Program materials can include the Training Edition of the Congressional Deskbook

"The Congressional Deskbook is perfect for anyone who wants to understand how Congress works. It is concise, clarion clear and comprehensive all at once. It is spare and crisp -- but it never oversimplifies. It is written in lay language, but it never 'dumbs it down.' The Congressional Deskbook is a unique tool, one that I use regularly."
-- David Hawkings, Senior Editor, Congressional Quarterly

  Custom Training Information

Overview of the Legislative Process

• Why Congress behaves the way it does
• Differences between House and Senate procedures
• Politics and dynamics of Congress

Introduction and Referral of Legislation

• Where ideas for bills come from
• Drafting of legislation
• Introduction and obtaining cosponsors
• Referral of bills to committees
• Types of referrals

The Work of Committees: Hearings, Markups and Committee Reports

• Types of committees
• Membership of committees
• The work of subcommittees: hearings, markups
• Committee reports

How the Senate Schedules and Votes on Legislation

• Senate Calendars
• Scheduling procedures and the amendment process
• Unanimous consent time agreements; the "hold"
• Filibusters; cloture motions

How Legislation Gets to the House Floor and House Floor Procedures

• Rules Committee, open, closed, modified rules
• House Calendars
• Suspension of the rules
• House floor procedures and the amendment process
• Committee of the Whole

• Reconciling differences via amendments between the Houses
• Conference committee procedures and reports

Presidential Action

• Presidential action
• Veto override

Lunch and breaks scheduled as appropriate

All custom training is tailored for each organization and audience. Topics from this program can be combined with topics from our other programs and with topics from your existing training programs.

Sample agendas of different versions of this program tailored for previous custom clients are available in Adobe PDF.

• 1/2 day for union - Congressional Dynamics and the Legislative Process

• 1/2 day for national association - Congressional Dynamics and the Legislative Process

• As part of 1-day program "Understanding Congress, the Legislative Process and Tracking Legislation" for multi-national corporation 

• 1-day with congressional budgeting session for federal agency - Dynamics of the Congress

• 1-day including Communicating Effectively with Congressional Staff session for federal agency - Dynamics of the New Congress and Communicating Effectively with Staff

• 1.5 day program with Grassroots Advocacy for national association - Understanding and Communicating Effectively with Congress

See our Sample Agendas page for more.

Our selected client list includes clients who have purchased custom training, sent staff to our public programs and who have purchased our publications.

Usually requires 1 day.  

This program is usually held in Washington, DC. It can be presented anywhere in the United States and in many foreign countries online. 

The program fee includes pre-program development and design, materials for your internal marketing and promotion, all course materials, and faculty chosen for your topic and your audience at the time and location you choose.

Our custom program clients provide the classroom/meeting space, all audio visual equipment, any food and beverages, all registration functions, and travel arrangements for attendees. When the program is held outside the Washington, DC metro area, travel arrangements for faculty can be made by the client or by us. 

We can also provide meeting space, online venue, audio visual equipment, food and beverage, registration, and travel arrangements, though this affects program cost.

• Capitol Hill Workshop - Congressional Operations Briefing

• Drafting Effective Federal Legislation and Amendments

• How to Research and Compile Legislative Histories

• Tracking and Monitoring Legislation

• Understanding Congress

• Understanding Congressional Budgeting and Appropriations
  

FEIN: 54-1917701     DUNS: 04-273-5071      CAGE: 1K5S4

• Congressional Procedure

• Congressional Directory

• Congressional Documents Online

• Congressional Leadership and Committees (listing)

• Glossary of Congressional and Legislative Terms
  

• Phone: 202-678-1600

• Email: custom -at- TheCapitol.Net

• Complete our online custom program information request.