Why is the House Rules Committee so important? What is its function? Be sure to give examples of the rules the committee may use
Answer:
An ideal response will:
1. Explain that he House Rules Committee is the most powerful committee in Congress because it controls the only route to the House floor. There is no similar gatekeeper in the Senate.
2. The committee issues "rules," which are tickets to the House floor. This procedure can be used to delay or kill legislation.
3. The House Rules Committee also decides how bills will be debated by the full House membership. A closed rule prevents amendments on the floor, or allows amendments only by members of the committee that reported the bill. An open rule allows debate and amendments on the floor within the parameters set by the House Rules Committee.
4. Closed rules are mostly for tax and spending bills.
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The United States is the only major industrialized nation without
A) a universal health-care system. B) social insurance programs. C) entitlement programs. D) public assistance for needy children. E) unemployment benefits for single mothers.
In which type of foreign policy does the president have more discretion than in others?
a. declaring war b. intelligence programs c. public laws d. treaties