Unit V Notes The Legislative Branch

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Unit V Notes
The Legislative Branch
Why is Congress called the
“World’s Most Exclusive Club”?
• There are only 535 Members and it costs
between $45 and $300 Million to win an
election!
Why is Congress called “the First
Branch”?
• It is the first mentioned in the Constitution
• It is the most powerful of the three branches
with 18 delegated powers and implied powers
• It is the only branch that is directly elected by
the people of the United States.
What is the primary job of Congress?
• “To make laws for the good of the people of
the United States of America”
What is bicameralism?
• Bicameral means that a legislative body, like
Congress, has two houses.
• We have the US House of Representative and
the US Senate.
Why did the Framers choose to have a
bicameral legislature?
• History: we had positive experiences with
bicameral legislatures in the past
• Practicality: it settled the dispute over
representation between VA and NJ
• Theoretically: it allows for checks and balances
within the most powerful branch
What is the Term of Congress?
• Congress has a two year term.
• Terms begin at noon on January 3rd of every
odd numbered year.
What is a session?
• A session is a formal meeting of the Congress.
• Two formal sessions are required each year.
• Traditionally, Congress met in two 4 month sessions
each year.
• Today, Congress meets year-round with short recesses
in:
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October
November
December
March
August
What is a special session?
• A congressional session called by the
President after the Congress has adjourned
their term.
• Last one called was 1948 by Truman.
• Can’t call a special session if Congress is in a
regular session.
• Congress will adjourn this term when the
113th term is beginning.
The US House of Representatives
• How is the size of the House determined?
– The Constitution allows that the House set its own
size
– The must grant every State at least one seat
– The rest of the seats are apportioned by the
population of each State
– The size of the House was made permanent in
1929
– There are 435 US Representatives today
US House of Representatives
• Each State is entitled to one seat
• 7 States get only one seat (too small for more)
Alaska, Delaware, North Dakota, South Dakota,
Vermont, Wyoming, Montana
Each State gets one seat for every 944,000 residents
US House of Representatives
• What are Delegates and Commissioners?
– Delegates: represent our Federal District;
Washington, D.C.
– Commissioners: represent our territories (Guam,
American Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, American
Samoa, Marianas Islands)
– Neither have a vote or voice on the floor
– Can debate and vote in Committee
US House of Representatives
Reapportionment: adjusting the number of
seats that each State receives based on
changes in their population as reflected in
each decades’ census.
2010 reapportionment
• Texas received an additional 4 seats
• This will bring our # of Representatives to 36
US House of Representatives
Who is your US Representative?
• Randy Weber, 14th District of Texas
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Is member of the Republican Party
Lives in Pearland, TX
Graduate of ACC and U of H Clear Lake
Owns an AC repair company in Pearland
Served on Pearland City Council for 2 terms
Served 2 terms in the Texas House
Married to Brenda, a teacher at Pearland HS, for 34
years
– Has 3 children and 4 grandchildren
Randy Weber- US Representative 14th
District of Texas
• Committee Assignments:
– Foreign Affairs
– Science, Space, and Technology
What did the Reapportionment Act of
1929 do?
• Set the permanent size of the House at 435
• Allowed the Census Bureau determine the
number of seats granted to each State
• Requires congressional approval of the
Reapportionment Plan
How many people does each member
of the House serve today?
• 944,000
• Determine by the following:
– 1. count the population of the US
– 2. divide the US population by 435 to get the # of
people each member will serve
Example: US population is 41,000,000
Divide by 435= 944,000 people per
Representative
-3. Take the population of Texas and divide by 944,000
to see how many representatives we should get.
-4. 34,000,000 divided by 944,000=36Reps
When are congressional elections
held?
• “On the Tuesday, following the first Monday in
November, every even-numbered year”
– Article One, Section 8 of the US Constitution
What is the term of office in the
House?
• The House has a 2 year term.
