However the reasons for the declining role of Congress was not just due to the increase in Presidential power, but the obstacles existent in Congress itself. Firstly the lack of party discipline and organisation in Congress caused for a very pluralistic Assembly in which Congressmen were in reality individuals with individuals aims, interests, and beliefs lacking the direction of party leadership. This makes the production of legislation far more difficult as there is a like of a coherent agenda, and there is also a lack of unity in order to get legislation passed if such an agenda existed. Thus legislating is far more hap hazzard, and less efficient, with presidential agenda making up for that of party. Secondly the legislative process itself which has so many obstacles to the passage of legislation that only 10% of all legislation is passed. The Committee stage is essential in this acting “as seives” in filtering legislation. It is at this stage that committee actualy has the power to stop the legislation in its tracks by pigeon holing it, or ammending to the point that it achieves very little. The committee chairman has imense say in committee agenda, and therefore the steering of legislation. The next stages also have significant power over whether the legislation has a chance of sucess. The House Rules Committee is one of the most powerfull comittee’s having the power over the timetabling of all bills for their second hearing, and can therefore the higher up the legislative timetable the less chance of sucess as time runs out in the legislative year. Also the House Rules Committee also has the power to pegion hole legislation like any other committee. The next obstacle comes in the Senate in which anyone can talk a bill out of time, and thus out of existence. For example in 1954 one Senator spoke for 24 hrs and 18 minutes against the 1957 Civil Rights Act. Thus the difficulty to have sucessfull legislation, and the obstacles in place meant upto the 1970’s legislative initiative was lost by the unresponsive, fragmented and committee and dominated congress.
However from the 1970’s Congress became more assertive as reforms were iniated. To curb the power of the President after the discovery of Nixon’s involvement in Cambodia Congress overode Presidential veto and passed the War Powers Act in 1973, forcing the President to put the decision of war before Congress after 60 days of troops being deployed. In 1974 the Budget and Impoundment Act was introduced to allow the more effective scrutinisation of the President’s Budget, and included the establishment of Budget Committees in both chambers. The Committee system was also reformed the power of Chairperson’s was reduced via the removal of seniority rule, and the ability to elect chairperson if 20% of a committee wished to do so. Sub-Commmittee’s were also introduced to reduce the power of chairs. Along with democraticisation in Congress which came with the removal of the seniority rule in 1973, parties followed suit allowing party members to chose Chairperson nominees. In the 1970’s committees were opened upto public viewing, and the House of Representatives to television in 1979, the Senate had already done so for more important speechs and debates. Finally staff increased to help provide greater professionalism, and expertise to Congressmen.
These reforms did have some sucess increasing accountability of Congressmen, reducing power of chairpersons, increasing expertise, and democratising Congress, but many issues remained unsolved or were exacerbated. The reduction of chairperson power, and the introduction of sub-committee’s only increased fragmentation, and ineffectiveness. The open committee system has caused the rise of the influence of interest groups, and comnstitutents, with congressmen becoming increasingly interested in their parochial concerns for re-election, or interest groups for PACs funds. In the case of the War Powers Act all wars in which the US has been involved has been less than 60 days, and thus ineffect the Act has been useless in limiting the power of the President. Finally the failure of addressing the issues of party ties which caused so much trouble for Democrats in the 1960s was seen in action again the 1980’s in which southern Democrats support much of Regan’s agenda. Although the reforms saw initial increase in activism in Congress, the effects are inconsistent, and rather the obstacles remain.
In 1994 the Republicans became the dominant party in Congress. In the House of Representatives Newt Gingrich led the Republican’s with the ‘contract with America’. This was effectively a party manifesto in which Republican representatives had agreed to 10 point mainfesto to push through in the first 100 days of office.
