Chapter 4 Sec. 6 Part 1

In which one of these situations is Congress most likely to propose a joint resolution instead of a public bill?

• appropriating funds for a new national park

• raising taxes to expand Medicare services

• amending the Constitution to guarantee equal rights for women

• expressing support for World Malaria Day

If the chairman of the House Committee on Ways and Means opposes a bill to increase the federal tax on gasoline, what can this representative do to stall the bill when it comes before the committee?

• refer it to the Select Revenue Measures subcommittee

• refuse to report the bill

• report a committee bill

• hold a public hearing on the bill

What kind of session should the House call to consider a bill to fund construction of a new dam, which the President has threatened to veto? What kind of vote should be taken?

• a Committee of the Whole; a quorum call

• a full session; an up or down vote

• a Committee of the Whole; a voice vote

• a full session; a record vote

Which of these statements BEST explains why a senator who opposes a President's Supreme Court nominee might start a filibuster?

• The filibuster will require quorum calls and other measures to block a vote.

• A vote for cloture will be required before a vote on confirmation, delaying a decision.

• The filibuster will ensure that members of the minority party air their opposition to the nominee.

• The filibuster will prevent the President from addressing the Senate about the nominee.

The House and the Senate each pass a different version of a bill to fund a new visitor center at a national park. What action is a conference committee likely to take?

• create a compromise bill and resubmit it to the House and the Senate

• send the bill back for modifications to the standing committee in each chamber that first handled the measure

• vote that the next session of Congress reconsider the bill

• pigeonhole the bill by taking no action on it

Why did the Supreme Court rule against the Line Item Veto Act of 1996?

• The President has no constitutional authority to sign bills regarding federal spending.

• The President's veto power does not apply to appropriations bills.

• It was unconstitutional for Congress to send an appropriations bill to the President.

• The Court decided it was unconstitutional for the President to veto individual parts of a bill.

Why might the House and Senate ping-pong a bill instead of sending it to a conference committee?

• A conference committee is more likely to turn the bill into an omnibus measure than ping-pong.

• Ping-pong is a faster way to resolve differences than a conference committee.

• The bill is more likely to reach a final vote in ping-pong than in a conference committee.

• The majority party in each chamber has more leverage in ping-pong than in a conference committee.

A legislative measure that deals with only one chamber of the legislature is called a

• bill

• joint resolution

• concurrent resolution

• simple resolution