The Legislative Branch: Congress (Unit IV)

Unit IV: Institutions of Government: Congress, Presidency, Bureaucracy, Courts

(35-45%)

Congress (Unit IV)

● What is the demographic composition of Congress? What groups are most underrepresented and why?

Women in the US House -What trends do you see and why has this

trend occurred?

Congressional Districts●There are 435 seats in the US House of Representatives (#capped by federal law). Each US house member today represents approximately 650,000 constituents.

Congressional DistrictsReapportionment(done by Congress) – the process of reassigning number of seats per state.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RUCnb5_HZc0

Gerrymandering (done by State lawmakers) – the process of drawing district lines to benefit a party. Gerrymandering is allowed but there are two limitations that have been established by the US the US Supreme Court.

Baker v. Carr (1962) the “equal protection clause” has been interpreted tomean that districts must be equal in size.Known as the one man, one vote ruling.

Westbury v. Sanders (1964)requires that Congressional districts be “compact and contiguous”(districts can’t be randomly spread out or “polka dotted” around the state….they have to be connected)

What is the result of Gerrymandering?

●There are still some very oddly shaped districts. http://watt.house.gov/;

●Safe seats – a seat predictably won by one party.

●A more “partisan” Congressthis is because safe seats are more likely to elect a more ideological member.

●Majority minority districts http://www.bobbyscott.house.gov/

Story on 2010 redistricting.

Answer these questions as you watch the video.

(1) What will be the impact of redistricting?

(2) Which party will make gains from redistricting? Why?

(3) How will redistricting impact the Presidential election of 2012 and why?

Let’s play The Redistricting game. http://www.redistrictinggame.org/

Redistricting Resources

2012 Redistricting:●http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2010/12/21/us/census-districts.html

Illinois Redistricting:●http://illinoisreview.typepad.com/illinoisreview/2011/05/congressional-redistricting-cuts-dupage-co-into-six-cds.html

CNN Gerry Rigged:●http://www.cnn.com/2011/11/18/politics/gerrymandering/index.html

Congressional Elections (Unit IV)

Congressional Elections – Campaign Finance

Congress (Unit IV)

● Divided government● Unified government

● How easy to

(a) pass a law

(b) amend constitution

(c) filibuster

The Legislative Process

I suggest each year you chose a “case study” of a proposed bill or a bill that becomes law. Use this to teach terms, processes, politics, etc.

Teacher ideas of case studies?

See resources on the passing of the Health Care Bill of 2009.

Pork Barrel Projects –the “bridge to nowhere”

●This bridge in Alaska was paid for via an earmark.●Why does this anger Americans?●Why do Senators use this method of securing funding?

Pork Barrel Legislation Unit IV

The Healthcare Bill of 2009Key Terms

Health insurance – a private plan that individuals/businesses pay into that guarantees medical care.

Medicare-a government run health insurance plan for the retired/elderly.

Medicaid-A government run health insurance program for the poor/disabled (paid to states in the form of a block grant.

single payer system-Health insurance provided by the government – this is not used in the United States but is used in many developed countries.

What problems with health care prompted Congress/President to act?

●Uninsured in USA = 40+ million

●Medicaid covers the poor, many who work are too rich to qualify for Medicaid but their jobs don’t provide insurance

●Rising health care costs

●Bankruptcies (most commonly from health care costs)

●No law to prevent an insurance company from dropping a client

●No law to prevent an insurance company from denying an individual coverage based on a “preexisting condition”

Problems with health care in U.S.A.

A comparison of health Spending as a percentage of GDP.

Per capita spending on Health Care

Public Spending on Health Care

Let’s learn about the new law& how it passed.

President Obama outlined his goals before a joint session of Congress in

Sept. 2009.

**His plan was proposed to a Democratic controlled

Congress.**

Clinton had proposed a single payer system to a

Democratic Congress in ‘92 but the plan failed.

Let’s learn about the new law& how it passed.

Obamacare links on YouTube

Part 1: President’s Speech/news clips

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=2U184wRN6Pw

Part 2: House Debate/news clips

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ljfkgKzYL4&feature=relmfu

Part 3: Senate Debate/news clips

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iyxdofZjHcw&feature=relmfu

Health Care Bill chronology●House passes Bill / Senate passes Bill with 60 votes●Bill goes to conference committee●Senator Brown (R) is elected to fill Sen Kennedy’s place. Senate has lost it’s filibuster proof majority as Brown promises to vote against the health care bill●House votes on Senate version of the bill (not the bill that comes out of the conference committee. This bill is not as strong on forbidding abortion and has no public option) ●Obama/Pelosi lobby progressive caucus to vote in favor of Senate bill, Obama promises blue dog democrats to sign executive order forbidding abortion●House passes Senate version of bill, passes changes to bill via “reconciliation” which only require 51 votes

House & Senate Versions of the Bill

House Version●Expands Medicaid●Insurance Mandate●New rules for insurance●Strict Language banning abortion funding●Public option Insurance Program

Senate Version●Expands Medicaid●Insurance Mandate●New rules for insurance

The Health Care Bill that passed

●Extends coverage to 96% of Americans by 2014●Increase in taxes on families making $250,000/yr●Requires more employers to provide health ins.●Raises eligibility for Medicaid/provides subsidies to buy insurance for low income ●Mandates middle income purchase Health Insurance●Establishes state run insurance exchange program (which can not cover abortion)●Bans discrimination based on preexisting conditions/forbids dropping the sick●Kids can stay on parents health insurance until age 26

How would you vote?

Attacks from the right:●http://graney.topcities.com/10healthrally.htmAttacks from the left:http://www.thedailyshow.com/full-episodes/wed-october-27-2010-barack-obama●If your answer is yes, would you change your mind if you were representing a conservative district with many families making over $250,00/year? Or a district with many residents who would be subjected to the insurance mandate?

Affordable Health Care for America Act

National Federation of Independent Business v. Sebelius (2012)Attorneys General argued congress exceeded its power under the Commerce Clause when enacting the insurance mandate●Obama administration argued the bill falls within the scope of federal power due to the necessary and proper clause and the power to tax.

http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/organizations/s/supreme_court/affordable_care_act/index.html

What are the advantages of the majority party in the

legislative process?

The Legislative ProcessImpact of Bicameralism (Unit IV)

● House● Speaker of the House● Rules Committee● Majority/minority

leaders● Whip● Rules Committee● Ways and Means● Open/Closed Rule

● Senate● Majority/minority

Leaders● President Pro

Tempore● Whip● Filibuster● Rider (aka Pork

Barrel)

The Legislative Process (Unit IV)

Importance of Committees

Seniority System within Committees

Role of Staff

Conference Committee

Veto

Veto overrides

Pocket Veto

The Legislative Process (Unit IV)

The Legislative Process (Unit IV)

The Legislative Process – Bypass Committee (discharge petitions)

The Legislative Process – Multiple Referrals

The Legislative Process (Unit IV)MORE FILIBUSTERS

More polarized Congress…

Fewer Moderates in House

Eric Cantor (R-VA)House Majority Leader

http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=7393500n&tag=mncol;lst;2

Web Simulations - Congress

● Center on Congress – Indiana University

http://congress.indiana.edu/interactive-learning-modules

Non Legislative Functions of Congress (Unit IV)

● Oversight of Bureaucracy“Legislative Veto”

Ins. Chadha

● Constituent Service

● House – impeachments

● Senate – confirmations, ratifications

● Investigations

Congressional Oversight of Bureaucracy (Unit IV)

Congress: Additional Useful Web Sites

http://www.congresslink.org/http://thomas.loc.gov/www.vote-smart.org

www.c-span.org