LEGISLATIVE BRANCH General Information House of Representatives Senate

LEGISLATIVE BRANCH • General Information • House of Representatives • Senate • Leadership • Committees • Powers

CONGRESS: GENERAL INFORMATION PURPOSE: TO MAKE LAWS CONGRESSIONAL TERMS • 2 Years in Length • Currently the 114 th Term of Congress CONGRESSIONAL SESSIONS • Regular Session – Must Meet once a Year (January 3 – December) • Special Session – President Calls – Times of Crisis • Joint Session – State of the Union Address

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES • • • VOCABULARY BASIC INFORMATION • Census – Population Count Term Length – 2 Years Requirements for Members • Constituents – people who vote in an election 25 years old • Gerrymandering – dividing 7 year US Citizen a state into odd-shaped Resident of the State districts for political 435 Members advantage Based on State Population Changes w/ Census (10 yrs)

SENATE BASIC INFORMATION • Term Length – 6 years (1/3 every 2 years) • Requirements for Members 30 years old 9 year US citizen Resident of the State • 100 members • 2 per state

CONGRESSIONAL LEADERS HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES • Speaker of the House – Chosen by the majority party Nancy Pelosi SENATE • President – VP of the US Mike Pence

Committees (Little Legislatures) • • • Types of Committees Committee Membership Standing – permanent; • Each house leader have in each term. chooses committee Subcommittee – each chairperson. Comes from standing committee is majority party. further divided into • Party leaders also decide subcommittee. who will be in the Select Committee – set up committees. for a particular issue. Joint Committee – made up • Seniority System – those who have been in of members of both houses. Congress longer get more favorable committee Conference Committee – a joint committee that irons assignments. out differences in different versions of house bills.

POWERS OF CONGRESS EXPRESSED POWERS • Powers specifically granted to Congress in the Constitution. TAX DECLARE WAR RAISE & MAINTAIN ARMY, NAVY COIN MONEY BORROW MONEY ESTABLISH POST OFFICES IMPEACHMENT REGULATE INTERSTATE & FOREIGN TRADE ESTABLISH LOWER COURTS NATURALIZATION RULES IMPLIED POWERS • Necessary & Proper Clause – Congress may make all laws necessary & proper to the execution of government. (AKA – ELASTIC CLAUSE)

Powers Denied to Congress 1. Suspend the Writ of Habeas Corpus 2. Pass a Bill of Attainder 3. Pass an Ex Post Facto Law 4. Tax Exports 5. No Titles of Nobility

Congressional Benefits/Staff/etc… • Salary & Benefits - $174, 000; free office space, parking, trips to/from home state/district, franking privilege. • Staff – Gather info on bills, arrange meetings, write speeches, deal with requests from home state/district, deal with lobbyists. • Committee Staff – Draft bills, gather info, organize hearings, negotiate with lobbyists. • Agencies that Assist Congress Library of Congressional Research Service General accounting Office Congressional Budget Office

CHECKS & BALANCES