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The Legislative Branch

The Legislative Branch. Legislative Branch Review. Function: Make the Laws Congressional Joint Powers Levy and collect taxes Raise and maintain military Grant statehood Control national lands Regulate interstate trade Naturalize citizens Declare war Control making of currency.

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The Legislative Branch

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  1. The Legislative Branch

  2. Legislative Branch Review Function:Make the Laws Congressional Joint Powers Levy and collect taxes Raise and maintain military Grant statehood Control national lands Regulate interstate trade Naturalize citizens Declare war Control making of currency Where are these Legislative powers found In the Constitution?

  3. Legislative Branch House of Representatives Qualifications 25 years old U.S. Citizen for 7 years Resident of state elected Method of Selection – Election by the people Term of Office – 2 years Members per State – Based on population – 435 total Powers reserved for the House only Originates money bills (taxes) Begins impeachment process Elects President if Electoral College fails to do so

  4. 1. Which state has the most members in the House of Representatives? 2. Why does that state have more than all the others? 3. What is the minimum number of representatives a state may have? 4. What is used to decide how many seats a state gets in the House?

  5. Legislative Branch Senate 1. Qualifications a. 30 Years Old b. American citizen for 9 years c. Resident of state elected 2. Method of Selection – Election by the people 3. Term of office – 6 years 4. Members per state – 2 5. Powers reserved for Senate only a. Confirm Presidential appointments b. Approve/reject treaties c. Jury for impeachment trial

  6. The U.S. Congress in Brief Bicameral Senate 100 members Six years More prestigious House 435 2 years Reapportioned after each census

  7. Legislative Branch • Begins January 3 of every odd-numbered year • Numbered Consecutively (07-09 = 110th) • Adjournment = end of term (both houses must agree) • Two sessions per term/ periodic recesses

  8. The Senate Presiding Officer Minority Leader Majority Leader GOP Policy Committee Democrat Steering Comm. Democrat Policy Committee Appropriations Finance Other Standing Committees Minority Whip Majority Whip Republican Conference Democrat Conference

  9. House of Representatives Speaker Minority Leader Majority Leader Committee on Rules Republican Policy Committee Democrat Policy Committee National Republican Congressional Committee Democrat Steering Committee Committee on Appropriations Committee on Ways and Means Other Standing Committees Majority Whip Minority Whip Democrat Caucus Republican Conference

  10. Legislative Branch Speaker of the House Presiding officer of the House Job: acknowledges speakers, signs bills, appoints committees, calls a vote. Who is the current speaker of the House?

  11. Legislative Branch • Bicameralism = Two houses • A. House of Reps = closer to people • • Elected by the people • • Smaller districts • • 2 year term • • Entire body elected every 2 years • • Revenue bills must originate in the house

  12. Legislative Branch • House minority leader • The Minority Leader of the United States House of Representatives serves as floor leader of the opposition party, and is the • minority counterpart to the Majority Leader. • The Minority Leader is also the actual head of his or her party in the House The current House minority leader is Nancy Pelosi. Why does she have the title “minority leader?”

  13. Majority and Minority Whips A whip in the House of Representatives manages their party's legislative program on the House floor. The Whip keeps track of all legislation and ensures that all party members are present when important measures are to be voted upon The House of Representatives uses the terms "Republican Whip" or "Democratic Whip" depending on which Party is the majority or minority.

  14. Legislative Branch President of the Senate V.P. Less power than Senators Presiding officer but may not speak or debate President pro tempore Resides in V.P.’s absence Elected by the Senate Majority Party Currently: Daniel Inouye

  15. Legislative Branch • Majority Leader- Harry Reid • True leader in Senate • Recognized first for all • debates • Leads majority party • Influences committee • assignments • Influences agenda with Minority leader (Mitch McConnell)

  16. Legislative Branch • Bicameralism = Two houses • Senate designed to be removed from the • people • • Originally elected by state legislatures • • Elected on an at large basis • • 6 year terms • • 1/3 up for election every 2 years = more • continuity and stability

  17. Political Party Breakdown Democrat- Republican- Independent- Can you tell what the diagrams are representing? (House or Senate)

  18. Legislative Branch • Compensation • Members set own salary (27th amendment =raise takes effect next term) • Perks: travel allowance, staff, office space, franking privilege, insurance • Legislative immunity: A law that protects legislators from liability in a civil lawsuit for duties that they performed within their office's jurisdiction • Cannot be arrested or • detained while going to • or from a session of • Congress

  19. Officers of the Legislative Branch • Floor leaders: • majority and minority in the House and Senate • Legislative strategists • Committee Chairmen • Heads of standing committees • Chosen by majority • Usually by seniority rule

  20. Committees in Congress • Standing committee: permanent groups which all similar bills could be sent. (Ex. Budget committee) • Select committee- a special group set up for a specific purpose for a limited time. (ex. Senate Watergate Committee) • Joint Committees- members from both houses.