• “Constant Campaign” is the result.
What is gerrymandering?
• Drawing lines for congressional districts to the
advantage of the party in power
• Wesberry v. Sanders: made gerrymandering
illegal
– “one man, one vote rule”
– Each District must be on contiguous territory
– Each District must be of compact size
– Each District must have the same number of
people
What are the legal/constitutional
requirements to be a member of the
House of Representatives?
• 25 years of age
• US citizen for a minimum of 7 years
• Resident of the State from which elected
What are the traditional, unwritten,
voter-imposed requirements to be a
Member of the HoR?
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White (78%)
Male (87 %)
Protestant (65%)
Married w/ 2.45 kids
Lawyer (56%)
Over the age of 50 (54 is ave)
Upper level of income ($490,000 is ave.)
Dog owner (94%)
Born in State (88%)
Etc…
What can the House do to a Memberelect?
• Refuse to seat him by a majority vote
• Last attempt was made in 1900.
Representative-elect Roberts (D-Utah)was
denied his seat due to his polygamy.
The 3 levels of punishment for a
Member of Congress are:
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Censure : a warning
Sanction: warning + fine
Expulsion: removal from office
These are not judicial proceedings, so a
person cannot appeal the judgment of the
Speaker of the House
• Last censure: 2009 Rep. Joe Myers (R-SC)
• Last expulsion: 1990 Rep. R. Myers (D-Ohio)
The United States Senate
• 100 Senators
• 2 per State
• Only way to increase the size of the Senate is
to add States
17th Amendment
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Changed the way Senators are elected
Originally elected by States’ legislatures
NOW: elected by population of each State
“the popular election of the Senate”
Terms of Office for Senate
• Senators serve 6 year terms
• Terms in the Senate are staggered
• 1/3rd of the Senate is up for election every 2
yrs
• Called a “continuous body”
Why do Senators have a longer term
than Representatives?
The Senate was created to be a more
“deliberative body”. The longer term allows
Senators to be:
1. Freer from public opinion
2. able to vote their conscious
3. less constrained by the pressures of
constant campaigning
Why is the Senate called a “continuous
body”?
• Since only 1/3rd of the Senate is up for reelection every two years, the majority of the
Senate is always experienced.
• Unlike the House, the Senate does not have
start over every two years.
The legal or constitutional
requirements for the Senate
• Be at least 30 years of age
• Be a U.S. citizen for a minimum of 9 years
• Be a resident of the State from which you
were elected
Traditional or voter-imposed
qualifications for the Senate
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White (only 3 non-whites)
Male (only 16 women)
Protestant (70%)
College Grad (80% Ivy League)
Lawyers (68%!)
Married w/ kids (98%)
Previously served in government (82%)
Military service (58%)
Born in the State from which elected (90%)
Dog owner (100%)
Etc….
Senator John Cornyn
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First elected to the Senate in 2002
Resident of San Antonio
Serves as Deputy Whip of the Republican Party
Born in Houston (Rice Village)
Married w/ two daughters
Graduate of Trinity University
J.D. from St. Mary’s School of Law
Elected Attorney General of Texas 4 terms
Elected as Texas Supreme Court Justice 2 terms
Current Committee assignments:
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Armed Services
Judiciary
Budget
Small Business
Economic Development
Senator Ted Cruz
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First elected to US Senate in 2012
Served as Solicitor General of Texas
Taught as UT Law School for 6 years
Graduate of Princeton and Harvard Law
Clerked for Chief Justice Renquist
Comparison of the House and Senate
House of Representatives
Senate
Size
435
100
Term of Office
2 yrs
6yrs
Constituency
District (750,000 people)
State (30 million in TX)
Requirements
25/7/State
30/9/State
Prestige
Less
More
Power per Member
Less
More
Media Coverage
Less
More
Job Description
Policy Specialist
Policy Generalist
Debate Rules
VERY Strict
Formal/ Not Strict
Members of Congress are NOT a Crosssection of America!
