1. Organization and Powers of Congress
Unit 3

2. Opener: 1/9/17
Copy the definitions Bicameral - two-part or house legislature Census - population count taken by the Census Bureau every 10 years Constituents - people represented by congress Speaker of the House - the most powerful leader in the House of Representatives

3. Terms of Congress
The Framers of the U.S. Constitution intended the legislative branch to be the most powerful branch.
Each term starts January 3 of odd-numbered years and lasts two years. Each term has two sessions.
Congress holds special sessions in times of crisis.
A joint session occurs when both houses meet together, such as for the president’s State of the Union address.

4. A Bicameral Legislature
The Great Compromise
established Congress as a
two-part, or bicameral, body.
The House of Representatives has 435 voting members, allotted to the states by population.
After each census, or population count taken by the Census Bureau, Congress adjusts the number of representatives given to each state.

5. A Bicameral Legislature (cont.)
States are divided into districts, with one representative elected from each district.
The states draw districts to include roughly the same number of constituents, or people represented. Some abuse the process by drawing a gerrymander, or oddly shaped district designed to increase the voting strength of a particular group.

6. Gerrymander
What comment was Stuart making about the shape of the voting district that Governor Gerry created?

7. A Bicameral Legislature (cont.)
House members focus on the concerns of their district.
The Senate has 100 members–two from each state.
Senators represent their entire states.
They serve six-year terms.
Elections are staggered to ensure some stability.
112th Senate

8. Who’s Your Legislator? US Sen. Mitch McConnell US Sen. Rand Paul
US Rep. Thomas Massie
KY Sen. Ernie Harris
KY Rep. David Osborne
KY Rep. Rick Rand

9. Congressional Leaders
Leadership
President Joe Biden, (D)
since January 20, 2009
President pro tempore Orin Hatch, (R)
since Jan 16, 2016
Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, (R)
since January 3, 2015
Minority Leader Chuck Schumer since January 3, 2017
Members 100
Political groups
Democratic Caucus
(44 members)
Republican Conference
(54 members)
In both houses, the political party to which more than half the members belong is the majority party.
The other party is the minority party.
Party members choose their leaders at the beginning of each term.

10. Congressional Leaders (cont.)
The Speaker of the House is the most powerful leader in the House of Representatives.
The Speaker always belongs to the majority party.
The Speaker is in charge of floor debates and influences most House business.
If something happened to the president and vice president, the Speaker would become president.
Paul Ryan, Speaker of the House

11. Congressional Leaders (cont.)
The leader of the Senate is technically the vice president, who rarely attends and votes only in case of a tie.
The person who actually acts as chairperson is the president pro tempore.
The majority party fills this mostly ceremonial position.
Orrin Hatch, President pro tempore

12. Congressional Leaders (cont.)
Powerful floor leaders try to make sure the laws Congress passes are in the best interest of their own party.
They speak for their parties on the issues and try to sway votes.
Party “whips” help by keeping track of where their party members stand on issues and rounding them up for key votes.

13. Committees: Little Legislatures
The detailed work of lawmaking is done in committees.
Each house has permanent standing committees that continue their work from session to session.
Most are divided into smaller subcommittees that deal with specialized issues.
Both houses also have select committees that are created to do a special job for a limited period.

15. Committees: Little Legislatures (cont.)
They disband after completing their task.
Joint committees include members of both houses.
Temporary conference committees help the House and Senate agree on the details of a proposed law.

16. Committees: Little Legislatures (cont.)
Members of Congress try to get assigned to important committees that affect the people who elected them.
Party leaders make committee assignments based on members’ preferences, expertise, party loyalty, and seniority, or years of service.

17. Committees: Little Legislatures (cont.)
Members with the most seniority usually get the preferred committee spots.
The most senior members from the majority party traditionally become chairpersons.
Chairpersons of standing committees are the most powerful members of Congress.
Michael McCaul Homeland security committee Chair

18. Partner Work: Comparing & Contrasting
Create a chart similar to the one below. Review your notes and fill in the appropriate spots comparing the House of Representatives to the Senate.
House of Representatives
Senate
Size
Term
Powers of Leaders
Types of Committees

19. Opener: 1/10/17

20. Legislative Powers
Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution lists Congress’s specific or expressed powers.
Clause 18 gives Congress implied powers (not stated explicitly) to do whatever is “necessary and proper” to carry out the expressed powers.
Clause 18 is often called the elastic clause because it allows Congress to stretch its powers to meet new needs.

22. Legislative Powers (cont.)
Congress has the power to collect taxes to pay for government and its services. All tax bills must start in the House of Representatives and be approved by the Senate.
Congress spends money by means of a two-step process.
Authorization bills create projects and set an amount to be spent on them.

23. Legislative Powers (cont.)
Appropriations bills actually provide the money for each program.
Article I, Section 8, Clause 3, the “commerce clause,” gives Congress the power to regulate foreign and interstate commerce.
Laws dealing with air traffic, television, and air pollution are all based on this clause.

24. Legislative Powers (cont.)
Only Congress can declare war. Congress has the power to create, maintain, and oversee an army and navy.
The Senate must approve all treaties with other countries.

25. Nonlegislative Powers
Congress has powers not related to making laws.
It can propose constitutional amendments.
It counts electoral votes in presidential elections.
If no one receives a majority, the House picks the president and the Senate picks the vice president.
If a president dies, resigns, or is too ill to serve, Congress settles the matter.

26. Nonlegislative Powers (cont.)
Congress has the power to check other branches.
The Senate can approve or reject the president’s nominations for jobs such as Supreme Court justice, federal judge, and ambassador.
The House may impeach, or accuse officials of misconduct.
If the majority of House members vote to impeach, the matter goes to the Senate.

27. Nonlegislative Powers (cont.)
A two-thirds vote in the Senate is required to remove the person from office.
Congress has taken on the role of overseeing government activities.
Standing committees review how well the executive branch has put laws into practice.
Congress conducts special investigations that may lead to criminal charges or new laws to deal with the problem.

28. Limits on Power The Constitution imposes limits on Congress.
Congress may not pass laws that violate the Bill of Rights.
Article I says that Congress may not favor one state over another, tax interstate commerce, or tax exports.

29. Limits on Power (cont.)
Congress cannot suspend the writ of habeas corpus.
This is a court order that requires police to explain why they are holding a suspect.
Congress may not pass bills of attainder, or laws that punish a person without a jury trial.
Congress may not pass ex post facto laws that make an act a crime after the act has been committed.

30. Limits on Power (cont.)
Congress may not interfere with powers reserved for the states.
Other branches can check the power of Congress.
The Supreme Court may declare laws unconstitutional.
The president can veto bills.

31. Complete the handout titled “Organization and Powers of Congress.”
Be prepared to discuss your answers with the class…

32. Legislatures: Laying Down the Law