Harvard Model Congress Europe CONGRESSIONAL PROGRAMS US SENATE US HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES INTRODUCTION Welcome to the United States Congress! This guide will help you prepare for your role as a member of the United States Congress for HMCE this April. Capitol Hill is one of the most exciting places for a politician, but it comes with its fair share of rules and responsibilities. In order to serve your nation to the best of your ability, your constituents expect you to prepare for your role by familiarizing yourself with the legislative process and thoroughly researching the issues your committee will discuss. We encourage you to begin preparing for HMCE right away! The more time you spend becoming acquainted with con- gressional procedure and considering the legislative issues that lie before you, the more you fun you will have at the conference. CONGRESSIONAL PROGRAMS AT HMCE Congress is a dynamic legislative body, and in acting as a congressional leader you will experience what it is like to write the laws for an entire nation. Accurately portraying the senator or representative assigned to you will require some background research about your member, his or her party, and his or her ideology. For the purposes of Harvard Model Congress Europe, both the House of Representatives and the Senate are each divid- ed into two committees. To begin the conference, each committee will consider its topics separately, debating and putting togeth- er draft bills. The “Full House” and “Full Senate,” each consisting of both committees from the respective chambers, will then meet twice towards the end of the conference to debate the bills passed during committee sessions. From there, any bills passed by the Full Senate will go to the Full House for consideration, just as the Full Senate will consider those bills passed by the House. Any bill passed by both chambers then goes on to a specially convened Conference Committee which reconciles any differences between the two versions of the bill. Bills then return to each chamber for final approval. When a bill has been passed in exactly the same form in both the House and the Senate, it lands on the desk of the president for approval or veto. If the president vetoes a bill, a vote will be held during the closing ceremony of the conference when, upon a two-thirds vote of all representatives and senators, the veto may be overridden. Additionally, to reflect the unique jurisdiction of the real Senate, at HMCE the Full Senate may be asked to ratify cer- tain international treaties. We encourage you to read the briefing materials for other programs, as it is an important part of your role as a senator to understand US actions on the international stage. You will be asked only to approve or disapprove a treaty as a whole — its sections will not be dissected as a bill would be. The issues that are under consideration at this year’s conference are covered on the following pages. These briefings should be considered starting points for the issues; you are strongly encouraged to follow up with your own research. While each committee will only consider three topics, you should read all six briefs so that you are familiar with all topics that will come up for debate when the chamber meets as a whole. Also, keep in mind that all debate will be conducted according to parliamentary procedure. Please read the rules of pro- cedure contained in this guide very carefully. Having a good understanding of these rules will ensure that everybody’s ideas are heard and that the best possible legislation comes out of every session. 1 Harvard Model Congress Europe GUIDE TO THE US CONGRESS Revised by Laura Morris and Katherine O’Gara THE CONGRESS AT HMCE At the Conference Preparing for the Conference During the conference, you will alternate between formal debate and caucus, each of which contributes to the committee process. During formal debate, your committee chair will recognize different As a member of Congress, your political senators or representatives to speak on the issue at commitments and legislative decisions are shaped by hand. Speaking up during formal debate is often the a number of factors, all of which should be considered best way to communicate your idea to the whole from the point of view of your assigned role. Each of group. During caucus, committee members may your positions should reflect your personal feelings, brainstorm ideas for legislation and work on the bill your party’s political platform, the opinions of your writing process in smaller groups. constituents, what is best for your region, and what is After setting the agenda, your chair will open best for the nation as a whole. committee by forming a general speakers’ list to begin As soon as you are assigned a role, begin by debate on the topic at hand. It is a useful strategy to researching your role biography in order to familiar- raise your placard early in order to place yourself on ize yourself with your senator or representative’s the speakers’ list. While you may think you have background and your district profile. Also be sure to nothing to say, inevitably a fellow committee member carefully read through the “liberal view” and “conser- will make a statement to which you wish to object or vative view” sections of your briefings so that you for which you want to echo your support. By placing know how each political party traditionally feels yourself on the speakers’ list early on, you can be con- about the topics you will be discussing, as well as the fident that your ideas are brought front and center so “presidential view” so that you know how the current the committee can consider your opinion while craft- presidential administration is likely to react to any ing legislation. legislation written on the issue. Some of you might feel hesitant to speak in In addition to researching your role’s posi- front of the committee at first; many delegates feel tions, we strongly encourage you to research your nervous in this new situation. But while speaking may assigned issues independently so you can consider the seem frightening at first, debating ideas during com- topic from multiple viewpoints. Delegates who have mittee is the best way to enrich your conference expe- thoroughly read through the briefings and done out- rience. side research on the issues are often the most success- While drawing up legislation, it is important ful at crafting thoughtful legislation. to keep in mind the rules for bill-writing. First, legis- lation must be approved by the committee chair before it can be officially introduced. While each bill 2 Harvard Model Congress Europe US Congress: Guide will be discussed in turn, chairs especially look for Special Programs in Action well-written legislation drafted through debate and compromise. The committee may pass more than one bill on the same topic, but it is always a good idea to make each bill as thorough as possible so that your leg- Presidential Cabinet islation makes it on to the full-session docket. Congressional committees will periodically hear testimony from members of the Presidential Cabinet. Cabinet testimony is especially helpful Party Caucus because Cabinet members’ statements can often remind the committee of the presidential policy on the Before full session, you and your fellow sena- issue currently being debated. Furthermore, their testi- tors and representatives from each political party mony will give you a good idea of whether or not the (Republicans or Democrats) will meet in a party cau- president plans to support or veto your bill. cus, where you will rally behind your party’s political platform and articulate the party stance on each issue. Your chairs will present the bills on the full session docket so that your party can attempt to construct a Press Corps cohesive party strategy for addressing the proposed pieces of legislation. During the conference, the HMCE Times reporters will update all conference participants about committee debates, important votes, court decisions, Full Session national crises, and political scandals that have hap- pened over the course of the day. While observing Next, the Speaker of the House or President of committees, reporters will take notes on committee the Senate will call together the House or Senate full progress and may ask to interview you about current session so that the entire chamber can begin reviewing legislation ideas. They will publish daily issues of the the legislation passed in the committees. In full ses- HMCE Times, so make sure to pick up a copy to stay sion, members of Congress have the opportunity to dis- informed. cuss the legislation that successfully passed in com- mittee, in hopes that the bill will eventually be signed into law. During full session, each legislative chamber will discuss both legislation passed in its committees Executive Office and bills passed in the other chamber’s full session. If legislation successfully passes in the Senate, the bill The Executive Branch is a group of elite will then be sent to House for approval, and vice versa. HMCE staff members focused on operating the Home In addition, the Senate will consider for ratification Office, which keeps an eye on wayward members of any treaties agreed upon by the International Treaty Congress. Senators or representatives who do not Summit. Legislation passing both chambers is submit- faithfully represent their constituency may receive a ted to the president, who signs or vetoes the bill before letter from concerned voters urging them to reconsider a joint session of both houses of Congress at the their position.