• Congress does not look like America
• Average Member of Congress is:
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White
Male
Protestant
Married (to original spouse)
Average of 2.5 kids
An Ivy League grad
Lawyer
Born in the State they serve
Very wealthy (ave. $758,000 yr)
Previous gov’t service
Military experience
Roles of Congress
• Legislators: make laws for the U.S. (1,000 per yr)
• Committee Members: debate the merits of bills;
majority of legislative work is done in committees
• Represent Constituents: vote as directed by the folks
back in their District/State
• Servant of Constituents: help people in the
District/State with problems involving the Gov
• Politicians: constantly campaigning for re-election and
raising funds
• Have to do all 5 every day….. Sometimes at the
same time!!!!
Congressional Voting Philosophies
• Trustee: vote is based on own knowledge and
judgment
• Delegate: vote is based on the public opinion of
the District/State
• Partisan: vote is based on political party
• Politicos: try to combine judgment, public
opinion, and party… make everyone happy!
Congressional Pay
• Members of Congress are some of the only
people in the world who get to decide their
own pay!
• Current salary: $174,000 (House and Senate)
• Speaker/Pres-Pro Tem: $223,500
• Maj./Min Leaders: $193,400
Congressional Pay
Congressional Pay
• Restrictions on pay raises:
– Voters: We hate it when they raise their pay!
– 27th Amendment: limits pay; cannot raise their
pay in the same term; must get re-elected to get
raise
Health Insurance Coverage
• Members of Congress have one of the best health care plans in the
country
• Monthly premiums they pay $55.58-157.46 for coverage; Taxpayers
pay 75% of the premiums
• Office of the Attending Physician: Members pay $491.00 a year.
Covers all except:
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Surgery
Eyeglasses/contact lens
Dental Care
Prescriptions (Members pay $5-20 per month)
• No charge for medical care at:
– Walter Reed Army Medical Hospital
– Bethesda National Navy Hospital
(Family members are not eligible for free care)
COLAs “ Cost of Living Adjustments
• One of the ways that Congress receives raises
without actually voting to raise their pay
• When we have inflation, Congress gets an
automatic pay raise based upon the inflation
rate
• Last year COLA was 4%
Office Budgets: House
• Called the Members Representational
Allowance
• How much? Between $1,673,592-1,781,385
per year
– Amount depends on 3 things:
• Distance of home State from DC
• Cost of office space in congressional district
• Number of households in your congressional district
Office Budgets: House
• What does the MRA cover?
– Salaries of Staff Members (15-20 people)
– Equipment (computers, copiers, fax, phones,…)
– District office rental (home State)
– Member and staff travel (some)
– Supplies and materials (paper, toner, pens, …)
– Printing and reproduction of speeches, photos,
mailers, …)
Senate Budgets
• The Senate has budgets for each of the following
areas: (amounts based on size of State)
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Office Staff : $2.7-4.3 Million
Computer Services : $180,000-285,000
Home State Furniture and Equipment: $63,000
Reception room Allowance: $5,000 a year
State Office Rent: undisclosed
DC Office/State Office Equipment: undisclosed
Phone Service : unlimited
Paper and Envelopes: unlimited
Printing: unlimited
Perks
• A perk is a non-cash fringe benefit
• Congress may add these items for themselves by
a majority vote
• Usually added to an important bill in the hopes
that no one will notice!
Congressional Perks
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Tax Exemption: for 2nd residence requirement
Insurance: life, auto, etc…
Health Care
Parking: free at Capitol and Reagan National
Congressional Perks
• License plates: allow Members to park almost
anywhere in DC
Congressional Perks
• Plants for office from National Botanical
Gardens
• Research from Library of Congress
• Gym Membership
Congressional Perks
• Food and Beverage Allowance
Congressional Perks
• Souvenirs!!!
