The Legislative Branch

 Bicameral Congress – 2 House Legislature 1. Historical: Most of the Framers of the Constitution were already familiar with the British Parliament (2 Houses: House of Lords & House of Commons) 2. Practical: fair and equal representation in both houses of Congress 3. Theoretical: in hopes that one house might act as a check on the other

 Terms = Senators (6 yrs) House (2 yrs)  Start Date: January 3rd of odd-numbered years  Sessions – period of time in which congress assembles and conducts business  2 Sessions for every term  Adjourning (calling off) a session can be done by both houses or the president  Special Sessions: called in case of an emergency

1.Larger body (435) Smaller body (100) 2.Shorter term (2 yr.) Longer term (6 yr.) 3.Smaller Larger constituencies constituencies 4.Younger Older membership (25 yr.) membership (30 yr.) The House of Representatives The Senate

5.Less prestige More prestige 6.Lower visibility Higher visibility in in the news mediathe news media 7.Strict rules, Flexible rules, limited debatenearly unlimited debate 8.Most work is done Work is split more in committees, Not on evenly between the floor committees and the floor The House of Representatives The Senate

9.No power over Approves or rejects treaties and treaties and presidential appointments 10.Single-member At-large elections district elections The House of Representatives The Senate

1.Representatives: of their constituents (people)  Trustee: votes by conscience & judgment  Delegate: votes by what the people want  Partisan: votes by party  Politico: uses all of the above to vote 2.Committee Members: screen proposed laws 3.Servants to their constituency

$165,200/yr.House & Senate $215,700/yr.Speaker & V.P. $180,100/yr.President Pro Tem/ Majority & Minority  Non-Salary: “Fringe Benefits”  Tax deductions  Travel allowances  Health & Life insurance  Retirement plan  Allowances for offices and staff  Franking privilege – mail postage-free  Free printing  Free from arrest while in session (Excluding cases of treason and felony)

 Congress in Action

 The Presiding Officers  Speaker of the House: is both elected presiding officer of the House and the acknowledged leader of its majority party ▪ Presides over every session of the House, or occasionally appoints a member as the temporary presiding officer ▪ Follows the Vice President in the line of succession to the presidency

 The President of the Senate = Vice President ▪ Constitution assigned the job – not chosen by a party ▪ Powers: recognize members, put questions to a vote, etc. ▪ Can NOT take the floor to speak or debate and may vote only to break a tie

▪ President Pro Tempore serves in the Vice President’s absence ▪ Is elected by the Senate itself and is always a leading member of the majority party ▪ Follows the Speaker of the House in the line of presidential succession

 The Floor Leaders  Majority/Minority Floor Leaders  The Majority Floor leader’s post is the more powerful in each house because they hold more seats (votes) than the other party  Majority/Minority Whips: assistant floor leaders

 Committee Chairmen: those members that head the standing committees in each chamber  Seniority Rule  Unwritten custom  Head of each committee is almost always the longest-serving majority party member of that committee

 The Role of Committees  Committee Assignments ▪ House: 19, 9 – 75 members in each ▪ Senate: 17, 12 – 28 members in each ▪ Representatives are usually assigned to one or two; Senators three or four ▪ Bills receive their most thorough consideration while in committee

 The House Rules Committee: “Traffic Cop” ▪ Every bill must be cleared by the Rules Committee  Select Committees: most are formed to investigate a current matter (Ex. Study of the Elderly, Covert operations in Iran, etc.)  Joint & Conference Committees: One composed of members of both houses

 1st Step: Introduced, given a name and number (Ex. H.R or S. 210)  Types of Bills & Resolutions  Joint Resolutions: a proposal for action; has the same force as a law; usually temporary  Concurrent Resolutions: Statement on a position; does not have the force of law; no Presidential approval

 Resolution: Opinion on a matter; does not have the force of law; no Presidential approval  Bill: proposed law; applies to the entire nation  Bill in Committee  Most bills introduced Congress are pigeonholed – die in committee

 Introducing the Bill  Bill are introduced by Senators; Private citizens can create a bill (not introduce)  Rules for Debate  The Filibuster ▪ An attempt to “talk a bill to death;” stalling tactic to delay or prevent action on a measure ▪ Cloture Rule: used to stop a filibuster (needs 3/5 vote to end it)

The President’s Powers  The President may sign the bill, and it then becomes law (LAW)  The President may veto the bill. He will not sign and will attach a veto message to the bill. (NOT LAW, YET – Congress may get a combined 2/3 agreement – BECOMES LAW)  The President may allow the bill to become law without signing it – by not acting on it within 10 days, not counting Sundays, of receiving it. (LAW)  Pocket Veto: If Congress adjourns its session within 10 days of submitting a bill to the President, and the President does not act, the measure dies (NOT LAW)