Congress
Congress is a speech and debate event that simulates real life congress. It is a nationally recognized event. In other words, all states have a congress event. In congress, you compete in a room with other students. Throughout a round, you may refer to them as representative or senator followed by their last names. Before debate begins, the P.O. passes around two seating charts to be filled: one for judges and one for the P.O. The chart identifies who you are. There are two types of topics covered in congress. Bills are specific, and resolutions are vague. Each advocates some policy. Bills/resolutions are categorized into various areas: economic, education, national, foreign etc. Each congress room will have about 2 1 people. In congress, you may give a speech supporting the topic (affirmative) or negating it (negative). Each speech is 3 minutes long followed by cross- examination period of 1 minute. Motions allow for congress to function. The first motion is to open congress (or start debate). After that, the order of the day is decided. This is the order that the bills will be presented. Each bill/resolution begins with an affirmative speech. The first affirmative speaker will read the bill. During the CX period, opponents will question you on what you covered in your speech. To cross-examine another speaker, raise your hand and the presiding officer will call on you if others who want to ask questions have asked more than you have. At times, the number of cross-examination questions is reset for each bill. Leading questions are not allowed. A leading question is a question that forces a person to respond “yes” or “no.” There are 2 sessions per league tournament. Each is 130 long. Between sessions there is an intermission. You will be with the same people and seated in the same spot in the room in both sessions. However, P.O’s will change and so will your judges.
Speaking priority is determined in the order of your priority cards, number of cross-examination questions you ask, and how many times you attempt to speak. During speeches, you may introduce new arguments or refute other arguments that have been already presented. At the beginning of a round, all competitors are issued a set of priority cards. For example, blue may denote 1st priority, yellow 2nd priority, and so on. Even if you eventually run out of cards, you may still speak if you have the highest priority of those who want to speak. DON’T LOSE YOUR PRIORITY CARDS. The priority card is what you present to speak. If you are speaking for the first time in a session, turn in a blue card. After your speech, you have a yellow card. if someone has a blue card and another person a yellow card, the person with blue will speak. (This is because the person with yellow has already spoken.) If both speakers have blue cards, whoever has asked the most cross-examination questions will be called on to speak. If the amount of questions is the same, priority is granted based on the most attempts to speak. An attempt is when you tried to speak but were denied because you had a lower priority card or asked fewer questions. Attempts are also called “standing time.”
The presiding officer (better known as P.O.) can be voted on by the house or is already pre-selected. You present your priority card to the P.O.
For the tart of every bill, the first speech must be affirmative. The first affirmative will read the bill. After that, the timing for the speech will begin. Students will take turns speaking affirmative and negative.
Motion to previous question means that a person wants to move to the next bill. This motion must be seconded. Then 2/3 of the house must approve if approved, the bill is voted either affirmative or negative. Debate will begin for the next bill. If not approved, debate for that same bill will continue.