Chapter 5
Section 3
1. Who is in charge of the Senate?
Vice President in his absence President Pro Temp
2. What is the only real power of the Vice President in the Senate?
He can vote and break a tie
3. What are the duties of the Majority and Minority leaders?
Steer party’s bills through the Senate, schedule and that the party is
attending important meetings. Minority leader: critique the majority party’s
bills and keeping the party united by making sure everyone is present to vote
on important issues the way the party wants them to
4. The House of Representatives has 5 calendars to schedule the movement of
bills. How many calendars does the Senate have? Two the Calendar of
General Orders and the Executive Calendar
5. How does a bill come to the floor? By a unanimous consent to bring the bill
to the floor for a vote
6. What is the purpose of a filibuster? Debate over a bill as long as the senator
can speak in order to delay a vote on the bill
7. How can a filibuster be stopped? A cloture must exist….60 senators have to
vote to limit the senator to only an hour debate
8. Use Google and find who holds the record for the longest filibuster. Strom
Thurmond
Chapter 5
Section 4
1. Explain the purposes of committees in Congress.
Keeps the work flow moving and organizing the progress of bills
1, divides the work into smaller groups where people can work on what they
specialize
2. place where lawmakers listen to the supporters and opponents of a bill
3. By investigating and listening to expert testimony regarding the bill so
they can issue a report to the rest of Congress
2. What is the purpose of a standing committee?
Permanent group to oversee bills that deal with certain kinds of issues… they
are also being dealt such as education, agriculture, armed forces, etc
3. What is the purpose of a select committee and how long does it last? A
committee to study one specific issue that is facing the country at a specific
time. They can last no more than one term. Report to the House or the
Senate
4. A joint committee cannot propose bills so what is their actual purpose?
5.
6.
7.
8.
Made up of members of both THE HOUSE AND THE SENATE. The members
report about an issue to both the House and the Senate. They do not
introduce bills
If similar bills are passed in the House and the Senate, the conference
committee works on the bill. What do they do with the bill? The conference
committee works to make sure the bill looks exactly alike so it can be voted
on and move onto the President of the United States to be signed
What are the powers of the committee chair?
He decides when the committee will meet, which bills they will consider,
which witnesses will be called to testify, hire staff members to work for the
committees, and control budget.
How did the Reorganization Act of 1970 change the power of the committee
chairpersons?
Majority of members can now call a meeting, opposing committee members
must be given time to state their views, reasonable notice must be given for
all committee hearings, the chairperson cannot cast an absentee vote, and all
votes have to be published
There is no limit to how many terms a senator or a representative can be
elected. How did the seniority system give too much power to senior
congressmen?
It was that member on the committee that had served the longest time as a
senator would automatically be the chairperson and control the power. That
changed to chairs being elected by the committee members and they cannot
serve more than three consecutive terms.