What is Congressional Debate?• Student Congress is modeled after the United States Congress. Bills and resolutions on the "docket," which are posted on the TFA page, are debated in “houses” of about
twenty competitors. • Parliamentary procedure is followed, and a student chairperson known a “presiding officer” leads the proceedings. The presiding officer is address as “Mister Chairman” or “Madame Chairman.” • You will be addressed as “Representative,” unless you are part of the Senate—a special house that prepares bills and resolutions for future tournaments. • After debating a bill or resolution, you and the other members of your house will take a vote to decide if the bill or resolution should be passed. What is Parliamentary Procedure? • The US Congress, state legislatures, city councils, and many businesses and clubs follow parliamentary procedure or Roberts’s Rules of Order to increase the efficiency of meetings. • Speakers are required to make “motions” or recommendations to move the discussion in the meeting along. (See Table of Motions attachment) • Parliamentary procedure helps to: • Guarantee that the minority opinion is heard. • Make sure that the majority opinion prevails • Provide orderly procedures for conducting business and debate upon issues of importance. What is a bill? What is a resolution? • A bill is basically the wording for a law or piece of legislation. Bills include such words as, “Be it enacted by the Student Congress that…” A resolution is a generalized statement expressing a conviction or sentiment. Resolutions usually contain the words, “Be it resolved by the Student Congress that…” Resolutions should begin with a number of phraes which start with the word, “Whereas”. (See templates for writing legislation) |
Congress Resources
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Congressional Debate
THE OATH
"I do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic;
that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter, so help me God."
