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Legislative Branch
AKA:
Congress
The Peoples’ House
Legislature
House of Representatives
Senate
House Trivia
Camera (Latin) = room or chamber
Background & Basics
Where Laws and Policies are made Two Houses (Bicameral) – Why?
Conflict over representation during ratification of the Constitution.
House of Representatives (435 members) the Senate (100 members) Serve the people (constituents)
Qualifications
House (Salary)25 citizen for 7 years inhabitant of the state (district).
Senate = (Salary)30Citizen for 9 years Inhabitant of the state elected
Responsibilities
Make laws
Serve local districts and states
Serve interests of nation
Support political party
Serve the People
Powers
Article 1, Section 8 (Delegated/Enumerated Powers)
“Power of the purse” – Budget Collect Taxes and Borrow $ Declare War Create courts Regulate Foreign and Domestic Commerce. Implied Powers (“Necessary and Proper”) Non-legislative Powers - Checks and
Balances
Non-Legislative Powers
Confirm appointments and treaties
Propose amendments
Admit new states
Impeach (house)
Hold impeachment trial (senate)
Limits to Congress
Checks and Balances
Presidential Veto
Judicial Review
Cannot deny habeas corpus
No bill of attainder
No ex post facto
The Federal Budget
Mandatory Spending: Social Security Medicare and Medicaid Interest on National Debt
Discretionary Spending National Defense Dept. of Homeland Security Dept. of Agriculture
Deficits = when government spending exceeds revenues.
Public Debt = accumulation of years of deficits
House of Representatives
Article I, Section 2 Currently the 113th Congress, First Congress in
1789. Two Year Terms, unlimited number of terms Elected on the basis of population 435 seats total in the House Each state is divided into as many congressional
districts as it has representatives in the House. PA is now has 18 districts, we are district 4.
District 4 is now Represented by Scott Perry.
Senate
Article I, Section 3
Each state has 2 senators
How many total?
Senators focus on the state as a whole, not each district.
6 year terms, 1/3 elected every 2 years.
Expected to prevent hasty unwise laws.
Leadership in Congress
House Leader = Speaker of the House Senate Leader = Vice President
president pro tempore (in VPs absence)
Majority Party, Minority Party Majority Party selects Speaker Minority Leaders
Floor leaders, whips. House Leadership Senate Leadership
Lawmaking
Bill = Proposed Law
Anyone can propose a bill, but most by sponsored by member of Congress.
About 10,000 bills are introduced each term of Congress. About 2% actually become law.
Standing Committees recommend or “kill” the bill before it “hits the floor”
Committees for diff. areas (edu, banking)
Committee Chairpersons are from the Maj. Party
Filibuster (Staling) and Cloture (3/5s = 60 votes)
Bills…
Bills must be same from both Houses.Conference Committee
To President who can sign, hold or veto.
Override Veto with 2/3s vote
Examples of Bills
Senate Committees
http://www.house.gov/
http://www.senate.gov/
http://usgovinfo.about.com/od/uscongress/a/congresspay.htm
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/21/AR2010032100943.html
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/15/AR2010031503742.html
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0511/55320.html
usatoday least productive Congress