• See Ms Stimson’s giant collection
– Flags
– Key chains
– Calendars
– Books
– Etc…
Congressional Perks
• Ice delivered twice a day to the offices
Congressional Perks
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Free passports and visas
Bomb shelters
IRS will do their tax returns
Gift Allowance
Retirement Benefits
• Members of Congress are entitled to both
– Federal Employees Retirement System Benefits
• A federal matching program. Members pay in 7.5% of
salary per year. Government matches.
• Pays 80% of final salary if:
– Are age 62 w/ at least 5 yrs service
– Are age 50 w/ at lease 20 years service
– This would be $139,200 per year on average
– Social Security Retirement Benefits
• Must pay in 6.2% of pay. Government matches.
• Average member gets $2,500 per month ($30,000 year)
Congressional Privileges
• Free Speech and Debate Privilege:
– Members cannot be sued for libel or slander for
anything that they say in debate on the floor of the
House or Senate
• Arrest Privilege:
– Members cannot be stopped, ticketed, or arrested on
their way to a session or during a session, with the
exception of the following crimes:
• Treason
• Bribery
• Breach of the Peace
Chapter 11: Powers of Congress
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Tax
Spend/Appropriate Funds
DECLARE WAR
Eminent Domain
Make all federal laws
Set rules for military service
Fund the military
Regulate Native American lands
Regulate the federal district (Washington, D.C.)
Fund all federal building projects
Promote arts and sciences
Etc……….
Chapter 12: Congress Organizes
• Presiding Officers:
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Speaker of the House: Rep. John Boehner (R-Ohio)
Chosen in an election of the Members of the HoR
Job Description: leader of Majority Party in HoR
Powers:
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Sets the agenda (order of legislation)
Calls on Members to speak
Assigns Members to committees/Assigns Chairs
Seats Members
Rules on points of order
Sends bills to committee(s)
Speaker of the House:
Rep. John Boehner (R-Ohio)
• Pay/Perks:
– Salary of $223,500 per year
– Perks:
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Secret Service Protection
Limo/Driver
Airplane (Air Force 3)
Helicopter (Marine 3)
2 offices and staff of 160+
Dining Room and Staff at Capitol
Entertainment Allowance
Etc…
President of the Senate
• Vice President Joe Biden (D-Del)
• Chosen when elected V-P by the Electoral
College
• Job: Presiding Officer of the US Senate
• Powers:
– Call on Senators to speak
– Rules on points of order
– Counts votes
President of the Senate
Joe Biden (D-Del)
• Pay : $223,500 per year
• Perks:
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Secret Service Protection (self and family)
Limo and Driver
Lives at US Naval Observatory in Georgetown
Full domestic staff (chefs, maids, gardeners, etc…)
Air Force 2
Marine 2
3 offices: White House, OEB, and Senate
Staff of 100+
Travel Allowance
Entertainment Allowance
President of the Senate
President Pro Tempore of the Senate
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Takes over when the Vice President is out
Senator Daniel Inouye (D-HA)
Same powers and pay
Perks:
– Secret Service Protection
– Limo and Driver
– Can use Air Force 3 and Marine 3 when not in use
by Speaker
Leadership Offices in the House
• Majority Party: Republicans
– Leader: head of his/her party. Tries to get Party
agenda made into law. Acts as spokesman for
Party in Congress.
– Representative Eric Cantor (R-VA)
Majority Leader
• Pay: $193,400
• Perks:
– Additional staff
– Second office
– Dining room access
Majority Whip: Kevin McCarthy (R-CA)
• Assistant to Majority Leader
• Counts votes of party members
• Insures that party will have enough votes to
pass bills
House Minority Leader: Nancy Pelosi
(D-CA)
• Pay: $193,400
• Perks:
– Additional staff
– 2nd office
– Use of House Dining room
Minority Whip :Steny Hoyer (D-MD)
• Assistant to the Minority Leader
• Counts votes in party caucus
• Works to get enough votes to pass/kill bills
Senate Leadership
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Majority Leader: Harry Reid (D-NEV)
Leads Democrat in Senate
Try to get 60 votes (avoid filibuster!)
