US Government Legislative Branch National Government Legislative branch

US Government: Legislative Branch

National Government • Legislative branch (Congress) • Executive Branch (President, Cabinet departments) • Judicial branch (Supreme Court) • Checks & balances: ability of each branch to keep the others “in check” • Separation of powers: so no one branch gets too powerful

Legislative Structure • Bicameral (2 houses): House of Representatives & Senate, mostly white men, middle-aged, lawyers, businessmen, bankers • House: 435 members, represents the common man, based on population based on census every 10 yrs, represent “districts”, elected every 2 years in even # yrs • Must be 25 years old, naturalized citizen for 7 years, legal resident of state you represent

Representation • Constituents: the people they represent • Reapportionment: chg in # of reps based on change in census #s • Redistricting: setting up new district lines after reapportionment • Gerrymandering: one party draws the district boundaries to benefit their party (illegal) • 113 th Congress: 232 Reps, 200 Dems, 3 vacant seats (Republicans hold majority)

House Leadership: Boehner • • • Pelosi Speaker of the House: John Boehner [R]--Ohio Majority Leader: Eric Cantor [R]--Virginia Majority Whip: Kevin Mc. Carthy [R]—California Minority Leader: Nancy Pelosi [D]--California Minority Whip: Steny Hoyer [D]—Maryland Cantor Mc. Carthy Hoyer

Law-making in the House • Bill is dropped in the “hopper”—gets HR# • Goes to committee—only about 10 -20% come out of committee • Goes on calendar • Rules Committee decides which bill go to the floor for debate & voting • Must have a quorum (majority) present to vote (218 members) • If passed, goes to Senate

Senate • 2 per state (100 today) • Must be at least 30 yrs old, naturalized citizen for 9 yrs, legal resident of state represented “at-large” • 1/3 elected every 6 yrs, even # years • 27 th amendment: can’t vote pay raise during current session • Can exclude or censure a member

Senate More informal than the House Usually debate is unlimited Vice-Pres. Breaks tie: Joe Biden President pro tempore: presides— usually majority party’s most senior member • Current pres pro tem: Patrick Leahy [D]--Vermont • •

Other Senate Leadership • Democrats have current majority: 53 Dems, 45 Republicans, 4 independents • Majority Leader: Harry Reid • Majority Whip: Dick Durbin • Minority Leader: Mitch Mc. Connell • Minority Whip: John Comyn

Bills in the Senate Calendar of General Orders lists the bills Vote to bring bills to the floor—given S # Goes to committee Unlimited debate on floor Can filibuster (speak to stall the voting process)— longest ever was Strom Thurmond [SC]— 24 hours, 18 mins • Can stop a filibuster by voting for cloture—limits speaking to one hour • If passes, goes to House • • •

Committees Standing: permanent Subcommittees: subcategories of other committees Select: temporary, usually to study one issue Joint: members from both Houses Conference: temporary, set up when different versions of a bill have been passed by both houses • Extremely important to be on committees—MUCH power! Usually done by seniority • Chair is very powerful: decides everything (when they meet, bills to be considered, who speaks, etc. ) • Most important committees: Rules, Ways & Means, Appropriations (controls the $$$) • • •

Congressional Support • Staffers & secretaries do much of the research, answer calls, make calls & write legislation for members of Congress • Personal & committee staffers, adminstrative & legislative assistants, caseworkers • Library of Congress • Congressional Budget Office • General Accounting Office • Government Printing Office

Legislative Powers • Expressed (enumerated): 18 powers • Implied: uses “necessary & proper clause”— can make any laws necessary to carry out expressed powers • Denied powers: can’t suspend writ of habeas corpus, no bills of attainder (conviction w/out trials), no ex post facto laws (making something illegal that you did when it was legal)

Powers Tax, borrow, coin $, punish counterfeiters Regulate commerce/trade Declare war Raise/support an army/navy/national guard Punish acts committed on international waters & against other nations • Naturalization laws, post office, copyrights/patents, create courts, govern DC, necessary & proper laws as needed • • •

Other powers • Power to choose a President if there is no majority in the electoral college (only twice: 1800 & 1824) • Settle Presidential succession issues (Nixon’s resignation, Kennedy’s assassination) • Impeachment • Confirmation power (Senate): appointments • Ratification power: treaties • Amendment power: 2/3 rds vote

Still other powers! • Investigative: investigations, hold hearings, subpoena witnesses • Oversees executive agencies • Can limit those agencies—cut purse strings! • Can limit President’s power to declare national emergency • Controls the budget • Override Presidential veto

Law-making • Bills that pass both the House & Senate but are different go to Conference Committee • If passed, goes back to both for final vote • Then goes to President • Sign, veto, pocket veto • Can override, but hard to do—rare • Any bill that doesn’t pass dies • “pigeonholing”: bill dies in committee • Line-item veto: ruled unconstitutional

How can you influence Congress? • Write, call or email your Senator or Representative—they all have websites! • Reps. for 30252: Paul Broun [R], Hank Johnson [D], Lynn Westmoreland [R], David Scott [D] • http: //www. house. gov/representatives/find/ • GA Senators: Saxby Chambliss [R] & Johnny Isakson [R] • Join a political party • Join an interest group (lobbying) • Join a Political Action Committee: raise $

How can they help you? • Call, write or email their caseworker with your problem, question or request • They try to get bills passed that bring $/jobs to your state/district (sometimes “pork”) • Try to get grants & contracts (especially Defense contracts) for their states…Ga has LOTS of military bases thanks to former Senator Sam Nunn!