CONGRESS: WE THE PEOPLE
CONGRESS: WE THE PEOPLE
01.10.24-Shot of the statue at top of Capitol dome, pan down to House wing of Capitol. Shot of interior of the House chamber. Shot of Rep. SILVIO CONTE in debate in Well of House. V.O.-discussion of the rules designed to keep order in the House. Rep. CONTE does some linguistic gymnastics in debate to follow the rule prohibiting disparaging a Senator by name or even mentioning the Senate itself by name in debate. Shot of Tip O'Neill on House Rostrum. Rep. DAN ROSTENKOWSKI says that most of the time, if the Speaker really wants a bill, he gets his way. Shots of a committee hearing. Shot of Rostenkowski in meeting of Ways and Means Committee. Rosty talks about the importance of Ways and Means, says that people develop confidence in a Congressman over the long term that can override one contradictory vote. Shot of Rostenkowski taking the podium of a Chicago political rally. Graphic shows outline of Rosty's district in map of Chicago. 01.14.16-Shot of St. Stanislaus Polish Catholic Church, Chicago. Rosty talks about his old church and his family roots there. Rosty in speech tells the audience to stick with the neighborhood and he will help to bring it back to prosperity. Ornstein says that this local accountability is "just as the framers envisioned it" [but I'd have to imagine that the framers didn't exactly envision the figure of the machine politician, Chicago-style]. Rostenkowski denies that his style of addressing and serving his local constituency is just demagoguery or opportunism. 01.15.35-Ornstein-if the House was expected to be occasionally impetuous and subject to the whims of the masses, the Senate is intended to be more deliberative. Shots of interior of Senate chamber. Shots of restored Old Senate Chamber, including Spittoons. A political scientist notes that the Senate is less bound by rules because it has so many fewer members than the House. Sketches of Senate proceedings. 01.18.28--Sen. Charles Percy (R-IL) says that Senators don't like to be railroaded into passing bills. Percy says that Senators can't be as specialized in expertise as Congressmen. Shots of Percy chairing Senate Foreign Services Committee interrogating a nominee for an Arms Control post. V.O.-discussion of the Senate's power of "Advise and Consent" on Presidential appointments. Percy says that the Senate must confirm all such appointments. V.O.-discussion of the 17th Amendment, which made the Senate elected by popular votes rather than by the State legislatures. 01.20.39