The Senate and the House of Representatives 7th Grade Civics Miss Smith *pgs. 136-139 Civics in Practice

Two Houses of Congress The Constitution states that the Congress (or Legislative Branch) should be made up of two houses: the Senate and the House of Representatives Congress was split so that both large and small states would be fairly represented This is called a bicameral legislature House of Representatives: Members based on each state’s population Senate: 2 per state for ALL states

The House of Representatives Each state is entitled to at least one representative Washington D.C. and the US territories each have one non-voting delegate There are 435 members in the House 1 member per 300,000 people in each state This may change every 10 years when the Census is taken to determine population

The House of Representatives Voters choose members from their congressional districts only (not the entire state) There are as many districts as there are members in the House District boarders are generally chosen based on political party, politicians, or groups of people Elections are held every even-numbered year in Nov. All members of the House are elected for two-year terms

The Senate There are 100 members of the Senate Senators get elected for six-year terms Elections are held every even- numbered year in Nov.

Congress Members of Congress have no limits placed on the number of terms they can serve If a member of the House dies or resigns, a special election is held to replace them If a member of the Senate dies or resigns, the governor can replace them until the next election (in most states)

Members of Congress There are certain requirements to become a member of Congress Including agreeing to a code of conduct Members of Congress also get a salary and benefits

Qualifications of members House of Representatives: Be at least 25yrs old Have been a citizen of the US for at least seven years Be a legal resident of the state you represent Senate: Be at least 30 years old Have been a citizen of the US for at least nine years

Salary and Benefits Each member of Congress gets: $165,200 per year An office in the Capitol Building An allowance to pay staff members Free trips back to their home state An allowance for home/district offices A stationery allowance Franking privilege- the right to mail official letters or packages for free Immunity

Rules of Conduct Members of Congress can request an investigation of another member’s qualifications This can result in a member’s seat in Congress being denied Codes of Conduct include: Limit on outside income earned Full disclosure of financial holdings is required Punishment for breaking codes include: Being disciplined by Congress Being expelled from office Censure- formal disapproval of the actions of a Congress Member