Name ___________________________ Class _____________________ Date _______
CHAPTER
12
S
1
READING COMPREHENSION
Congress Organizes
2
ECTION
Directions: Write your answer to each question. Use complete
sentences.
1. When does Congress come together?
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
2. Why is opening day very important in the House of
Representatives?
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
3. Describe the actions of each of the following on opening day:
a. the clerk of the House
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
b. the Speaker of the House
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
4. What happens in the Senate on opening day?
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
5. Why is the Senate called a continuous body?
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
6. The speech in which the President describes the condition of the
country and the administration’s policies is called the
________________________________________________________________
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127
Name ___________________________ Class _____________________ Date _______
READING COMPREHENSION
READING COMPREHENSION
(continued)
Congress Committees
Organizes in Congress
2
7. Complete the table below with information from Section 1.
Speaker of the House
President of the Senate
How chosen?
Member of that
body? (yes or no)
Able to debate?
(yes or no)
Able to vote?
(yes or no)
8. Put a check mark beside the officer with the most power.
Speaker of the House _______
president of the Senate _______
9. Who is the President pro tempore, and how is he or she chosen?
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
10. Describe the powers of the committee chairmen.
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
11. What is the seniority rule?
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
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128
Name ___________________________ Class _____________________ Date _______
CHAPTER
12
S
2
READING COMPREHENSION
Making Law: The House
2
ECTION
Directions: Complete the following table with information about
standing committees.
Standing Committees
1. Definition
2. Number of standing
committees in the House
Definition
3. Number of standing
committees in the Senate
4. Important because . . .
5. Members are chosen
based on . . .
6. Four important standing
committees are . . .
7. What is the role of the following types of committees?
subcommittees __________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
joint committees _________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
conference committees ___________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
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134
Name ___________________________ Class _____________________ Date _______
CHAPTER
12
S
3
ECTION
Directions: Write your answer to each question. Use complete
sentences.
1. Where do ideas for most new laws come from?
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
2. Define each of the following terms.
Type of bill or
resolution
Public bill
Private bill
Joint resolution
Concurrent
resolution
Resolution
Rider
3. Describe the three readings of a bill in the House.
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
4. What happens to most bills reviewed by standing committees?
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
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145
Name ___________________________ Class _____________________ Date _______
READING COMPREHENSION
READING COMPREHENSION
(continued)
TheThe
Bill House
in the Senate
Making Law:
2
5. How does a discharge petition affect a pigeonholed bill?
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
6. The five actions that a committee may take on a bill are:
(1) _____________________________________________________________
(2) _____________________________________________________________
(3) _____________________________________________________________
(4) _____________________________________________________________
(5) _____________________________________________________________
7. What is the role of the Rules Committee in bringing a bill to the
floor of the House?
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
Limits on:
Benefit:
Drawback:
8. Answer the following
questions about the
Committee of the _______________
Whole.
_______________
_______________
Who leads it?____________________________________________________
_______________
_______________
_______________
How many members_______________
must be present? _____________________________
_______________
_______________
What is its purpose?______________________________________________
_______________
_______________
_______________
________________________________________________________________
9. How can a member of the House end debate?
________________________________________________________________
10. After a bill has been approved at second reading, what happens
to the bill?
First:___________________________________________________________
Second:_________________________________________________________
Third:__________________________________________________________
Fourth:_________________________________________________________
Copyright © by Pearson Education, Inc., or its affiliates. All rights reserved.
146
Name ___________________________ Class _____________________ Date _______
CHAPTER
12
S
4
ECTION
Directions: Write your answer to each question. Use complete
sentences.
1. How do the rules for Senate debate differ from the rules in the
House?
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
2. What is the Senate’s “two-speech rule”?
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
3. Complete the following graphic organizer with information from
your textbook.
The Filibuster
Purpose:
_______________
_______________
_______________
_______________
4. When the President receives a bill from Congress, he or she can:
(1) _____________________________________________________________
(2) _____________________________________________________________
(3) _____________________________________________________________
(4) _____________________________________________________________
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153