United States Congress

1. United States Congress Unit 4: Chapters 10-12

2. National Legislature Legislative Branch • Responsibilities: • Debate issues & pass laws, regulations • Raise & lower taxes • Approve government’s budget

4. National Legislature • U.S. Capitol Building • Built following Revolutionary War • Burned by British troops during War of 1812 • Reconstruction completed by 1830 • Housed the Senate, House, and Supreme Court • Supreme Court moved out in 1935

10. National Legislature Bicameral Legislature (Two Houses)

12. National Legislature Bicameral Legislature (Two Houses) • Senate • 100 seats • Apportioned equally between all states

14. National Legislature Bicameral Legislature (Two Houses) • Senate • 100 seats • Apportioned equally between all states • House of Representatives • 435 seats • Apportioned according to state’s population

15. National Legislature • Term – period following each election • Lasts 2 years: Jan 3, 2011 – Jan 3, 2013 • 112th Congress • Session: period while Congress assembles to conduct business • 2 sessions each term, 1 each year • 112th Congress is in its first session

16. National Legislature • Recess – a break during a session • Holidays, etc. • Adjourn: suspend work until next session • Neither House nor Senate can adjourn without consent of the other • Special session – President can call these to force Congress to deal with emergency situations • Threatened often • Not used much

17. National Legislature • Majority is EVERYTHING in Congress • Whichever political party has more than half of the seats can control much of what Congress gets done • Priorities that are pursued; Laws that are passed • Incumbent – • An elected official already holding office • Usually has a good chance of winning re-election

18. Classwork:

19. National Legislature • Majority is EVERYTHING in Congress • Whichever political party has more than half of the seats can control much of what Congress gets done • Priorities that are pursued • Bills that are introduced • Laws that are passed

20. House of Representatives • 435 Seats • Apportioned, or distributed among states, based on their population • ND, SD, MT, WY, DE – 1 each (at-large) • California – 53 • Texas– 32 • Elected to serve a 2 year term in office • Elections held even numbered years • Tuesday following 1st Monday of November

21. House of Representatives Qualifications • 25 years old • Citizen of U.S. for at least 7 years • Inhabitant of state they represent • (informal – inhabitant of district they represent)

22. Senate • 100 seats • 2 for every state • Elected to serve a 6 year term • Staggered: 1/3 up for election every 2 years Qualifications • 30 Years old • Citizen of US for at least 9 years • Inhabitant of the state they represent

23. Demographics of Congress • 17% women, 83% men • Religion: • 2 practicing Buddhist • 45 Jews • 1 Sikh • 2 Muslim • 10 that claim no affiliation • The rest are Christians

24. Demographics of Congress • Previous Jobs • 225 hold law degrees • 24 worked in medicine • 15 worked in law enforcement • 42 are African American (Roland Burris is only in Senate) • 25 are Hispanic • 9 Asian / Pacific Islander • 45 Jewish

25. Congressional Powers Chapter 11

26. Congressional Powers Congress has only the powers given by the Constitution • Expressed or Implied • Power to tax • Direct tax – paid directly to government by purchaser • Indirect tax – paid by one, then cost is passed on to another party • Cigarette Tax – company just raises price of product • Power to borrow money • Current National Debt: • $10,900,000,000,000 • $35,000 per citizen • Power to make currency • No State currency

27. Congressional Powers • Make Bankruptcy laws • Regulate interstate and foreign commerce • Foreign Relations • Power to sign or not sign treaties / agreements w/ other countries • Declare War (& control the President’s budget for war) • Naturalization Process • How immigrants can become citizens • Postage fees • Patents on new inventions • Territories • Eminent Domain: power to take private property for public use

28. Non Legislative Powers • Propose Amendments to Constitution • Electoral College • House choose a new President if no one won a majority of electoral votes • Senate chooses Vice President • (can be opposite party!!) • Impeachments • Appointments • New members of Supreme Court • Senate approves members of President’s Cabinet (advisors) • Investigations • Clinton’s “relationship” with a White House intern

29. Impeachment 1. House of Representatives brings formal charges against an elected official • “Impeach” – means to bring formal charges • Impeaches with a simple majority (51%) 2. Senate puts the person on trial; acts as jury • Must have 2/3 of Senate to convict • Penalty for conviction is removal from office • Can also prohibit from ever holding office again • If no conviction, the person is acquitted • An official can be “impeached” without being convicted

30. Impeachment • 17 impeachments, 7 convictions • All convictions were Federal judges • Two Presidents have been impeached, both acquitted 1. Andrew Johnson • Handling South after Civil War • Impeachment was political revenge 2. Bill Clinton • Perjury - lying under oath • Clinton was censured – formal condemnation of his behavior • Richard Nixon • resigned just before impeachment (Watergate Scandal) • Senate probably would have convicted

31. Congress in Action Chapter 12

32. Congressional Leadership • House • Speaker – presiding officer, member of majority party • Majority Leader – in charge of floor debate • Minority Leader – speaks for minority • Whips – one from each party; assist the leaders • Senate • President – VP is President of the Senate (Biden) • Breaks ties • President Pro Tempore – presides in absence of VP • Majority Leader, Minority Leader, and Whips

33. Congress in Action • Lawmaking – passing new legislation • Casework – helping constituents • Pork Barreling / Earmarking • Getting federal funds for local projects that benefit their district (& nobody else) • Roads, parks, research grants, construction contracts • Popular if YOU benefit, but not if you don’t • Oversight • Continual process of reviewing executive branch and government organizations

34. How a Bill becomes a Law: House • Bill – a proposed law that is presented to the House or the Senate for consideration • Title is given based on where it originates, and a number • H.R. 3410 or S. 611 • Rider – an attachment to a bill that is about an unrelated matter • First Reading • Speaker of House refers the bill to an appropriate committee

35. How a Bill becomes a Law: House • Committees debate the issue • Every Congressman is member of at least one • Education, Agriculture, Foreign Affairs, Indian Affairs, Veterans • Call in experts to advise • May re-write parts of the bill • Most bills are “pigeonholed” • Put away, never to be acted upon • Also called “dying in committee” • Some are discharged • Sent back to the full House to be read and voted on • Only good bills make it this far

36. How a Bill becomes a Law: House • Debate on the House floor is strictly limited • No one can debate for over one hour (unlike in the Senate) • Vote is finally held • If passed, it transfers to Senate for their approval • Must pass in BOTH houses before it becomes a law • Must be identical

37. How a Bill becomes a Law: Senate • Senate also uses Committees to look closely at bills • If it makes it out of committee, bill read to full Senate & debated before vote • Floor debate is unrestrained in the Senate • Once you receive permission to speak

38. How a Bill becomes a Law: Senate • Filibuster: • Senator talking nonstop, trying to prevent action on a bill • Tying up the Senate for so long that the leadership is forced to drop the bill in order to go on to other work • Huey Long of Louisiana • Filibustered for 15 hours straight in 1935 • Strom Thurmond of South Carolina • Filibustered for 24 hours & 18 minutes in 1957 • Trying to keep Senate from approving Civil Rights legislation • Cloture • Only way to end a filibuster, but 2/3 of Senate must agree