CONGRESS: WE THE PEOPLE
CONGRESS: WE THE PEOPLE
13.39.12-Newman-Committee activity doesn't always result on new laws, but Committees do engage in "markup" for key new bills before the bills are sent to the House Floor. The Committee's drafting is key to getting the full chamber to approve a bill. Shots of a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, Sen. TED KENNEDY and ORRIN HATCH have a little argument. Shot of BOB DOLE chairing the Senate Finance Committee in closed session. Shot of Sen. JOHN CHAFEE (R-RI) says that Dole has gotten the Republicans on the committee into reasonable unity over the Budget. Shots of a Committee hearing chaired by Dole. Dole and ranking Democrat Russell Long. Shot of Rep. JAMIE WHITTEN (D-MS) in a House Appropriations Committee meeting, in office, says that he doesn't run the committee, just oversees it. Shot of Rep. JOHN DINGLE chairing Energy Committee. V.O.-Dingle takes a rather authoritarian tack in running his committee. Shot of DINGLE banging his gavel and chewing out a witness. Shot of Dingle walking with staffer. V.O.-authoritarian leaders like Dingle are largely a thing of the past. 13.42.25-Still of a meeting of Committee Chairmen from the early '60's. V.O.-chairmen like Donald Smith ruled over the passage of Civil Rights bills, obstructing them procedurally. Shot of Rep. RICHARD BOLLING, describes how Judge Smith would obstruct the meetings on Civil Rights Bills. Newman-Committee chairs also lost some autocratic power when rules changes opened Committee hearings to the press and the public. There are still some closed-door sessions. Shot of Rep. TOM FOLEY discussing changes in Committee system, the former autocratic power of the Chairmen. Discusses reforms, which limited the power of full committee chairs, although Subcommittee chairs weren't affected, leading to too many subcommittees in Congress. 13.44.57-Newman-Committes are an essential division of labor in Congress and a way for members to try to advance themselves. Essentially, Congress works through the committee system. Signs off. Closing credits/WETA credit/funding credits/PBS ID 13.47.31--OUT