The Legislative Branch

Congress:House of Representatives

House of the Senate

Two Houses – Different Formal Requirements

House of Representatives• must be at least 25 years

old• must have been a citizen of

the U.S. for at least 7 years• must be an inhabitant of

the State from which he or she is elected

***Long standing custom, not constitutional regulations, requires that a representative live in the district he/she represents.***

House of the Senate• must be at least 30 years

old• must have been a citizen of

the U.S. for at least 9 years• must be an inhabitant of

the State from which he or she is elected

Constitutional Differences

House of Representatives• 2 year terms• 435 members (proportional

representation)• has authority over money

(appropriation) bills• initiates impeachment

proceedings

Senate• 6 year terms – one

continuous body – 1/3 of Senators are up for election every 2 years

• 100 members (equal representation)

• purpose is to advise and consent on treaties and presidential appointments

• tries impeached officials

What is a term?What is a session?

• A term of Congress is a two year period during which both houses of Congress meet.

• A new term of Congress will begin this week.• It will be the 112th Congress.• A session of Congress is the period of time during a

year when Congress meets and conducts business. There are 2 sessions in every term.

• The 112th Congress’ first session will be during the year 2011 and the second session will be during the year 2012.

Operational Differences

House of Representatives• More centralized• Strong leadership and

impersonal rule• Rules committee

determines time for debate• Members

specialize/Committee decisions more influential/Floor debate less important

Senate• Less centralized• Collegiality and personal

interaction• Debate by unanimous

consent or Cloture Vote (60 votes needed!) – Filibuster

• Members more generalists/committees less important/Floor debate more important

Organization – Congressional Leadership Positions

House of Representatives• Speaker of the House• Majority Leader• Minority Leader• Majority & Minority Whips

Senate• President of the Senate• President Pro Tempore• Majority Leader• Minority Leader• Majority & Minority Whips

Speaker of the House of Representatives

• Presiding officer of the House and acknowledged leader of the majority party

• Duties: to preside & to keep order• 3rd in the line for presidential succession

because he/she is the most high-ranking elected official

• Current Speaker: John Boehner, Republican, Ohio

House of Representatives – Majority Leader

• Not elected, but appointed by their political party

• Duties: to try to get their parties’ legislation passed & to be chief spokesperson for his/her party

• Controls order of business• Current Majority Leader: Eric Cantor Republican, Virginia

House Minority Leader

• Same description as Majority Leader except that he/she has less power because his/her political party is not currently in power

• Current House Minority Leader: Nancy Pelosi Democrat, California

**was the first woman Speaker of the House in the prior Congress**

House Majority Whip

• Assistant floor leaders• Chosen by their party• Work for and deliver votes• Current Majority Whip: Kevin McCarthy,

Republican, California

House Minority Whip

• Same description as the Majority except that his/her party is not in power

• Current Minority Whip: Steny Hoyer, Democrat, Maryland

President of the Senate

• U.S. Vice-President• Presiding member of the Senate• Is not a member of the chamber• Does not vote unless there is a tie• Current President of the Senate:

V.P. Joe Biden

President Pro Tempore of the Senate

• Serves as presiding officer in the absence of the VP

• Elected by the Senate itself (usually the senior member of the majority party)

• 4th in the line of succession to the presidency• Current President Pro Tempore of the Senate: Patrick Leahy, Democrat, Vermont

Senate Majority/Minority Leaders

• Same duties as their counterparts in the House of Representative

• Majority Leader: Minority Leader:• Harry Reid, D., Nevada Mitch McConnell, R, Ky.

Senate Majority/Minority Whips

• Same Duties as their House counterparts• Majority Whip: Minority Whip: Richard Durbin John Kyl D., Illinois R., Arizona

112th Congressional Representatives from Georgia

• Jack Kingston, R.• Sanford Bishop, D.• Lynn Westmoreland, R.• Henry Johnson, D.• John Lewis, D.• Tom Price, R.• Rob Woodall, R.• Austin Scott, R.• Tom Graves, R.• Paul Broun, R.• Phil Gingrey, R.• John Barrow, D.• David Scott, D.

Georgia’s Senators

Saxby Chambliss, R. Johnny Isakson, R.

Congressional Mid-Term Elections, 2010(off year elections)