> Guide to Congress 2012
From the desk of the President of the Senate:
Welcome to the United State Senate! In the Senate, you will be charged with one of the federal government’s greatest responsibilities, crafting the law of the land. You will soon find that this process requires a strong understanding of the issues and an ability to articulate your passions and perspectives in respectful discussion with your peers. Delegates serving as United States Senators can look forward to engaging with some of the most timely and important issues facing the Senate today.
As President of the Senate, I manage Senate operations for HMC Boston. My primary duty is directing and organizing committee chairs and vice chairs. Your chairs and I have worked closely over the past several months to develop committee topics that cover many important aspects of current congressional debate. Your chairs, particularly, have worked hard to research and write issue briefings to allow you to prepare for the conference. These briefings are invaluable, and I hope that you will use them as a starting point for your research on the issues you will be debating.
In the final months before the start of the conference, I will work with your HMC chairs and vice chairs to finalize preparations for committees. This includes completing staff training as well as drafting updates and summaries on all the issues you are considering in your committees. You should use these documents as tools to keep you up to date on the recent developments in your topic areas. My goals as President of the Senate are to ensure that the briefings are as interesting and informative as possible, and that the chairs and vice chairs are as prepared and enthusiastic as possible. Meeting these goals will ensure informative, lively, and fulfilling committee sessions during the conference. If you have any questions, I can be reached by email at senate@harvardmodelcongress.org. I look forward to meeting you all at HMC 2012!
In committee:
Twelve committees, each of approximately twenty-five members, comprise the United States Senate. Each committee debates three controversial topics under its jurisdiction that are part of today’s public agenda. Delegates are assigned to one of these specialized committees, in which they learn to work with their fellow committee members, discuss issues in depth, and craft well reasoned, detailed legislation. During formal debate, senators are seated around a conference table, creating an atmosphere that fosters active participation and spirited discussion. Charged with proposing solutions to the three issues before them, senators must work quickly and intelligently in the pursuit of fruitful legislation.
Party Caucuses and Constituent Responsiveness:
Party caucuses are designed to teach students about partisanship, loyalty, and dissent. Caucuses are led by Harvard undergraduates who act as minority or majority leaders and continue these roles through the full sessions. The first caucuses excite students for the start of committee, introducing members of Congress to some of the pomp and circumstance of American political parties. Substantively, the caucuses provide a forum for introducing congressmen to their respective party’s position on different issues by reviewing and amending the party platforms. The following caucuses are designed to prepare students directly for the full sessions. Members are informed by their party leaders which bills will be considered for full session, and then have the chance to discuss the party’s views on each bill. Bill authors will have the opportunity to introduce and explain their proposed legislation.
Caucuses simulate the pressures of party affiliation by challenging delegates to reconcile their party line with the needs of their constituencies and their personal convictions. The challenge of congressmen to remain faithful to their constituencies is emphasized throughout the conference. If members fail to accurately represent the interests of their constituents or a significant home-district special interest, they may receive a letter threatening withdrawal of electoral or financial support. The HMC staff works to ensure the most realistic simulation of a legislator’s experience possible.
In Full Session:
Representatives and senators convene in their respective chambers for Full Session four times during the conference. Here, members of Congress have the opportunity to present and discuss the legislation that has survived committee mark-up before an entire body of Congress in the hope that bills will eventually be passed into law. Full Session exposes delegates to the broad range of policy issues their peers are tackling in other committees. New questions of party loyalty and constituent needs challenge elected representatives’ opinions on current issues as they pick up debates on the fly and engage topics outside their area of expertise. To ensure the highest quality of experience for representatives in full session, the Senate meets in three sections of roughly 100 students each. Legislation that passes the full Senate is then sent to its House counterpart. Only bills passing both chambers are submitted to the Presidents of HMC, who either sign or veto the bills each evening. Bills that are vetoed are eligible to be overridden by a two-thirds majority of each chamber of Congress. Like committee sessions and caucuses, Full Session in the Senate is an excellent opportunity for students to practice their public speaking and debate skills in front of their peers.