Discharge Petition: A petition that if signed by a majority of the House (218 members) requires a bill to come out of a committee and be moved to the floor of the House.
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE | Selected by majority party. |
Majority Leader | Leads the party. |
Majority Whip | Assists the leader, rounds up votes, heads large group of deputy and assistant whips. |
Chairman of the Caucus | Presides over meetings of all members of the majority party. |
Steering and Policy Committee | Schedules legislation, assigns members of the majority party to committees. |
Republican/Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee | Provides funds, assistance to Republican/Democratic candidates for the House. |
Minority Leader | Leads the party. |
Minority Whip | Assists the leader, rounds up votes, heads large forum of deputy and assistant whips. |
Chairman of the Conference | Presides over meetings of all members of the minority party. |
Committee on Committees | Assigns members of the minority party to committees. |
Policy Committee | Advises on party policy. |
Research Committee | On request, provides information about issues. |
HOUSE | SENATE | |
Age | 25 (if not elected) | 30 (if not elected) |
US Citizen | 7 years | 9 years |
State Inhabitant Where Elected | Yes | Yes |
Note: | Custom - must live in district represented |
On the federal level, many organizations, including UAPPEAL, utilize the help of a federal lobbyist to monitor and help them address federal legislation. A federal lobbyist:
On the federal level, citizen lobbyists need to contact legislators when advised by the federal lobbyist.
Qualifications for Entering Congress:
Major Differences between the Two Houses of Congress:
House Congressional Leadership:
There are two federal agencies that deal with native and exotic animals. One is the U.S. Department of Agriculture which is for commercial activities involving exotic animals, and the other is the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service which is the one that introduced the generic tiger and captive chimp rules. Learn about these federal agencies and their authority so you have a good understanding of the types of rules they can pass.
1. Animal & Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS)
2. US Fish and Wildlife Services (US FWS)
HOUSE | SENATE | |
Members | 435 | 100 |
Terms | 2-year | 6-year (rotating) |
Challenge of Committee Referrals | Hard | Easy |
Committees | Almost always consider first | Easily Bypassed |
Rules Committee | Powerful - Controls debate time, admissibility of amendments | Weak - Few limits |
Debate | 1 hour | Unlimited |
Non-germane Amendments | Bans floor introduction | Allows floor introductions |
A. Legislation is Introduced – Any member can introduce a piece of legislation.
A bill or resolution is:
Sponsors:
B. Committee Action – The bill is referred to the appropriate committee by the Speaker of the House or the presiding officer in the Senate (usually referral decision is made by the House or Senate parliamentarian). Bills may be referred to more than one committee, and it may be split so that parts are sent to different committees. The Bills are placed on the calendar of the committee to which they have been assigned. Failure to act on a bill is the equivalent of killing it.
Special House Procedures:
Committee Steps:
C. Floor Action
2. Debate
3. Vote - The bill is voted on:
4. Other Chamber
5. Conference Committee
6. President – The bill is sent to the President for review.
7. Bill Becomes a Law – Once a bill is signed by the President or the veto is overridden by both chambers, it becomes a law and is assigned an official number.
Senate Congressional Leadership:
HOUSE | SENATE | |
Debate | Limited (Rules Committee) | Unlimited (until motion made) |
Amendments | Relevant | Can be irrelevant (entire bills as amendments) |
Speaking Time | Limited (decided by committee) | Unlimited (can be "talked to death") |
Proponents/Opponents | Equal Time |
A. Monitor for Any Proposed Rules. When a federal agency introduces a proposed rule, they are published in the Federal Register. A listing of proposed rules from each agency can be found here.
http://www.aphis.usda.gov/newsroom/federal_register/index.shtml
http://www.fws.gov/policy/frsystem/default.cfm
B. Submit Comments on the Proposed Rules. Oftentimes, federal agencies provide a public comment period where members can submit feedback on proposed rules. To submit comments on proposed rules for both agencies, go to www.regulations.gov/#!home.
PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE | Selected by majority party. Usually most senior member of the Senate majority party. |
Majority Leader | Leads the party. |
Majority Whip | Assists the leader, rounds up votes, heads groups of deputy whips. |
Chairman of the Conference | Presides over meetings of all members of the Senate majority party. |
Policy Committee | Schedules legislation |
Legislative Review Committee | Reviews legislative proposals and makes recommendations to senators of the majority party. |
Steering Committee | Assigns senators of the majority party to committees. |
Republican/Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee | Provides funds, assistance to Republican/Democratic candidates for the Senate |
Minority Leader | Leads the party. |
Assistant Minority Leader | Assists the leader, rounds up votes. |
Chairman of the Conference | Presides over meetings of all senators of the minority party. |
Policy Committee | Makes recommendations on party policy. |
Committee on Committees | Assigns senators of the minority party to committees. |