Get 51 votes on bill to pass
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid
Senate Majority Whip: Dick Durbin (D-IL)
• Assistant to Leader
• Count Votes
• Insure Democrats have 51 on bills, 60 for
debate
Senate Minority Leader, Mitch
McConnell (R-Ken)
• Leader of Republicans in the Senate
• Prevent Democrats from getting to 60 votes
• Filibuster Democratic legislation when
possible
Senate Minority Whip: Jon Kyl (R-AZ)
• Assistant to Minority Leader
• Counts votes
• Insures the Democrats don’t get 60 votes!
Committee Chairs
• How are they selected?
– In the House, the Speaker chooses
– In the Senate, Majority and Minority Leaders
choose
– Two factors most important in selection:
• Seniority
• Party Membership (always in the Majority Party)
Committee Chairs
• Job: manage the bills assigned to their
committee
• Why so powerful? They can speed up or
delay consideration on a bill, amend a bill,
pigeon-hole a bill, offer a committee bill, or kill
the bill directly.
Seniority
• An unwritten tradition in Congress which
states that those members with the greatest
number of years of service will receive the
best jobs, offices, staffers, etc…
Job(s) of a Committee
• Divide the work load
• Consider the merits of a bill
• Make a recommendation to the Congress
about the bill’s passage or failure
• Research bills
• Study important national issues
• Decide how tax dollars will be spent
• Etc…
Kinds of Committees
• Standing: permanent groups to which bills are
sent based on subject matter (one house)
• Select: temporary group set up to investigate
(one house)
• Joint: permanent group made up of members of
both houses
• Conference: temporary group made of up
members of both houses with the purpose of
compromising on proposed bills
• Subcommittee: a smaller division of a committee
House Rules Committee
• The most powerful of all congressional
committees
• WHY?
– All bills must go through the Rules Committee
before they can be debated
– They place the bill on the calendar (or not)
– They can place the bill on the calendar at a unique
time or date (3:00AM Christmas Eve, Feb 31st ,
etc…)
How a bill becomes a law (House )
• About 10,000 bills are proposed each term.
Only about 10% become law.
15 Steps to a Bill Becoming Law in the
House of Representatives
• 1. Creation/authorship
• 2. Introduction of bill
Types of Bills/Resolutions:
a. Public Bill: affects entire nation
b. Private Bill: impacts one person
c. Joint Resolution: H/S declare policy
d. Concurrent Resolution: H/S grant loan
e. Resolution: change rules in 1 house
f. Rider: amendment to a bill that could not
pass on its own
Bill to Law (House)
• 3. First Reading (by Member)
• 4. Sent to Committee by Speaker (probably a
Standing Committee by subject)
• 5. Sent to Sub-Committee by Committee Chair
Bill to Law (House)
• 6. Sub-Committee Actions:
– Debate Bill
– Hold Public Hearings
– Invite people to testify about the bill
– Investigate the bill
– Report the bill back to committee
• Favorably (recommend passage)
• Unfavorably (kill it!)
Bill to Law (House)
• 7. Sent back to Full Committee for debate,
hearings, investigation, and vote
– 5 committee options:
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Report favorably
Refuse to report the bill
Amend the bill
Offer a committee bill (completely different)
Report unfavorably
Bill to Law (House)
• 8. Bill is sent to the RULES COMMITTEE
– Schedule bill for debate and vote (or not)
– Place bill on one of the calendars in the House
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May select unusual day/time
May leave it off the calendar
May schedule debate for the end of the session/term
Can do any of these to kill the bill
Bill to Law (House)
• Bill is place on calendar:
– Union: all $ bills
– House: all public bills
– Private: all private bills
– Corrections: minor bills
– Discharge: discharge petitions (require 3/5th vote)
Bill to Law (House)
• 10. Second Reading and Floor Debate
– Must have a quorum (majority of members)
present to debate (220).
