The United States Congress Ch 9

How Congress is Organized The “Great Compromise” established a Bicameral congress. Bicameral - Having two legislative houses. Upper house – The Senate – each state has two representatives. Lower house – House of Representatives - a state’s population determines the number of representatives.

House of Representatives Qualifications 25 years of age. U.S. citizen for at least 7 years. Must live in the state they represent. Length of term – 2 years. If a state has more than one representative, the state is divided into districts and each district will elect one representative.

House of Representatives (2) Gerrymandering – dividing a state into districts for political reasons. Constituents – people within a district.

The Senate Qualifications – Length of term – 6 years 1) 30 years of age. 2) U.S. citizen for 9 years. 3) Must be a resident of the state they represent. Length of term – 6 years Every two years, 1/3 go up for reelection. Each Senator represents the entire state.

Salaries, Benefits, and Privileges Salary - $174,000 per year. Benefits – Office space and parking. Trips to home state. Franking Privileges – the right to send job related mail without paying the postage.

Senate Salaries It speaks for itself.

Salaries, Benefits, and Privileges (2) Expulsion –to be forced to leave Congress. Censure Formal disapproval. (for less serious crimes, this means embarrassment. More serious crimes could lead to expulsion.

Congressional Sessions The entire House of Representatives is elected every other year. Sessions - The time period during which Congress meets and carries out its business. Congress meets for most of the year.

Congressional Leaders In both the Senate and the House of Representatives, the party (Democrat of Republican) to which more than half the members belong, is called the Majority. The other party is called the Minority. President of the Senate Dick Biden U.S. Vice President President Pro Tempore Robert Byrd Democrat / West Virginia Majority Leader Harry Reid Democrat / Nevada Minority Leader Mitch McConnell Republican / Kentucky

Floor Leaders and Party Whips Floor leaders try to make sure that the laws that Congress passes are in the best interest of the party to which they belong. Therefore, each house of Congress has a Majority Floor Leader and a Minority Floor Leader. Assistant Majority Leader (Democrat Whip) Richard Durbin Democrat, Illinois Assistant Minority Leader (Republican Whip) Jon Kyle Republican, Arizona

Floor Leaders and Party Whips (2) Party Whip – The person responsible for keeping track of how party members vote and trying to persuade party members to vote together.

Speaker Each house of Congress has one overall leader. In the House of Representatives, the overall leader is called the “Speaker of the House”. The Speaker of the House has say over everything that happens while the House is in session.

President Pro Tempore According to the Constitution, the leader of the Senate is the Vice-President of the United States. The Vice-President only votes when there is a tie. (he rarely comes). Day to day leadership of the Senate is handled by the “President Pro Tempore.

Congressional Committees A bill (or proposed law), first goes to a committee where it is researched, discussed, and revised. Standing Committee - permanent committee that specializes on bills of a certain topic (i.e. agriculture, or veteran affairs). Sub- Committee – smaller committees that handle more specialized bills i.e. banking.

Congressional Committees Select Committees – Temporary committees that deals with bills that need special attention (i.e. a committee to deal with giving help to victims of Katrina)

Committee Membership The Majority Party Leader chooses over half of the committees membership. The seniority system allows the senators and representatives that have served the longest to be the committee chairperson.

Expressed and Implied Powers Expressed Powers (also known as delegated powers) are those powers specifically listed in Article I of the Constitution. The power to collect taxes, borrow money, regulate foreign and interstate commerce, set up a postal system, maintain an army, declare war and to regulate immigration and naturalization.

Expressed and Implied Powers (2) Implied Powers are those not stated “explicitly” in the Constitution. The implied powers come from the necessary and proper clause (elastic clause) because it allows Congress to stretch its authority and carry out the expressed powers.

Nonlegislative powers Impeach – to accuse government officials of wrong doing.

Special Powers of Congress Appropriations bills – bills that involve money. House special powers – begin impeachment hearings. Introduce appropriations bills. Senate special powers - act as jury in impeachment trials. Ratify treaties.

Limits to Congressional Power Congress can not interfere with the legal rights of individuals. Congress cannot interfere with any powers that are reserved for the states in the Constitution.

Introducing a Bill A Senator or Representative who wants to sponsor a bill must first go about getting it in written form. Then . . . . . Senate – The senator formally announces the bill before the senate. House – After having it written, the bill is dropped into the “hopper”.

The Work of Committees Committees can Kill or reject a bill. Pigeonhole the bill. (this means to set it aside without considering it. Throw it out and write a new bill about the same thing. Pass it on to a subcommittee who will hold public hearings on it.

Debating a Bill Debate in the House is constrained by time since there are so many members. The Rules Committee decides how long a bill can be debate or even “if” a bill can be debated.

Debating a Bill (2) In the Senate, debates are freer. Senators may speak about a bill for an unlimited amount of time. Filibuster –talking about a bill on the floor until the bill’s sponsor withdraws it. Cloture – When 60 members of the senate vote to end a filibuster.

Voting on a Bill Voice vote – Yea or Nay. Used for bills that are overwhelmingly popular or unpopular. Standing vote – More exact, members are asked to remain standing if they support a bill or be seated if they are against a bill.

Roll-call votes Each member’s name is called and they reply Yea – support the bill. Nay – oppose the bill. Present – no opinion. Roll call votes are a matter of public record and constituents can find out how their representatives voted.

Conference Committees If the House and Senate pass different versions of the same bill, it is sent to a committee of Senators and Representatives who meet to iron out differences in the bills. Otherwise, it cannot become law.

Signing or Vetoing a Bill After a bill has passed both houses of Congress, it goes to the President for signing. The President may sign the bill and it will become law. Or, he may “not sign” the bill. President Truman signing a bill making Feb 1st National Freedom Day

Signing or Vetoing a Bill (2) President Johnson signing the 1968 Civil Rights Bill If the President does not sign the bill and Congress is in session, after 10 days it becomes a law.

Signing or Vetoing a Bill (2) If the President does not sign the bill and congress is not in session, the bill dies after 10 days. This is called a Pocket Veto. A vetoed bill can become law if 2/3’s of both houses vote to override the veto.