Congress--the legislative branch of the federal government

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Congress--the legislative branch of the federal
government

• Senate
• House of Representatives

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Senate

• Two from every state (regardless of population)
• rural and Republican bias?
• staggered six-year terms--why?
• --not so responsive to popular moods
• unlimited debate--filibuster and cloture
• Recently, the nuclear option

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Specific powers of the senate

• approves treaties, federal judges, cabinet heads
• tries cases of impeachment

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Senate leadership

• Majority leader
• Bill Frist
• Minority leader
• Harry Reid

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House of Representatives

• Apportioned to each state, according to
  population, at least one for each state--total of
  435
• Two year terms
• --hence close to the people
• Constituent service
• Potential conflict the interests of a district
  and the nation--pork
• More formal than Senate, also more specialization

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California congressional districts
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Powers specific to the House

• Introduce revenue bills
• Draw up and vote on articles of impeachment

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Officers of the House

• Speaker
• Dennis Hastert
• if House majority party is different from
  Presidents--is leader of opposition
• selects members of many committees and which
  committee a bill will go to and more
• Majority Leader
• John Boehner
• Minority Leader
• at present leader of the opposition--Nancy Pelosi

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How a bill becomes a law

• Bill introduced, assigned name and number,
  printed
• assigned to a committee (or committees)
• most simply die there
• especially in the House, referred to
  subcommittee, has hearings
• there is a mark-up and then a report for the
  full chamber

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contd

• in House receives a rule concerning amendments
  and debate
• goes to the floor for debate and vote
• goes to conference committee to reconcile
  versions
• returns to both chambers for final vote
• president signs