– DEBATE RULES:
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Must be recognized by Speaker
Must stand
Must speak on the topic
Must use proper language
Must abide by time limit
Bill to Law (House)
• 11. Members vote on bill
– Methods:
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Voice
Standing
Teller
Record (all major bills)
Voting Options:
Aye
Nay
Present
Bill to Law (House)
• 12. Third Reading (every bill must be read 3
times in each House before it can become law)
• 13. Final (formal) vote. Always a record vote
using the electronic voting machines
• 14. Speaker Boehner signs the bill (if it passes)
• 15. Bill is Engrossed (printed) and sent over to
the Senate to be considered.
Bill to Law (Senate)
• 1. Introduction: member is called on by Pres.
• 2. Bill gets 1st and 2nd reading by Clerk
• 3. Bill is sent to Committee by Majority and
Minority Leaders. Must go to subject matter
committee!
• 4. Bill is sent to sub-committee by Committee
Chair.
Bill to Law (Senate)
• 5. Sub-committee action:
– Hold public hearings
– Listen to expert testimony
– Call witnesses
– Debate merits of bill
– Amend bill
– Recommend passage/failure
– Etc…
Bill to Law (Senate)
• 6. Bill is sent back to full committee
– Committee will create a report for Senators so
they will have a brief summary of the bill.
• 7. Bill is called to the floor for debate/vote by
the Majority Leader. Cannot pigeon-hole bills
in the Senate.
Bill to Law (Senate)
• 8. Floor Debate:
– Rules•
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Must be recognized
Must stand
May speak on any topic
No time limit
Cannot be interrupted except for a question or a point of
order
• FILIBUSTER! An attempt to kill a bill by talking it to death.
• Cloture Rule is only way to stop. Need 60 votes to get
cloture. Must vote before filibuster begins!
Filibuster!
• Longest: Strom Thurmond (R-SC) 25+hours
Bill to Law (Senate)
• 9. Floor Vote: always a record vote
• 10. Signed by President of the Senate (if
passes)
• 11. Sent to the President of the United States
Final Steps: Bill to Law
• If Bill passed in exactly the same format in the
House and Senate, The President has 4
options:
– 1. sign into law
– 2. veto bill
– Pocket veto (Congress out of session10 days)
– Do nothing and let pass (Congress in session,
passes after 10 days)
Conference Committee
• If House and Senate pass different versions of
the same bill, they each appoint Members to a
conference committee. Their compromise bill
goes back through the process.
Final Steps!
• If the President vetoed the bill, Congress
needs a 2/3rd vote in the House and Senate to
over-ride. If can’t get 2/3rds vote, bill dies.
Cannot be re-introduced until next term.
Budget Process
• Current US National Debt is : $16.82 Trillion
• Your share is : $51,679.19
Federal Budget is made of two types of
spending
• Entitlement: required spending on things like
Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, etc…(64%
of the budget)
• Discretionary: annual spending on programs
like defense, agriculture, education, etc… (36%
of the budget)
Steps in Budget Process
• 1. President and OMB propose by Sept 30th
• 2. House sends plan to committees
– Ways and Means
– Appropriations
• 3. House committees must act by Oct 15th
• 4. Budget is called out for vote by Speaker, debated, amended,
passed, sent to Senate
• 5. Senate Budget Committee debates, researches, revises, etc…
• 6. Pres of Senate calls budget out for vote. Cannot be filibustered.
Vote by Oct 31st.
• 7. House/Senate go to conference committee. Compromise bill
passes.
• 8. President gets budget.
• 9. President must sign by Nov 10th or risk shut down of gov’t.
