The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1933-03-08
0urGevsrn,,,snt
How It Operates
HOW CONGRESS
FUNCTIONS
By William Bruckare


L chambers of the senate and the
house are situated so as to give the
maximum view for everyone, but
that necessitated placing them on a
level quite above the floors where
the senators or the representatives
have their seats. That circumstance
does not always permit a proper
understanding of debate. Man. visit
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 part of
the whole picture of the legislative
function.
The house and senate are on
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-maliing 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 APP
pointments to Office made by the
President.
1t 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 specific job not readf-
ly suspectible of being handled by
one of the standing committees, such
as an Investigation.
The regular and usual procedure,
therefore, is that representative
will introduce a bill in the house,
or a senator will introduce one in
the senate. = Frequently, the same
text of a measure viii APPEAR stimuli
taneously H. each iniy. The rules
provide for reference of the bill to
the committee having Jurisdiction.
The committee has Il regular meet
ing day; the new bin is taken up
usually with only members of the
committee present, and 1t is talked
over informally. If ii be of great
consequence the committee will or.
der that hearings be held so that
those favoring the proposed law
may voice their opposition ana 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 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 ding
Questions are not always designed
to be fair, nor are they always
aimed to bring out things which
the witness desires to admit II 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 tendency to 60
too far; to leave themselves vul-
nerable to opposition criticism hy
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 he
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.
~. sometimes by record vote. as
to the course they will follow. In
most cases. the bill as il 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, II the ma jority OF
the committee so votes. the bin is
ordered TO be reported to the house
with the recommendation that the
bin do pass" or 10 the senate. If il
be senate committee.
The fact that the bin has been
sent back to the house or To the sen.
ate by one OF It's committees does
/. not mean that Il eyer win see the
light of day, tigarativeIy speaking.
Indeed, the chances are about toto
that II never will recelTe attention
In the senate and they are about
ten to ore that nothing more win be
heard Of 1t II il was reported In the
| house by a committee OF that body