committee
whose goal is to find an acceptable compromise on
conflicting versions of a bill.
Committees contd.
 The ratio of members of the committees mirrors that of the
house of congress i.e. if the democrats have the majority in
the House of Representatives, they will have the majority on
all committees.
Privileges
 Make roughly $135,000
 Free postal services for letters sent to their constituents (the
people they serve.
How a Bill Becomes a Law