CONGRESS: WE THE PEOPLE
CONGRESS: WE THE PEOPLE
WETA "CONGRESS: WE THE PEOPLE"
CONGRESS: WE THE PEOPLE
DO NOT USE WETA credit/funding credits.
CONGRESS: WE THE PEOPLE
Title sequence. Host Ed Newman-discussion of the way Congress works through committees. Pullback shows Newman standing in a vacant Congressional hearing room. Illustration of a Congressional Committee from late 1700's. Clip of 1951 Kefauver Committee on Organized Crime. A mobster argues that he contributes to society by paying his taxes. Clip of 1954 McCarthy Hearings. Clips of the 1973 Ervin Committee hearings. Newman describes the Committee process of holding hearings and conducting research.
CONGRESS: WE THE PEOPLE
Shot of Al Haig in confirmation hearing for Secretary of Defense. Shot of a bureaucrat testifying. Shot of an African-American mother with her young son, who has lead poisoning. Shot of TV cameras in a Congressional hearing. Newman says that there are sometimes 100 Committee hearings in a single day. In private, behind the scenes, committees take care of legislative business. Getting a key committee assignment is instrumental for a Congressman in his or her career. Shot of Rep. Clint Roberts (R-SD) discussing not getting his preferred assignment. Rep. PAT ROBERTS (R-KS) says that he's pleased to get on the Agriculture committee, his first choice. V.O.-Roberts got re-elected after one term. Rep. BILL ALEXANDER (D-Ark.) says that committees tend to be stacked by regional or other interest, but Appropriations and Ways and Means are more balanced.
CONGRESS: WE THE PEOPLE
Shots of a Ways and Means Committee hearing. Newman-these committees deal with key issues of taxes and spending and are coveted assignments. Rep. Bernard Dwyer (D-NJ) says he was the only Freshman on his committee because the other Jersey members worked hard to get him there. Shot of Tip O'Neill in casual meeting with Majority Leader Jim Wright and other committee chairmen. Political Scientist discusses the Committee system and the ascendancies of various committees within Congress. Shot of Tip O'Neill entering House chamber. V.O. discussion of how Committees are divided among parties-the majority party by rule gets heavy majorities in Ways and Means, Appropriations, and Rules. Republicans protested this in 1981. Rep. JIM WRIGHT explains that the majority party needs to control those committees so that it can exercise its responsibility to rule. Newman-these Committees are both instruments of the leadership and training grounds for future Congressional leaders, but some members choose more specialized committees congruent with their own agendas and interests.
CONGRESS: WE THE PEOPLE
Norm Ornstein outside offices of the Rules Committee Chairman Richard Bolling. Shot of a hearing of the Rules Committee, Rep. JIM WRIGHT is the witness. V.O.-most witnesses are members of Congress, who lobby the Rules Committee to have their bills treated favorably in terms of length of debate and scheduling. Shots of Congressmen Phil Gramm and John Dingle waiting to testify. Jim Wright testifying describes a "historic" legislative situation. V.O.-Reagan's 1981 Budget plan was subject to Rules Committee decisions, with the Democrats winning a bid to force itemized votes on all of the budget cuts. However, the full House later voted to overrule the Rules Committee's decision. Shot of Rep. RICHARD BOLLING chairing the committee, says that Reagan is abusing his Presidential power by forcing Congress to vote on his budget cuts en masse. Portrait of Bolling. Ornstein discusses how Congressmen have to establish themselves before they can get a leadership committee assignment. Discusses how members seek committee assignments that give them opportunities to bring home the pork for their districts and get re-elected.