Causes of the National Debt
• “Corporate Welfare”: Tax $ spent to improve
sales/business
– Sematech: $100 B to make microcomputer chips
– Sugar Subsidies: $2.4 Million for growers
– Electric Utilities Subsidies: $2 Billion to producers
– Agricultural Marketing Board: $15 Million year for
advertising US agricultural products
– Bank Bailouts: $700 Billion
– Car Company Bailouts: $25 Billion
Waste and Mismanagement
• EPA: Environmental Protection Agency spent $263,000
for things like golf, tennis, and therapy for workers who
were cleaning up toxic waste dumps
• Pentagon: spent $263,000 on a Christmas party for
contractors building planes for Air Force
• Congress: kept open 3,802 military bases that the
military doesn’t want; cost $6.4 billion per year
• Department of Agriculture: $1 Million in phone jack for
which they have no phones and $8 million on
computers that have no software
• Department of Transportation: $585,000 to measure
the length of airline attendants’ noses
How much did the Navy pay for a
Hammer?
• $436! (even though it was list priced at $1)
• Why?
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$93 to test hammer
$102 for manufacturers’ overhead
$37 for spare parts
$3 shipping costs
$41 to order
$90 administrative costs
$56 finder’s fee
$7 interest
Pork Barrel Spending
• Government spending to impact a
congressional district or a State
• A way for a member of Congress to help their
State with employment and projects
Pork Barrel Spending Examples
Write down 10 in your notes!
PORK!
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$107,000 to study the sex life of the Japanese quail
$4.3 M to build the National Coal Mining Museum
$84,000 to study why people fall in love
$1 M to study why people don’t ride their bikes to
work
• $19 M to study gas emission from cow flatulence
• $144,000 to see if pigeons follow the human
economic laws of supply and demand
• $219,000 to teach college students to watch TV
More Pork!
• $500,000 to build a replica of the Pyramid of
Giza in Indiana
• $290,000 to study rudeness on tennis courts
and smiling patterns at bowling alleys
• $18M to build an industrial theme park in
Pennsylvania
• $2 M to build an ancient Hawaiian canoe
• $6 M to upgrade the Senate subway
Even More Pork!
• $250,000 to study putting caffeine in chewing
gum
• $1 M to hire Lauren to design Navy uniforms
• $45 M to build a Coast Guard station in West
Virginia
• $400,000 for a manure management project in
Iowa
• $100,000 for Trees Forever!
• $631,000 to study alternative salmon products
• $800,000 to study fire ant reproduction
Even MORE Pork!
• $250,000 for whirling disease research
• $205,000 to build a silent movie theater in WVA
• $4.4 M for a railroad crossing demonstration project
for Texas
• $1 M for a National Walking and Biking Accident Study
• $250,000 for sweet potato white fly research
• $200,000 for loco weed research
• $250,000 to study the rectal temperatures of
hibernating bears
• $1 M to study bathtub accidents in the US
What? More Pork?
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$250,000 to study schizophrenia in rats
$750,000 to study Alaska’s grasshopper population
$800,000 to build a bathroom on top of Mt. McKinley
$100,000 to study how to avoid falling spacecraft
$1M to create a national seafood consumer hotline
$16,000 to study how to play the komungo, a Korean
stringed instrument
• $1M to preserve the Trenton New Jersey sewer as a
historic monument
• $6,000 for the original recipe for Worcestershire sauce
Earmarks
• Funds provided by congress for projects,
programs, or grants where the Congressman
or Senator has circumvented the competitive
allocation process or has specified the location
or recipient of the grant/project
• About $44 Billion in projects and grants 201213 budget
Examples of Earmarks
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$1 B for “FutureGen” in Illinois
$53.6 B for “state stabilization” fund
$1 B for Census Bureau studies
$200 Billion for computers for Illinois community colleges
$10 M to combat Mexican gunrunners
$1B for NASA projects to Mars
$375 M for Mississippi River retention
$ 3.7 B to make Army bases “green”
$2B to develop better batteries for cars
$300 M to buy “green” cars for federal employees
$200 M to design the new Dept of Human Services headquarters in DC
$4M to build a Mob Museum in Las Vegas
$3.5 M for the National Cannon Ball Museum in Atlanta
$2 M for the National Grout Museum in New Jersey
ETC……………………………..
