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