  21. Committees in Congress • Informal groupings- Black caucus, democratic study group, House Republican study group, pro-Life caucus, etc. • Conference Committee- temporary joint body to iron out different versions of a measure

  22. How does a bill become law • Bills- proposed laws, or drafts of laws presented to the House or Senate for enactment. • Two types: • Public- measure applying to the nation as a whole- (tax bills) • Private-only apply to certain persons or places rather than to the nation generally.

  23. Number of Women in U.S. Congress

  24. How a Bill Becomes a Law The Journey of a Bill

  25. Introduction of the Bill • The bill can come from a variety of sources: • Individual citizens, • Special interest groups • Corporations, • Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) • Only a member of Congress can introduce the bill • A bill can start in either House.

  26. The Bill is Assigned to Committee • Each House has standing committees that consider their bills. • Each committee has a chair (from the Majority) and a ranking member (from the minority). • They “mark-up” (edit) the bill so it will pass on the floor. • They can “pigeonhole” or kill the bill in committee. • The bill must also pass through the House Rules Committee.

  27. The Bill is Reported To the Floor • If the bill is passed by the committee, it is sent to the whole House for debate and vote. • The committee has “reported the bill favorably to the floor.” • The Speaker determines which bills are discussed and for how long. • Committee chairs and ranking members give out time to debate to other members.

  28. The Bill is Debated and Voted in the House • Bills can be considered by the whole House at once: called “Committee of the Whole” • Votes are done electronically in the House, a role call vote. • A board on the wall shows the tally. Red = oppose. Green = Agree Yellow = Abstain • Votes can be taken by voice “yeas and nays” or a “teller vote” where members file past the sergeant at arms.

  29. The Bill Goes to the Senate • The bill is sent to the US Senate. A Senate version is written with the letter S. and a number. House bills have HR. • As in the House, the bill must be referred to the appropriate standing committee. • Committees hold hearings and make changes to the bill. • The committee can ‘report” the bill to the Senate floor.

  30. The Bill is Debated and Voted On in the Senate • The Senate Majority Leader determines which bills are scheduled, when and for how long. • As in the House, the bill must be referred to the appropriate standing committee. • Debate in the Senate is unlimited. Filibusters can be used by the minority to block bills. • 3/5 (60) of the Senate must agree to end debate (this is called “cloture”) • The Senate Rules committee is much weaker than the House’s.

  31. Both Houses Must Pass the Bill • A simple majority in both houses is needed to pass the bill (51%). • In the House: 218 needed to control the House. • In the Senate: 51 senators needed to pass the bill (and control the Senate).

  32. Differences Between Houses Must Be Reconciled • Each house passes its own bill. • Any differences must be ironed out and made into one bill. • The bill is considered by a conference committee, made up of both House and Senate members. • They negotiate and compromise and send the combined bill back to both houses. • A vote on the “conference report” must be taken and passed by both Houses.

  33. The Bill is Sent to the President • The president can sign the bill if he wants it to become law. • He can include “signing statements” that say how the law should be enforced or if parts will not be enforced. • The president can veto or reject the bill. He must include his reasons and recommendations for correction. • The president can choose not to act on the bill. If Congress is in session, the bill becomes law after 10 days. • If Congress is not in session, the bill dies after 10 days. This is called a “pocket veto.”

  34. The Bill Becomes Law • If the president vetoes the bill, both Houses can reconsider the bill. • Two-thirds (67%) of both Houses are needed to override the President’s veto. • In the House: 369 needed for override. Senate: 67. • If president signs the bill, it is a federal law that each state must follow.

  35. How does a bill become law • Filibuster: an attempt to “talk a bill to death.” in the Senate. • Record: Democrat Senator Strom Thurmond: held the floor for 24 hours in an attempt to kill the Civil Rights Act of 1957. What is a filibuster proof Senate?

  36. Which part of Congress has 100 members, two from each state? The U.S. Congress is a bicameral legislature.  What does the word bicameral mean? Which part of Congress has 435 members, with the number from each state proportional to the state's population? Name two powers the legislative branch has over the judicial branch. Name two powers the legislative branch has over the executive branch.

  37. Some terms to know and apply Senator Representative Filibuster Term Session Bicameral Unicameral Committee Majority Minority Whip Immunity Debate

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