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The Congress United States House of Representatives Washington, DC 20515 www.house.gov/ United States Senate Washington, DC 20510 www.senate.gov/ Congressional switchboard: (202) 224-3121 To find out your Congress member (or any of your district's elected officials), visit the New York Public Interest Research Group’s (NYPIRG) Website: www.cmap.nypirg.org/. The site provides full contact information for each representative, including e-mail addresses. The US Capitol BuildingThe Congress consists of two houses, the House of Representatives ("Congress members") and the Senate ("Senators"). The New York State Congressional delegation totals 29. Each Congress member is elected for two-year terms. New York is also represented by two Senators, who each serve for six-year terms. There are no term limits. Typically, each Congress meets in two annual "sessions," one in its first calendar year and another in the second calendar year. Thus, the first session of the 109th Congress occurred in 2005 and the second in 2006. Congress divides its tasks among approximately 250 committees and subcommittees. The House and Senate each have their own similar committee system. Within chamber guidelines, however, each committee adopts its own rules; thus, there is considerable variation among panels. "Standing" committees generally have legislative jurisdiction and most operate with subcommittees that handle a committee's work in specific areas. "Select" and "joint" committees are chiefly for oversight or housekeeping tasks. The committee's chair, who has primary control over committee business, and a majority of committee members come from the majority party. Each party is predominantly responsible for assigning its members to committees, and each committee distributes its members among its subcommittees. Typically, the committee structure mirrors the priorities of the dominant party. There are limits on the number and types of panels any one member of Congress may serve on and chair. "Conference" committees include members from both houses who work to resolve differences between Senate and House versions of a proposed bill. Committees receive varying levels of operating funds and employ varying numbers of aides. Each hires and fires its own staff. Although most committee staff and resources are controlled by its majority party members, a portion is shared with the minority. Several thousand measures are referred to committees during each Congress. Committees select a small percentage for consideration, and those not addressed often receive no further action. Determining the fate of measures and, in effect, helping to set a chamber's agenda, make committees quite powerful. Since every measure costs money, the appropriations committee is considered the most powerful committee of all. When a committee or subcommittee favors a measure, it usually takes four actions. First, it asks relevant executive agencies for written comments on the measure. Second, it holds hearings to gather information and views from non-committee experts, who summarize submitted statements, then respond to questions from committee members. Third, a committee meets to perfect the measure through amendments and non-committee members sometimes attempt to influence the language. Finally, when language is agreed upon, the committee sends the measure back to the chamber, usually along with a formal written report. These reports summarize the purpose and scope of a bill, give reasons for its approval, and set forth the committee's findings and recommendations, including a statement estimating the costs (or revenues) resulting from enactment for the current and five successive fiscal years. All changes in existing law must be indicated in the report and the text of any laws being repealed must be set out. The courts, legislative analysts and historians use committee reports to reveal the "legislative intent" of the committee in recommending the measure. The influence of committees over measures extends to their enactment into law. A committee that considers a measure will manage the full chamber's deliberation on it. Also, its members will be appointed to any conference committee created to reconcile the two chambers' differing versions of a measure. A bill is technically available for consideration throughout an entire Congressional session, unless it is defeated somewhere along the way. However, if a bill has not been acted on before the end of a Congress, it must be re-introduced in a succeeding Congress and begin the legislative process all over again. For a detailed explanation of how laws are created, visit http://thomas.loc.gov/. A straightforward explanation designed for younger readers can be found at http://bensguide.gpo.gov/. What About Riders? Congressional members are permitted to attach amendments to bills under consideration. In recent years, attaching unrelated legislative directives, or "riders," to important budget and spending measures has become more and more common. The goal is to avoid public scrutiny and discussion, and to avoid a veto since the bill to which the rider is attached is typically very important. Several organizations now dedicate staff time specifically to tracking anti-environmental rider attempts. The national League of Conservation Voters' annual Scorecard (available at www.lcv.org) illustrates this trend, since many of the votes considered in the report concern amendments rather than actual environmental legislation. New Yorkers should not hesitate to contact their Congress member or Senator on environmental issues of local, national or global significance. Inquiries are recorded and can be used to gauge public opinion. The federal government, of course, allocates billions of dollars in spending for programs; especially important is federal funding for transportation, housing, Superfund and large-scale restoration projects, such as recent funding for the Hudson River or Long Island Sound. Residents should also keep in mind that the policies that flow from national laws like the Clean Air Act and Clean Water Act also greatly affect New York. Those laws can become stronger or weaker depending on the agency doing the rulemaking (in this case, the EPA) and the objectives of the particular administration in power. Of the many online resources, three recommended Web sites are: http://thomas.loc.gov/: Legislative reference guide operated by the Library of Congress. Includes the Congressional Record—daily proceedings of the House and Senate. www.lcv.org: League of Conservation Voters site offers the latest on administration and Congressional goings-on concerning environmental issues. A weekly "Congressional Update" e-mail is available on request. www.firstgov.gov/: A recently created, well-designed "starting point" for anyone looking for anything to do with the federal government, including the agencies listed below.