Why does this matter to me?! Debt clock
1. Senate 2. House of Article I: Legislative Branch (Law Making) Creates and passes laws Legislative branch is made up of 2 houses of Congress (bicameral legislature): 1. Senate 2. House of Representatives
? ? ? ? Senate Each state = 2 senators 100 members (50 x 2) Senators serve 6-yr. terms (1/3 every 2 years; staggered election) President of the Senate V.P. of the United States ? President Pro Tempore ? Majority Leader ? ? Minority Leader
Who are New York’s Senators? senior senator junior senator
House of Representatives 435 members (based on state population CA = 53, TX = 36, FL&NY = 27) Each state is guaranteed at least 1 representative Serve 2-year terms Congressional terms are numbered (we are now in the 115th Congress: 1/3/17-1/3/19) Washington, DC elects a representative, but she is not allowed to vote (6 total non-voting members: Guam, Puerto Rico, Amer. Samoa, Northern Mariana, Virgin Islands) Eleanor Holmes Norton Non-voting Rep. from DC
House Leadership: Speaker of the House – Majority Leader – Minority Leader –
Who’s this? Where is he today?
Western NY representatives in the House: Oops, these were the districts in 2010. What happened to the 28th and 29th?
Congressional Powers Read Article I, Section 8 and number each delegated power in a concise, bullet-point or numbered fashion; paraphrase as much as possible. (There are 18 delegated or enumerated powers) Example: --1. To lay and collect taxes
Most powerful clause? The Elastic Clause: “[Congress may] make all laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into execution the foregoing powers...” Federalists wanted this asserted to expand the reach of national authority. Loose interpretations of the Constitution use this clause to expand the power of the Federal government. Strict Interpretations of the Constitution argue that the use of this clause should be very limited.