CongressionalCongressional andand LegislativeLegislative AffairsAffairs Allison Arnold U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service Austin Ecological Services Field Office Austin, Texas ObjectivesObjectives ExplainExplain howhow legislationlegislation isis established.established. ExplainExplain thethe importanceimportance ofof developingdeveloping andand maintainingmaintaining positivepositive relationshipsrelationships withwith CongressionalCongressional officesoffices atat bothboth thethe nationalnational andand locallocal level.level. ExplainExplain howhow thethe ServiceService communicatescommunicates itsits policiespolicies andand programsprograms toto Congress.Congress. ExplainExplain howhow thethe ServiceService handleshandles legislativelegislative processesprocesses andand documents.documents. CongressCongress 101101 SenateSenate 100 members, two from each State Term 6 years, 1/3 of the total membership is elected every two years Unexpected vacancy can be determined by Governor for the balance of the term or by special election HouseHouse ofof RepresentativesRepresentatives 435 members, apportioned per State population (not more than 1 per 30,000) Resident Commissioner for Puerto Rico and Delegates from D.C., American Samoa, Guam, and Virgin Islands Serve/vote on Committees, but do not vote on matters before the House Term 2 years (one Congress i. e. 110th) CongressCongress 101101 ChiefChief functionfunction ofof Congress:Congress: MakeMake lawslaws BothBoth bodiesbodies havehave thethe samesame legislativelegislative functionsfunctions andand powers,powers, withwith somesome exceptionsexceptions SenateSenate alsoalso advisesadvises andand consentsconsents toto treatiestreaties andand toto certaincertain nominationsnominations byby thethe PresidentPresident HouseHouse participatesparticipates inin unexpectedunexpected VPVP vacanciesvacancies andand impeachmentsimpeachments BothBoth playplay rolesroles inin thethe PresidentialPresidential ElectionElection inin thethe eventevent ofof aa tietie inin electoralelectoral votesvotes HowHow areare lawslaws made?made? HowHow areare lawslaws made?made? IntroductionIntroduction ofof proposalsproposals SourcesSources forfor ideas:ideas: ManyMany butbut primarily:primarily: Members,Members, CongressionalCongressional Committees,Committees, campaigncampaign promises,promises, citizens,citizens, andand ExecutiveExecutive CommunicationCommunication (i.e.(i.e. fromfrom CabinetCabinet membermember oror StateState ofof thethe UnionUnion address)address) FormsForms ofof CongressionalCongressional Actions:Actions: billsbills (customary),(customary), jointjoint resolutions,resolutions, concurrentconcurrent resolutions,resolutions, andand simplesimple resolutionsresolutions WeWe willwill focusfocus onon thethe billbill herehere BillsBills A BILL For the establishment, etc. [as the title may be]. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That, etc. Bills may originate from House or Senate with some exceptions: Revenue bills must originate from House, Senate may vote on amendments Traditionally, appropriation bills originate in House Types: public (affects public generally) and private (affects an individual or private entity i.e. claims against U.S.) BillsBills SponsorSponsor // CoCo--sponsorssponsors HouseHouse == H.H. R.R. ## ;; SenateSenate S.S. ## ;; CompanionCompanion BillBill isis oneone introducedintroduced inin onon househouse butbut isis similarsimilar oror identicalidentical toto oneone introducedintroduced inin thethe otherother househouse AA billbill thatthat hashas beenbeen agreedagreed toto inin identicalidentical formform byby bothboth bodiesbodies becomesbecomes thethe lawlaw ofof thethe landland onlyonly afterafter---- Presidential approval; or failure by the President to return it with objections to the house in which it originated within 10 days (Sundays excepted) while Congress is in session; or the overriding of a presidential veto by a two- thirds vote in each house. CommitteesCommittees Divided by political party determined by the Majority Party Members elected to Committees based on expertise or interest Referral to Committee House – Placed in “hopper” Senate – presented to clerks at Presiding Officer’s Desk Copies of proposed bills are furnished to Committee Chairs and placed on the Legislative Calendar Professional Staff are elected to Committees by Committee Members apportioned by Party makeup MajorityMajority ofof billsbills nevernever makemake itit outout ofof CommitteeCommittee CommitteeCommittee ProceedingsProceedings Committee Meetings Public Hearings Mark up Subcommittee review after hearings Final Committee Action – quorum Committee Reports Action to report bill to a house