American Government Reflections

Chapter 6: Congress at Work

Organization of Congress
Term limits are a source of great debate. As of today, there are no set number of terms that a
House representative or Senator may serve as there is with the president. This means that
incumbents, or office holders, have a chance at reelection every election season if they have
satisfied the needs of those they represent. I believe this allows Congress to have members that
are experienced in the political field and members that have a deeper understanding of the
government and its workings. They also have more experience than those who have never run for
office and may be able to get projects and pass favorable legislation better than a new member of
Congress would. However, the reelection of incumbent members several times could become
unresponsive to the needs of the people and resistant to change. A new member may bring new
ideas and a fresh outlook on what would promote the public good. Should term limits be set for
Congress?
While reading more about Congress, I understood more about how leadership is organized
and how they are able to manage the many members of Congress while in session. Both the
Senate and House are organized by political party, the majority and minority parties. The House
needs stronger leadership and stricter rules due to its large body of members. This makes sense
as if all 435 members tried to speak at once no one would be heard. At the top, there is a person
called the Speaker who grants the floor to members, controls floor debates, and more. He/she is
the most influential person in the House. Underneath he/she, are the majority and minority floor
leaders. After them, are the majority and minority whips. For the Senate, the vice president is the
presiding officer with the president pro tempore underneath him. The majority and minority floor
leaders and whips are beneath them. I believe that strong organization is needed for both houses
because I have had experience in the El Segundo band. Since the band has about 100 members,
strong organization and leadership is needed for the program to run smoothly and efficiently.
Without it, there would be chaos. Congress also has the right to censure its members if discipline
is needed and expel them, which needs a two-thirds vote to remove a member from office.
The Committee System
The Committee System allows Congress to further organize its leadership and manage the
various tasks that are assigned to it. These committees each focus on one specific aspect of
public policy and the legislation for it to become experts on that one subject. This allows
Congress as a whole to give more consideration to proposed legislation without having to pour
over every detail as a whole. I believe the committee system saves time and makes the
government more effective. This is similar to the sections that the band divides into based on
instrument type. Each smaller section focuses on their specific task that contributes to the whole.
These sections in band are similar in structures and function as the committees in Congress.
There are standing committees, subcommittees, select committees, joint committees, and
conference committees. Each committee has a leader know as the committee chair. Committee
chairs are now voted as the chair instead of a seniority system. Committee members will also
have personal and committee staff to help with their work. Additionally, most members are
placed in the committee that they apply for. I believe this is important because then the member
has interest in the subject and is more likely to provide a better solution than someone who does
not care for the subject of the committee.

How a Bill Becomes a Law

There are several steps that a bill must take before it becomes a law. First, it must go through
a referral by a committee for consideration. The committee then holds hearings that are usually
open to the public. I believe that the these hearing should always be open to the public as this
allows the public to know what bills are in consideration for passage to a law and how they may
affect their lives. This also allows committees to gain insight on the public view of the bill. If the
committee approves the bill it then goes into the markup stage where it is revised and must be
approved by the full committee before it goes to the House or Senate floor. If it is not approved,
the bill dies in the committee stage. If it does make it to the House or Senate, in the House, the
bill goes through either open, closed, or modified review. In the Senate, however, the bill can be
stopped from becoming a law if one senator opposed the bill. Additionally, attempts at filibusters
are made though there have been laws that limit the stalling of a vote for a bill. I believe that
senators should not be allowed to filibuster because this wastes time and makes Congress less
efficient. I also believe that conferences between the houses of Congress are needed because this
ensures that bills that are similar or identical are not both passed. Finally, a bill that has passed
both houses goes to the president who may veto the bill.