Transcript The Legislative Branch

The Legislative Branch
A Bicameral Legislature
• Bicameral = Two Houses
• The Senate
• The House of Representatives
• Together they are the US Congress
Terms of Congress
• Two Year Terms
• Begin January 3rd of Odd Number Years
• New Term Begins January 3rd, 2013
• Terms divided into two 1 year Sessions
The House of Representatives
• Currently 435 Members
• Two Year Terms
• All Representatives up for Election every
Two Years.
The House of Representatives
• Represent Districts from each State
• Districts assigned by population
• Redrawn after each census
Gerrymanderying!?!
Wisconsin Wisconsin
SenatorsCongressional
Districts
Paul
Ryan
–––R
Reid
Jim
Tom
Mark
Sean
Gwen
Ron
Sensenbrenner
Ribble
Petrie
Pocan
Duffy
Moore
Kind
––R
–RD
R
–D D – R
District
18
District
District
District
District
District
6274
35
Tammy Baldwin - D Ron Johnson - R
House Leaders
• Speaker of the House: Most powerful
• Picks Committee Leaders, Schedules Votes
• Next in line for Presidency after VP
• Majority and Minority Leaders
• Majority and Minority Whips
The Senate
• Currently 100 Members, 2 per State
• Each Senator represents his/her whole State
• Six Year Terms, 1/3 elected every 2 years
Senate Leaders
• Vice President = Presiding Officer
• Can vote in case of ties
• President Pro Tempore: Ceremonial Position
• Often the longest serving member of majority
• Next in line for Presidency after Speaker
Majority vs Minority
• The Party with the most members in a
chamber is the Majority Party
• The other Party is in the Minority
House
Senate
234 Republicans
201 Democrats
53 Democrats
47 Republicans
Committees
• Detailed work of law making is done in
committees.
• Standing Committees: Exist permanently,
•
Each Committee deals with a specific
area of Legislation: Agriculture, Defense
Judiciary, Commerce, Education, etc
• Select Committees: Temporary, created to
deal with specific issues, Assassinations
Budget Crisis, etc
• Committee Chairmen have great power
Committees
• Joint Committees: Both House & Senate
members, conduct business of Congress
• Conference Committees: Both House and
Senate members. Work out differences
between House & Senate versions of Bills
Powers of the Legislature
• Expressed Powers: Article I.8, paras 1-17
Things Congress is specifically able to do
• Implied Powers: I.8.18, Necessary & Proper
also called Elastic Clause
• Declare War
• Collect Taxes
• Post Office
• Coin Money
• Create Courts
• Etc
Limits on Powers
• Article I, Section 9: The Constitution prohibits
Congress from doing certain things
• Prohibit Free Speech
• Promote a Religion
• Interfere with Worship
• Bills of Attainder
• Ex Post Facto Laws
• Favor one State over
other States
Removing Govt Officers
• Two Step Process
• Applies to President, VP, Cabinet & Judges
• The House can Impeach (bring charges)
• Then there is a Trial with the Senate as Jury
• Requires a 2/3 vote to convict
Advise & Consent
• The Senate has the power to Advise and
Consent on Presidential appointments
and Treaties signed by the President
Taxing and Spending
• All Appropriations Bills (Taxes) must originate
in the House of Representatives
• Appropriations Bills cover a budget for a two
year period (biennum)
• Two Parts:
• An Authorization Bill creates the
budget, including projects like the Space
Shuttle, and how many $$ are to be spent
• An Appropriations Bill specifies how the $$
will be raised to pay for the budget