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How Congress is organized
The Senate began with 26 members in 1789 now has 100 members today
The increase of the House of Representatives was ever greater.
The House has grown from 65 members in 1789 to 435 members today.
Since there are so many members in the House they have strict rules.
Rules in the House of Representatives
Rules that specify when a Bill can be introduced.
A rule on how long a Bill can be debated.
Congressional Leaders
The party with more than ½ the members is called the Majority party.
The party with less than ½ the members is called the minority party.
Floor Leaders and Party Whips
Floor Leaders try to make sure that the laws Congress passes are in the best interest of their own political Party.
Each House of Congress has 2 Floor leaders and Democrat and a Republican.
The Majority party’s leader is called the majority Leader. The Minority Party;’s leader is called the Minority Leader.
The Minority Party;’s leader is called the Minority leaderr Addison
Mitchell "Mitch" McConnell, Jr. is the senior United States Senator from Kentucky. He was chosen by his Republican colleagues as the Minority Leader
Harry Mason Reid-Democratic Majority Leader
(born December 2, 1939) is the senior United States Senator from Nevada and a member of the Democratic Party.
Party Whip- Assists each floor leader.
The Party Whips job is to keep track of how party members vote and to persuade all members of his or her party to vote together on issues.
Party Whips The House Majority Whip of the 111th
United States Congress is Rep. James E. Clyburn (D., South Carolina)
The House Minority Whip of the 111th United States Congress is Rep. Eric I. Cantor (R., Virginia
Speaker of the HouseThe Overall leader of the
House of Representatives.They are a member of the
Majority party and they are in Charge of everything that occurs in the House.
Speaker of the House
Nancy Pelosi from California.
President Pro-Tempore
They are from the Majority party and are in Charge of the Senate when the Vice-President is Gone.
“ For the Time Being”
President Pro-Tempore
It is an honorary position that goes to the most senior member of the Majority Party.
President Pro Tempore of the Senate
The current President pro tempore of the Senate is Robert Byrd (D-West Virginia).
Vice President Joe Biden is the leader of the Senate
Vice Dick Cheney Leader of the Senate-
According to the Constitution the Official Leader of the Senate is the Vice President.
Congressional Committees
Each house of Congress must consider thousands of Bills-or proposed laws.
To handle all these Bills each house has developed a system of committees.
Every New Bill goes to a committee.
Congress has 3 types of Committees
StandingSelectJoint
Standing Committee
Is a permanent committee that specializes in a particular subject.
Select Committee- a temporary committee of Congress formed to deal with a particular problem.
Joint Committee- it contains members of both houses of Congress.
Seniority System- the members of Congress who have served the longest get first choice of Committee assignments.