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