Committee reports are perhaps the most valuable single element of the legislative history of a law. They are used by the courts, executive departments, and the public as a source of information regarding the purpose and meaning of the law. CommitteesCommittees // SubcommitteesSubcommittees thatthat wewe workwork withwith HouseHouse –– CommitteesCommittees on:on: Appropriations,Appropriations, Budget,Budget, EnergyEnergy andand Commerce,Commerce, HomelandHomeland Security,Security, NaturalNatural ResourcesResources,, EnergyEnergy IndependenceIndependence andand GlobalGlobal WarmingWarming .. .. .. SenateSenate –– CommitteesCommittees on:on: Agriculture,Agriculture, Nutrition,Nutrition, andand Forestry,Forestry, Appropriations,Appropriations, Budget,Budget, EnergyEnergy andand NaturalNatural Resources,Resources, EnvironmentEnvironment andand PublicPublic Works,Works, HomelandHomeland SecuritySecurity .. .. .. AuthorizersAuthorizers andand AppropriatorsAppropriators DivisionDivision ofof CongressionalCongressional && LegislativeLegislative AffairsAffairs WhatWhat wewe dodo .. .. .. ResponsibleResponsible forfor thethe Service'sService's legislativelegislative andand CongressionalCongressional relationsrelations activities,activities, includingincluding developingdeveloping andand implementingimplementing thethe ServiceService’’ss legislativelegislative agenda.agenda. Review,Review, analyze,analyze, commentcomment andand reportreport onon legislationlegislation referredreferred byby thethe DepartmentDepartment ofof thethe Interior.Interior. CoordinateCoordinate ServiceService commentscomments onon testimony,testimony, legislationlegislation andand otherother legislativelegislative documentsdocuments withwith otherother bureausbureaus andand officesoffices withinwithin thethe DepartmentDepartment and,and, throughthrough DOI,DOI, otherother federalfederal agencies.agencies. ServeServe asas thethe primaryprimary liaisonliaison betweenbetween CongressionalCongressional officesoffices andand thethe Service.Service. EstablishingEstablishing andand MaintainingMaintaining RelationshipsRelationships withwith CongressionalCongressional Offices:Offices: HelpsHelps MembersMembers ofof CongressCongress andand theirtheir staffstaff betterbetter understandunderstand andand supportsupport thethe ServiceService’’ss missionmission andand ourour effortsefforts toto accomplishaccomplish thatthat mission.mission. GeneralGeneral GuidelinesGuidelines forfor CommunicatingCommunicating withwith Congress:Congress: CommunicateCommunicate onon aa regularregular basis;basis; dondon’’tt waitwait untiluntil therethere isis aa problemproblem GetGet toto knowknow MembersMembers’’ CommitteesCommittees andand SubcommitteesSubcommittees InvolveInvolve CongressionalCongressional staffstaff andand MembersMembers inin ourour workwork viavia sitesite visits,visits, tours,tours, eventsevents IncludeInclude aa detaileddetailed CongressionalCongressional componentcomponent inin outreachoutreach plansplans TheThe ServiceService’’ss PolicyPolicy onon LobbyingLobbying FederalFederal lawlaw provides:provides: ““NoNo partpart ofof thethe moneymoney appropriatedappropriated byby anyany actact ofof CongressCongress shall,shall, inin thethe absenceabsence ofof expressexpress authorizationauthorization byby Congress,Congress, bebe ususeded directlydirectly oror indirectlyindirectly toto paypay forfor anyany personalpersonal service,service, advertisement,advertisement, telegram,telegram, telephone,telephone, letter,letter, printedprinted oror writtenwritten mattermatter oror otherother devise,devise, intendedintended oror designeddesigned toto inflinfluenceuence inin anyany mannermanner aa MemberMember ofof Congress,Congress, aa jurisdiction,jurisdiction, oror anan officialofficial ofof anyany governmentgovernment,, toto favor,favor, adoptadopt oror oppose,oppose, byby votevote oror otherwise,otherwise, anyany legislation,legislation, law,law, ratification,ratification, policypolicy oror appropriationappropriation byby Congress,Congress, whetherwhether beforebefore oror afterafter thethe introductionintroduction ofof anyany bill,bill, measuremeasure oror resolutionresolution proposingproposing suchsuch legislation,legislation, law,law, ratification,ratification, policypolicy oror appropriation.appropriation.”” 1818 U.S.C.U.S.C. 19131913 TheThe ServiceService’’ss PolicyPolicy onon LobbyingLobbying We Can: Support the Service’s official position on legislation Keep Congressional offices advised of status on the Service’s position Participate in conferences or forums to promote awareness of a Service legislative proposal (so long as it is not organized for the purpose of advocating support for or opposition to the proposal)