Text 2 Congressional organization

Read the text and answer the following questions.

1. How is party work organized in Congress?

2. What are the Speaker’s powers in the House?

3. What are the legislative powers of the US Vice-president?

4. What are the whips responsible for?

5. What are the three major categories Congressional committees fall into?

6. What dilemma does Congress solve by using the committee system?

Members of Congress organize themselves in several ways to conduct “the people's business” as efficiently as possible. The most important of these is by party. Special party groups pick the officers of each chamber and decide which committees members will work on. Each party gets a number of committee members equal to the percentage of seats it won in the last elections. The majority party wins the leadership positions and the most committee staffing.

Congress has well over 100 caucuses (interest groups formed to lobby other members) that allow members to gather in groups that are increasingly important rivals to the parties as the source of policy proposals. There are conservative, moderate and liberal caucuses for each party, as well as caucuses formed to promote regional, economic, ethnic, racial and women’s issues that cross both party and chamber divisions.

The House of Representatives is led by a presiding officer known as the Speaker. Traditionally, the leader of the majority party holds this powerful post. Among the Speaker’s powers are:

1. Power to recognize members. House members cannot take the floor to speak unless they are recognized by the Speaker. By controlling debate on a particular bill, the Speaker can influence its passage or defeat.

2. Power to interpret House rules. This power enables the Speaker to refer bills to favorable committees to appoint special and conference committee members, to delay or speed up the passage of legislation.

1. The Speaker may also vote on any issue but seldom does so except to break a tie.

The majority party elects the Speaker at a special party conference, or caucus, which is held at the beginning of each new term.

If both the President and Vice President die at the same time, the Speaker is next in line for the presidency.

Each house has a majority and a minority leader. House leaders who belong to the President’s party work with the White House to pass the administration’s legislative program. Each party awards its floor leadership positions to senior members who have demonstrated superior political skills. The majority and minority party leaders work with the Speaker of the House and the President of the Senate.

The floor leaders are assisted by party whips in each house. The whips (of the majority and minority parties) keep track of all important political legislation and endeavor to have all members of their party present when important measures are to be voted upon. When the vote is likely to be close they check up, find out who is out of the city, and advise absentees of the important measures coming up. Party whips use many methods to get the job done, from polite debate to political arm-twisting. The office of whip is unofficial and carries no special salary. Each whip, however, is allowed certain additional help, sufficient office space, and is permitted to incur additional expenses in the performance of his duties.

The Vice President of the United States serves as the President of the Senate. In practice, Vice Presidents seldom preside over the Senate unless a close vote on important bill is expected. The Vice President may not take part in debates but casts the deciding vote in case of ties.

The Senate also elects one of its members to the post of President pro tempore. This Senator presides over the Senate when the vice presidency is vacant or when the Vice President is absent.

How the committee system is organized

Every year Congress staggers under a work load that is increasing in size and complexity. A single energy bill, for example, might run to 400 pages or more. Members cannot be fully informed on every issue, nor can members study every problem in depth. Congress solves this dilemma by using committee system. Serving on committees gives legislators a chance to concentrate on one or two areas of legislation that especially interest them. Each committee holds hearings on matters related to its area and authority. A bill that would set up a new foreign aid program, for example, would be heard before the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations and the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.

Congressional committees fall into three major categories:

1. Standing committees. They are permanent, regular units with jurisdiction over certain subject matters of legislation and law. Each of the permanent committees studies new bills that fall under its jurisdiction. The House has 22 and the Senate has 16. Each standing committee further divides itself into subcommittees that handle specialized committee business. Congressional committees also depend on expert staffs to aid them in their work.

2. Special committees are created when a situation develops that can’t be handled by normal committee procedure. These “select” committees, as they are sometimes known, disband after their particular tasks are finished.

In recent years, special committees have looked into the problems of aging, hunger, Indian affairs, and government intelligence agencies.

3. The House and Senate versions of the same bill often differ. When this happens, the leadership appoints a temporary conference committee. Conference committee members meet, settle their differences through compromises, and write a conference report. Both houses must accept or reject the report without amendment. The conference committee thus plays a key role in deciding a bill’s final form.

Task 1. Find in the text the English for:

1. руководить работой законодательной ветви власти;

2. занимать пост (должность);

3. взять слово (в Конгрессе);

4. предоставлять слово;

5. затягивать или ускорять прохождение законопроекта;

6. равное распределение голосов;

7. партийная конференция;

8. почти равное количество голосов “за” и “против”;

9. отдать решающий голос;

10. председательствовать (в Сенате, Палате);

11. следит за ходом, развитием чего-либо;