This week, in 2302, we will be discussing the organizations that makes Congress and the Texas Legislature tick: political parties, committees, supporting organizations and caucuses.
The stimulus bill gives us a great framework to hang this discussion on. Tomorrow we will start by reviewing where the bill is right now and the arguments on either side and then look at the bill making process as it stands.
We will look at where party leaders stand and, to the degree we can, determine how they are mobilizing the troops on either side. We will also look at the committees that the bill passed through on the way to the floor of each chamber. These are:
- House Appropriations.
- House Budget.
- Committee of the Whole.
The Committee of the Whole is a new one for me. I know what it is, but I can't remember it being used before. This is probably an indication of the importance of the bill to everyone in Congress. The Senate does not seem to have considered sending it to a committee and sent it straight to the floor.
