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Chapter 12: Congress in action

Key Concepts:

Terms in this set (70)

A closed meeting of the members of each party in each house is called a
party caucus.
a majority of the full membership of the House
quorum
After a bill comes out of a standing committee, what is the next step in getting it to the floor of the House for consideration?
placing the bill on a calendar
After the Vice President, who is next in line to become President of the United States?
Speaker of the House
assistant floor leader in the House or Senate
whip
Before proposing a new bill, House members will often
seek cosponsors.
Bills for raising revenue must originate in the
House of Representatives.
closed meeting of a party's House or Senate members
party caucus
closed meeting that deals with party organization
party caucus
Congress begins a new term in January of
every odd-numbered year.
Congress can override a President's veto by
a two-thirds vote of each house.
Congress comes together in which of the following?
every odd-numbered year
custom of granting top posts to members with the longest records of service
seniority rule
giving top jobs to those who have served the longest
seniority rule
How are committee chairmen chosen?
by the majority party caucus, based on seniority
How can a bill be forced out of committee once it is pigeonholed?
with a discharge petition
How can a majority of members of the House force a bill to the floor that has been buried in committee?
file a discharge petition
How can Congress override a presidential veto?
with a two-thirds vote of the full membership of each house
How can Congress override a presidential veto?
by a two-thirds vote of the full membership of each house
How does debate in the Senate differ from debate in the House?
Debate in the Senate is almost unrestrained.
How is a bill introduced in the Senate?
It is read twice and sent to a standing committee.
How often does Congress begin a new term?
every two years
joint committee that irons out differences in a bill
conference committee
leader of the party in power in Congress
majority leader
Members of the House and Senate may form a committee to work together on a certain issue such as taxation or the economy. What type of committee is this?
joint committee
permanent committee
standing committee
proposed law
bill
reject
veto
Senator Strom Thurmond held up the Civil Rights Act of 1957 by using what action?
filibuster
The opening day of a new term of Congress occurs in
January.
the President's rejection of a bill
veto
The Rules Committee can effectively kill a bill by
not granting it a rule.
The Senate Watergate Committee, which investigated a scandal surrounding President Nixon in 1973, is an example of which type of committee?
select committee
the Senate's check on the filibuster
cloture
to allow a bill to die in committee
pigeonhole
to allow a bill to die in committee
pigeonhole
way to stop a filibuster
cloture
What are the titles of the presiding officers of the House and the Senate?
House: Speaker of the House; Senate: President of the Senate
What does a House member do before proposing a new bill?
seeks cosponsors
What does it mean to "pigeonhole" a bill?
to bury it in committee
What does the minority whip do?
assists the minority leader
What happens to a bill in the House after a third reading and final vote of approval?
It is sent to the president of the Senate.
What happens to most bills that are referred to committees?
They are pigeonholed and die.
What happens to Senate bills after they come out of committee?
They are scheduled on a single calendar.
What is the most common method for taking floor votes in the House?
voice vote
What is the purpose of a conference committee?
to develop a compromise bill
What is the purpose of the House Rules Committee?
to control the flow of bills to the floor
What makes opening day in the Senate different from opening day in the House?
The Senate is a continuous body.
What must happen before a bill can be sent to the President for approval?
It must pass both houses in identical form.
What type of committee might the House and Senate form to work together on an investigation of a particular issue?
joint committee
When a bill in the House has been approved at second reading, it is engrossed, which means it is
printed in its final form.
When a House standing committee reports a bill, what is the next step in getting the bill to the floor of the House for consideration?
placing the bill on a calendar
Which correctly describes how a joint committee works?
Both houses participate.
Which explains the message of the cartoon?
Filibusters cause a breakdown in the legislative process.
Which is an important characteristic of a joint committee?
It has both House and Senate members.
Which is an important factor in the selection of committee chairmen?
length of service in Congress
Which is true of debate in the Senate as compared to the House?
more freedom to debate
Which of the following correctly describes select committees?
temporary committees set up for a certain purpose
Which of the following does the seniority rule favor?
those with experience
Which of the following statements about standing committees is true?
They play a critical role in the lawmaking process.
Which party officer serves as the Senate's presiding officer in the Vice President's absence?
President pro tempore
Which rule provides that the most important posts will be held by those party members with the longest records of service in Congress?
seniority rule
Which standing committee in the House handles all bills dealing with taxes?
Ways and Means
Which type of committee is set up for a specific purpose and for a limited time?
select committee
Which type of committee is set up to handle issues of national importance?
select committee
Who can introduce a bill in the Senate?
only senators who have been formally recognized for the purpose
Who follows the Vice President in the line of succession to the presidency?
the Speaker of the House
Why are committee chairmen important in the legislative process?
They have a major say in which bills the committee will consider.
Why does the House have so many calendars and rules?
because of the huge workload of the House
Why is the House Rules Committee so powerful?
It decides whether or not a bill will get a vote by the full House.
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