Chapters 10, 11 & 12 – “The United States Congress”

The United States Senate

What it is…

Constitutional Qualifications

Size and Terms of Senators

The 17th Amendment and the Election of Senators

Seniority in the Senate

First Day of Congress in the Senate

The U.S. Senate – Topics for Today

What is the Senate? “Upper House” – Why?Latin for: “council of elders” – Named after?

What is the Senate?

A more “deliberative” and “prestigious” body than the House…

“World's Greatest Deliberative Body” Harding, JFK, Obama

Article I, Section 3:“No Person shall be a Senator who shall not have

attained to the Age of thirty Years, and been nine Years a Citizen of the United States, and who shall not, when elected, be an Inhabitant of that State for which he shall be chosen.”

The SENATE is the judge of a Senator’s qualifications…

Historical examples… Henry Clay, 29, 1806Joe Biden, 29, 1972

Constitutional Qualifications

Article I, Section 3: “The Senate of the United States shall be

composed of two Senators from each State…”

Size of the Senate

Today: 100 Senators, 2 from each state (50 states)

Article I, Section 3:“…chosen by the Legislature thereof, for six

Years… Immediately after they shall be assembled in Consequence of the first Election, they shall be divided as equally as may be into three Classes…”

The election is staggered; approximately 1/3 of the Senate is up for re-election every two years, but the entire body is never up for re-election in the same year!

*** What does this give us? A ____________________ body…

Terms of Senators

Under the Constitution, unlike before, States were sub-ordinate to the Federal Gov’t…

Senators were supposed to represent the states, NOT the people!

Longer terms, classes/election cycle, continuous body…

“temper the populism of the House”

State legislatures held supreme power over Senators!

True bicameralism (House Constituency vs. Senate Constituency)

Pre-17th Amendment Senate

However, the U.S. ran into some problems…

(1.corruption and 2.deadlock)

* “The Millionaire’s Club!” *

U.S. Constitution: “…chosen by the Legislature thereof…”

17th Amendment, 1913: “The Senate of the United States shall be composed of two Senators from each State, elected by the people thereof, for six years; and each Senator shall have one vote…”

“When vacancies happen in the representation of any State in the Senate, the executive authority of such State shall issue writs of election to fill such vacancies: Provided, That the legislature of any State may empower the executive thereof to make temporary appointments until the people fill the vacancies by election as the legislature may direct.”

17th Amendment, 1913

Seniority plays a HUGE role in the Senate…

Constitution does not differentiate, but, Senate Rules do!

“Senatorial Courtesy” – goes to the Senior Senator

Who would serve as President pro tempore in the absence of the Vice-President? Who would chair the important committees? Who would obtain desirable office space?

Seniority in the Senate

Reasons why Seniority matters in the Senate!

Vice President Presides… Prayer…Oath of Office and swearing in (first and

second time)… Majority Leader, a resolution, and notification

of the President… Election of the President pro tempore… Daily meeting time… New members organized into committees…

First Day of Congress: The Senate

House of Representatives

2 year terms25 y.o., 7 years

citizen, resident435 RepresentativesC.D. constituencyDissolves every 2

yearsLower House

6 year terms!30 y.o., 9 years

citizen, resident!100 SenatorsState-wide

constituencyContinuous bodyUpper House

Tale of the Tape!Senate