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United States CongressUnit 4: Chapters 10-12
National LegislatureLegislative BranchResponsibilities:
Debate issues & pass laws, regulationsRaise & lower taxesApprove government’s budget
National LegislatureU.S. Capitol Building
Built following Revolutionary WarBurned by British troops during War of
1812Reconstruction completed by 1830Housed the Senate, House, and
Supreme CourtSupreme Court moved out in 1935
National LegislatureBicameral Legislature (Two Houses)
National LegislatureBicameral Legislature (Two Houses)Senate
100 seatsApportioned equally between all states
National LegislatureBicameral Legislature (Two Houses)Senate
100 seatsApportioned equally between all states
House of Representatives435 seatsApportioned according to state’s
population
National LegislatureTerm – period following each election
Lasts 2 years: Jan 3, 2011 – Jan 3, 2013112th Congress
Session: period while Congress assembles to conduct business2 sessions each term, 1 each year
112th Congress is in its first session
National LegislatureRecess – a break during a session
Holidays, etc.Adjourn: suspend work until next
sessionNeither House nor Senate can
adjourn without consent of the otherSpecial session – President can call
these to force Congress to deal with emergency situationsThreatened oftenNot used much
National LegislatureMajority is EVERYTHING in Congress
Whichever political party has more than half of the seats can control much of what Congress gets done
Priorities that are pursued; Laws that are passed
Incumbent – An elected official already holding office
Usually has a good chance of winning re-election
Classwork:
National LegislatureMajority is EVERYTHING in Congress
Whichever political party has more than half of the seats can control much of what Congress gets done
Priorities that are pursuedBills that are introducedLaws that are passed
House of Representatives435 SeatsApportioned, or distributed among
states, based on their populationND, SD, MT, WY, DE – 1 each (at-
large)California – 53Texas– 32
Elected to serve a 2 year term in office
Elections held even numbered yearsTuesday following 1st Monday of
November
House of RepresentativesQualifications25 years oldCitizen of U.S. for at least 7 yearsInhabitant of state they represent(informal – inhabitant of district they
represent)
Senate100 seats
2 for every stateElected to serve a 6 year term
Staggered: 1/3 up for election every 2 years
Qualifications30 Years oldCitizen of US for at least 9 yearsInhabitant of the state they
represent
Demographics of Congress17% women, 83% men
Religion:2 practicing Buddhist45 Jews1 Sikh2 Muslim10 that claim no affiliationThe rest are Christians
Demographics of CongressPrevious Jobs
225 hold law degrees24 worked in medicine15 worked in law enforcement
42 are African American (Roland Burris is only in Senate)
25 are Hispanic 9 Asian / Pacific Islander45 Jewish
Congressional PowersChapter 11
Congressional Powers Congress has only the powers given by the
ConstitutionExpressed or Implied
Power to taxDirect tax – paid directly to government by purchaserIndirect tax – paid by one, then cost is passed on to
another party Cigarette Tax – company just raises price of product
Power to borrow moneyCurrent National Debt:
$10,900,000,000,000 $35,000 per citizen
Power to make currencyNo State currency
Congressional Powers Make Bankruptcy lawsRegulate interstate and foreign commerceForeign Relations
Power to sign or not sign treaties / agreements w/ other countries
Declare War (& control the President’s budget for war)Naturalization Process
How immigrants can become citizensPostage feesPatents on new inventionsTerritories
Eminent Domain: power to take private property for public use
Non Legislative PowersPropose Amendments to ConstitutionElectoral College
House choose a new President if no one won a majority of electoral votes
Senate chooses Vice President (can be opposite party!!)
ImpeachmentsAppointments
New members of Supreme CourtSenate approves members of President’s Cabinet
(advisors)Investigations
Clinton’s “relationship” with a White House intern
Impeachment1. House of Representatives brings formal
charges against an elected official“Impeach” – means to bring formal chargesImpeaches with a simple majority (51%)
2. Senate puts the person on trial; acts as juryMust have 2/3 of Senate to convict
Penalty for conviction is removal from office Can also prohibit from ever holding office again
If no conviction, the person is acquitted
An official can be “impeached” without being convicted
Impeachment17 impeachments, 7 convictions
All convictions were Federal judgesTwo Presidents have been impeached, both
acquitted1. Andrew Johnson
Handling South after Civil WarImpeachment was political revenge
2. Bill ClintonPerjury - lying under oathClinton was censured – formal condemnation of his
behaviorRichard Nixon
resigned just before impeachment (Watergate Scandal)
Senate probably would have convicted
Congress in ActionChapter 12
Congressional LeadershipHouse
Speaker – presiding officer, member of majority party
Majority Leader – in charge of floor debateMinority Leader – speaks for minorityWhips – one from each party; assist the leaders
SenatePresident – VP is President of the Senate
(Biden) Breaks ties
President Pro Tempore – presides in absence of VP
Majority Leader, Minority Leader, and Whips
Congress in ActionLawmaking – passing new legislationCasework – helping constituentsPork Barreling / Earmarking
Getting federal funds for local projects that benefit their district (& nobody else)
Roads, parks, research grants, construction contracts
Popular if YOU benefit, but not if you don’t
OversightContinual process of reviewing executive
branch and government organizations
How a Bill becomes a Law: HouseBill – a proposed law that is presented to the
House or the Senate for considerationTitle is given based on where it originates, and
a numberH.R. 3410 or S. 611Rider – an attachment to a bill that is about an
unrelated matterFirst Reading
Speaker of House refers the bill to an appropriate committee
How a Bill becomes a Law: HouseCommittees debate the issue
Every Congressman is member of at least one Education, Agriculture, Foreign Affairs, Indian
Affairs, Veterans Call in experts to adviseMay re-write parts of the billMost bills are “pigeonholed”
Put away, never to be acted upon Also called “dying in committee”
Some are discharged Sent back to the full House to be read and voted on Only good bills make it this far
How a Bill becomes a Law: HouseDebate on the House floor is strictly limited
No one can debate for over one hour (unlike in the Senate)
Vote is finally heldIf passed, it transfers to Senate for their
approvalMust pass in BOTH houses before it becomes a
lawMust be identical
How a Bill becomes a Law: SenateSenate also uses Committees to look closely
at billsIf it makes it out of committee, bill read to full
Senate & debated before voteFloor debate is unrestrained in the Senate
Once you receive permission to speak
How a Bill becomes a Law: SenateFilibuster:
Senator talking nonstop, trying to prevent action on a bill
Tying up the Senate for so long that the leadership is forced to drop the bill in order to go on to other work
Huey Long of LouisianaFilibustered for 15 hours straight in 1935
Strom Thurmond of South CarolinaFilibustered for 24 hours & 18 minutes in 1957Trying to keep Senate from approving Civil Rights
legislationCloture
Only way to end a filibuster, but 2/3 of Senate must agree