1. The Legislative Branch
Congress:
The House of Representatives
The Senate

2. Congress Congress is the Legislative Branch Bicameral = 2 houses
House of Representatives = 435 people apportioned based upon population
Senate = 100 people, 2 from each state

3. Congress: General Information
-House of Rep.’s: directly elected
Based on population (census)
Capped at 435
-Senate: first chosen by state legislatures
17th Amendment: chosen by voters
-Qualifications:
House: 25 yrs.,7 yr. citizen,resident/ 2 yr. term
Senate: 30 yrs.,9 yr. citizen, resident/ 6yr.

5. Leadership Roles House of Representatives The Senate
Speaker of the House: chosen by the majority party
VERY POWERFUL!!!
The Senate
President: VP of the US
Pres. Pro Tempore: senior member of majority party

6. Leaders Speaker of the House – Paul Ryan, R. Wisconsin
President of the Senate – Joe Biden, D. Delaware
President Pro Tempore – Orrin Hatch, R. Utah

7. Sean Patrick Maloney

8. NY Senators

9. What is the role of the Legislative Branch???
The #1 job of the House of Reps and the Senate is to MAKE LAWS!!!
I'm Just a Bill

12. Revenue Bills Involve This:
Must start in HOR

13. Committee Meeting in Congress

14. Process (cont.) Sent to House floor for a vote
House: limited time for debate
Senate: unlimited
“filibuster”:

15. Senator Strom Thurmond: 48 years in the Senate (Until he was 100!)

16. More Fun Facts:
1957 Senator Strom Thurmond tried to stop the passage of a civil rights bill. He spoke for more than 24 hours.
He talked about civil rights for several hours
He read the voting rights laws from every state
He then read the Declaration of Independence aloud
***The bill did pass just two hours later, but Thurmond set a new record for the filibuster

17. Process (cont.) Bill goes through each House Bill goes to President
Two versions? Conference Committee
Bill goes to President
Sign? Becomes law
Veto? Sent back to House of origin
Pocket veto: less than 10 days for Congress, pres. doesn’t sign bill (“dies” in his pocket)

18. Fun Facts! Most vetoes? Least vetoes? FDR: 635 over 12 years in office
Cleveland: 414 over 4 years
Least vetoes?
Monroe: 1 veto
Washington: 2
“King Veto”: Andrew Jackson: used veto 12 times: more than all the previous pres. combined

19. Fun Facts! The original House of Representatives had 65 members
Average age of today’s rep.s? 53
Most are married, half are lawyers and a large percentage worked in banking, business and education.
Nearly all members have advanced college degrees
They make about $140,000 a year, with many little extras: travel $, free postal service, etc,. (Leaders in H & S make more $$$).

20. Non-Lawmaking Powers and Responsibilities

21. Powers of Legislative Branch
Delegated or enumerated: Specifically granted:
Declare war
coin $
regulate trade – between states and U.S. and foreign
raise taxes

22. Powers of Legislative Branch
Implied powers: Not specifically granted
to make all laws necessary & proper to carry out their delegated powers
Elastic Clause or necessary & proper clause

23. Powers (cont.) Non-Legislative Powers: non-law-making powers: Senate:
approve pres. Appointments (Judges and Cabinet)
admit new states
approve treaties
propose Constitutional amendments
House:
Admit new states
Propose amendments to Constitution

24. Powers – Checks and Balances
Congressional Override - 2/3 to override president’s veto
Impeachment powers:
“for treason, bribery & other high crimes & misdemeanors”
House: brings charges - must determine if there is enough evidence
Enough evidence = impeached and heading to trial
Senate: tries case
2/3 vote needed to remove official from office

25. Andrew Johnson’s Impeachment Trial in the Senate

26. President Bill Clinton

27. The Intentions of the Founding Fathers and the Constitution
The Legislative Branch was supposed to be the strongest/most powerful branch of the government
As time has passed and our government has evolved the Executive Branch, or president, has become more powerful