Within the federal government, there are two primary types of organizations: executive departments and independent agencies. photo credit: Mr. T in DC Heading the executive departments are members of the president’s cabinet. They report directly to the president and serve at his pleasure by implementing his agenda and carrying out his policies. The heads of … Read more
“Accomplishments” in Congress are often collected and touted to fuel reelection bids. Every two years representatives face the grind of election while senators face election every six years. During the interim, members continue to run reelection campaigns. The question of “what have you done for me lately?” hangs over the heads of all Congressional members. … Read more
There are four types of votes that occur in the House of Representatives. They are voice, division, yea and nay, and record votes. A voice vote refers to members calling out ‘yea’ or ‘nay’ whenever a question is put in the House. The Speaker will determine the outcome of the vote by the volume of … Read more
Whenever hearings are completed a committee may meet to mark up a measure. The language of the original measure will be analyzed line by line or section by section and then marked up or changed and amended. photo credit: withassociates The easiest way to conduct a markup is to use an introduced measure. In this … Read more
Preparing to testify before Congress can require a significant amount of preparation on the part of the witness. When you are invited to testify before Congress, it is important to understand the advance preparations that must be made and the rules and requirements related to those preparations. photo credit: Daquella manera Committee rules and guidelines … Read more
Our “Preparing and Delivering Congressional Testimony” course is commonly offered as a 2-day custom on-site training program for executives, scientists, managers, attorneys, and others who are involved with preparing for and delivering testimony at congressional hearings. For more than 30 years, TheCapitol.Net and its predecessor, Congressional Quarterly Executive Conferences, have been training professionals from government, … Read more
Some of the most highly publicized Senate hearings are those held for the purpose of considering presidential nominations. These nominations may include cabinet positions and nominations for other executive branch political offices, federal judges and U.S. diplomatic posts. photo credit: Harvard Law Record Witnesses at nomination and confirmation hearings typically include the individual nominated as … Read more
Although there are many different types of congressional hearings, some of the most well known and often discussed in the media are oversight and investigative hearings. Such hearings may be conducted whenever a committee chooses to do so, although they are often conducted in association with a public policy question or an accountability matter. Oversight … Read more
Different congressional committees within each chamber of Congress conduct most of the work on legislation, including the preparation that must occur on a bill leading to floor consideration. photo credit: barbourians Bills are referred to congressional committees for any needed further action. In the event a committee decides an issue or a bill has merit, … Read more
There is no getting around the fact that members of the majority party typically decide the most crucial questions presented to Congress. Furthermore, members of the majority party also primarily control what will be considered by their chambers on a daily basis. In the end, the fact that a member can vote does not really … Read more