Article I of the U.S. Constitution grants all legislative powers to a bicameral Congress: a House of Representatives and a Senate, which are the result of a “Great Compromise” that seeks to balance the effects of popular majorities with state interests. Our system currently provides for a two-year term for members of the House of Representatives from all 435 populated districts. In the Senate, the electors of each state elect two senators whose 6-year terms overlap (so that only one-third of the house is up for election in a given election cycle). In principle, both chambers have equal tasks and legislative functions. Only the House of Representatives can pass tax bills, and only the Senate confirms presidential appointments and approves treaties, but passing laws still requires both houses to separately approve the same bill in the same form before submitting it to the president. The process by which an invoice becomes law is rarely predictable and can vary greatly from invoice to invoice. In fact, for many bills, the process will not follow the sequence of phases of Congress, which are often understood as a legislative process. The following presentations on specific topics provide a more detailed overview of each of the common steps a bill can take, but keep in mind that complications and variations are abundant in practice. Committee members and staff spend much of their time drafting and reviewing legislative proposals, but committees are also involved in other activities.
Once the law is passed, Congress has the prerogative and responsibility to oversee the implementation of the policy, and its committees take the lead in these efforts. Both Houses give their committees considerable power and leeway to oversee and investigate public policy issues and their implications. While the engine of legislative ideas and action is Congress itself, the president also has influence over the legislative process. The president recommends an annual budget for federal agencies and often proposes legislation. Perhaps more importantly, the veto power over laws can affect the content of bills passed by Congress. Because it is quite unusual for laws to be passed by presidential veto, Congress must generally consider the president`s position on proposed actions. Because each chamber has the constitutional power to make its own rules, the House of Representatives and the Senate have developed very different ways of amending laws, which may result in part from their constitutional differences. In general, the rules and practices of the House allow a numerical majority to process laws relatively quickly. Senate rules and procedures, on the other hand, favour advice over quick action because they provide senators with a considerable procedural advantage. In both chambers, much of the political expertise resides in standing committees – bodies made up of members from both parties that typically lead the development and evaluation of bills.
Members usually sit on a small number of committees, often for many years, so they are very knowledgeable in certain policy areas. All committees are chaired by a member of the majority party, although chairs often work closely with the most senior member of the committee, the member of the longest-serving minority party on the committee. In almost all cases, the ratio of majority party members to minority party members on a committee roughly mirrors the overall ratio of parties in the House of Congress. Congress actions are usually planned and coordinated by party leaders in each chamber chosen by members of their own faction or conference – that is, the group of members of a chamber who share a political affiliation. The leaders of the majority parties in the House of Representatives have significant powers and prerogatives to effectively set the political agenda and decide which proposals are considered. In the Senate, the leader of the majority party is generally expected to propose items for consideration, but there are few formal tools for a numerical majority to act. Instead, majority party leaders usually have to negotiate with minority party leaders (and often all senators) in order to effectively deliver action in the Senate.