Minimum Age: # of years a citizen: Residency: Constituency: Term of Office: Presiding Officer: Special Powers: General Information: 25 years old 7 years Must be a resident of the area you represent Citizens/residents who live within the representative’s district 2 years Speaker of the House Introduce all bills dealing with appropriations and money  435 Members  Number of representatives/state is determined by population  Virginia=11 Representatives John Boehner

Minimum Age: # of years a citizen: Residency: Constituency: Term of Office: Presiding Officer: Special Powers: General Information: 30 years old 9 years Must be a resident of the state you represent 6 years Vice President and President Pro Tempore Approve all presidential appointments; power to impeach  100 Members  2 Senators for EVERY state  Virginia=2 Senators Citizens/residents who live within the Senator’s state Joe Biden Patrick Leahy

House of RepresentativesSenate House Majority Leader: Eric Cantor House Minority Leader: Nancy Pelosi (Former Speaker of the House) Senate Majority Leader: Harry Reid Senate Minority Leader: Mitch McConnell

Expressed Powers Listed in the Constitution The power to tax, borrow, commerce, currency, bankruptcy, foreign relations, war powers, naturalization, postal, copyrights and patents, weights and measures, territories, and judicial Implied Powers NOT listed in the Constitution Needed in order to have the expressed powers Necessary and Proper clause – Elastic Clause The power to establish a federal reserve, draft an army, fix minimum wage and maximum work hours, make tax evasion a crime, and establish federal aid programs

Expressed Powers SPECIFICALLY listed in the Constitution Power to tax Power to borrow Power to regulate trade and selling of goods (commerce) Power to print currency and make coins

Foreign Relations Powers War Powers Naturalization Powers Postal Power Copyrights and Patents Weights and Measurements Power over Territories Judicial Powers More Expressed Powers – Specifically Listed in Constitution

Implied Powers Powers NOT WRITTEN in the Constitution, but suggested Necessary and Proper Clause Also known as elastic clause Powers that Congress needs in order to conduct its business

Examples include: – Establishing the Federal Reserve – Making tax evasion a crime – Establishing federal aid programs – Drafting an army – Setting minimum wages and maximum work hours Implied Powers

Expressed vs. Implied Powers Expressed Powers  Listed in the Constitution  The power to tax, borrow, commerce, currency, bankruptcy, foreign relations, war powers, naturalization, postal, copyrights and patents, weights and measurements, territories, and judicial Implied Powers  Not listed in Constitution  Needed in order to have the expressed powers  The power to establish a federal reserve, draft an army, fix minimum wage and maximum work hours, make tax evasion a crime, and establish federal aid programs

Powers that don’t have to do with making laws – Constitutional Amendments – Electoral College – Impeachment – Power to investigate (hold hearings)