The Coolidge examiner. [volume] (Coolidge, Ariz.) 1930-current, 1933-05-19
Our Government
How 1t Operates
HOW CONGRESS
FUNCTIONS
BY William Bruckarf

\ maximum view for everyone, but
that necessitated placing them on a
level quite above the floors where
the senators or the representative
have their seats. That circumstance
does not always permit a proper
understanding of debate. Many visi-
tors go away from the Capital,
therefore, with an impression that
enactment of legislation is far too
complex and intricate for the mind
of the lay person to comprehend.
/ 1t is unfortunate that this cOndi-
/ ton prevails, but it is not the only
reason why those seeing the house
/ or the senate in session for the first
time fail to understand what is
happening. They see only a part of
the whole picture of the legislative
function.
/ The house and senate are on a
par in dealing with the bulk of the
/ laws that go on our statute books,
but each body has certain functions
reserved to it and with which the
other one has, and can have, no con-
Germ. The house, by direction of the
Constitution, must originate all laws
! that raise revenue, those that tax
| you and me, and it also must start
all laws-they are bills while in the
legislative machinery-making ap-
preparations of public moneys. The
senate could start them, of course,
but it would not mean anything. The
senate, however, was given certain
specific duties by the Constitution
also. No treaties with foreign ma
tions are operative until approved
/ by the senate. 1t likewise has the
final say-so respecting nearly all ap-
| pointments to office made by the
| President.
Ii was suggested above that If
/ the visitor wanted to see the start
of the talking picture, he would
have to attend another theater. That
| other theater is the committee room.
There are AZ of these committees in
the house and "a in the senate. They
are permanent committees. Special
committees are constantly being
named to do a specific job not readi-
ly suspectible of being handled by
one of the standing committees, such
as an investigation.
The regular and usual procedure,
therefore, is that a representative
will introduce a bill In the house,
or a senator will introduce one In
| the senate. Frequently, the same
text of a measure will appear stimuli
taneOusly in each body. The rules
provide for reference of the bill to
the committee having Jurisdiction.
The committee has regular meet
! ing day; the new bill is taken up.
usually with only members of the
committee present, and 1t Is talked
over informally. IL it be of great
consequence the committee will or
der that hearings be held so that
those favoring the proposed law
may voice their opposition and point
out weaknesses in the bill Some
times those hearings will continue
day after day over several weeks.
AS a general rule, a witness be-
fore a committee will be allowed TO
tell his story, to state his views,
without interruption. When his
statement is finished, however, the
committee members have their fling.
Questions are not always designed
to be fair, nor are they always
aimed to bring out things which
the witness desires to admit. 1t all
depends on whether the committee
member views the subject from the
same angle. In consequence, the
stenographic record of testimony
that always is taken sometimes
makes literature akin to comedy,
for witnesses have a tendency to go
too far; to leave themselves vul-
nerable to opposition criticism by
overlooking weaknesses in their own
statements, or by deliberate misrep-
resentatiOn of facts.
Having taken all of the testimony
that is offered, the committee again
works behind closed doors. Not be-
ing under the necessity to watch out
for the political effect of what they
say they talk frankly about the
proposition before them and reach
an agreement, sometimes informal
ly, sometimes by a record vote, as
to the course they will follow. In
most cases, the bill as it was sent
to the committee needs correcting.
Amendments to accomplish the pur-
poses desired are drafted, with the
advice of experts employed by the
house and senate for that purpose
and in final form, if the majority OF
the committee so votes, the bill is
ordered to be reported to the house
with the recommendation that the
bill do pass" or to the senate, il il
be a senate committee.
The fact that the bill has been
sent back to the house or to the sen
ate by one of It's committees does
not mean that it ever will see the
light of day, tiguratively speaking
Indeed, the chances are about $3.50
that it never will receive attention