How can we get rid of pork and
earmarks?
• Give the President the line-item veto that many
Governors have (need amendment)
• Limit the number of terms that a person may serve in
Congress(need amendment)
• Require that Congress pass a balanced budget (need
amendment)
• Write your member of Congress and let them know
what you think
• Join a public interest group like the National Taxpayers
Union
• LOBBY against this type of waste!
The Texas Legislature
• The Texas Legislature: Bicameral
– Texas House of Representatives
– Texas Senate
The Texas House of Representatives
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How many? 150
Qualifications:
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21 years of age
US citizen
Resident of Texas for 5 years
Resident of District for 5 years
Term of Office: 2 years
Occupations: mostly insurance reps and lawyers
Role/Jobs:
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Making law
Budget
Regulating industries (insurance, petrochemical, farming, ranching, etc…)
Represent constituents
Servant of constituents
Politicians
Etc…
Texas Senate
• How many? 31
• Term of office: 4 years
• Qualifications:
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25 years of age
US citizen
Resident of TX for 7 years
Resident of Senate District 7 years
• Occupations: most are lawyers and doctors
• Roles/Jobs:
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Make laws
Budget
Regulate industries (medicine, law, construction, oil/gas, etc…)
Represent constituents
Servant of constituents
Etc…
The Law-making Process
• Basically the same as in the US Congress
EXCEPT:
– Fewer committees
– Fewer steps
– No Rules Committee; has Calendars Committee
instead
– All roll call votes
– Governor can line-item veto
– Have to worry about “sun set” legislation!
Differences between the Congress and
Texas Legislature
Congress
Texas Legislature
Size
535
181
Powers
More
Less
Sessions
Year-round
140 days every other year
Terms
2/6
2/4
Pay/benefits
Fantastic!
Poor
Committees
More
Less
Power
More
Less
Prestige
More
Less
Purpose of the Texas Legislature
• “to make laws for the benefit of the people of
the State of Texas”
Reapportionment and Redistricting
• The Texas Constitution requires that seats be
reapportioned every 10 years based on the
national census
• The Texas Legislature must redraw district
lines based upon population changes every 10
years
Sessions of the Texas Legislature
• 140 days every 2 years
• Current session began January 3, 2013 and
ended June 3, 2013
• Next session will begin January 3, 2015.
• No session in 2014!
Salary and Benefits of the Texas
Legislature
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Salary: $600 per month or $7,200 per year
Per Diem during Sessions: $95 a day for hotel
$20,000 per year for office expenses
Franking (free postage)
Retirement and Social Security (based on State
Judges salaries!)
• Health insurance (just like State employees)
Leadership in Texas Legislature
• Speaker of the House: Joe Strauss (R-Austin)
Lt Governor of Texas
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Presides over the Senate
David Dewhurst (R-Houston)
Elected separately by the people of Texas
Most powerful politician in TX
Powers of TX LEG
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Make laws (just for the State)
Tax (no income tax allowed!)
Spend (must have a balanced 2 year budget!)
Impeach/convict (just like Congress)
Confirm Appointments (if there are any!)
Regulate intrastate trade (just w/in Texas)
Etc…
Your Texas Representative is:
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Ed Thompson (R-Pearland, TX)
State Farm Insurance Salesman
Married with 2 children and 4 grandchildren
Graduated from U of H with a BBA in MKT
Your Texas Senator is:
Larry Taylor (R-Friendswood, TX)
Owns insurance agency in Friendswood
Graduated from Baylor with BBA in Finance
Married with 2 kids
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