The Congress

House of RepresentativesSenate Membership435 members (apportioned by population) 100 members (two from each state) Term of office2 years: entire house elected every 2 years 6 years: staggered terms with one-third of the Senate elected every 2 years Qualification At least 25 years of age Citizen for 7 years must live in state where district is located At least 30 years of age Citizens for 9 years Must live in the state ConstituenciesSmaller, by districtLarger, entire state PrestigeLess prestigeMore prestige

Differences between the House and the Senate House of RepresentativesSenate Members chosen from local districtMembers chosen from an entire state Two-year termSix-year term Originally elected by votersOriginally (until 1913) elected by state legislatures May impeach (indict) federal officialsMay convict federal officials of impeachable offenses Larger (435 voting members)Smaller (100 members) More formal rulesFewer rules and restrictions Debate limitedDebate extended Less prestige and less individual noticeMore prestige and more media attention Originates bills for raising revenuesHas the power to advise the president on, and to consent to presidential appointments and treaties Local or narrow leadershipNational leadership More partisanSomewhat less party loyalty

Leadership of Congress The majority political party in each house controls the leadership positions of Congress House of Representatives The Speaker of the House is the presiding officer and most powerful member of the House. Major duties include assigning bills to committees, controlling floor debates, and appointing party members to committees. Majority and minority leaders A.The majority leader serves as the major assistant to the speaker, helps plan the Party’s legislative program, and directs floor debate. B.The minority floor leader is the major spokesperson for the minority party and organizes opposition to the majority party

Whips help floor leaders by directing party members in voting, informing members of impending voting, keeping track of voting counts, and pressuring members to vote with the party

Senate The U.S. Vice President, although not a Senate member, is the presiding officer of the Senate, according to the Constitution. The Vice President may not debate and only votes to break a tie. The President Pro Tempore is a senior member of the majority party chosen to preside in the absence of the Senate President. This is mostly a ceremonial position lacking real power. Majority and Minority Floor Leaders A.The Majority floor leader is the most influential member of the Senate and often the majority party spokesperson B.The Minority floor leader preforms the same role as the House minority leader Whips serve the same role as whips in the House of Representatives

Powers of Congress The Constitution is both highly specific and extremely vague about the powers that congress may exercise. The first seventeen clauses of Article 1, Section 8, specify most of the enumerated powers of Congress—that is, powers expressly given to that body. Enumerated Powers. The enumerated, or expressed powers of Congress include the right to: Impose a variety of taxes, including tariffs on imports Borrow funds Regulate interstate commerce and international trade. Establish procedures for naturalizing citizens. Make laws regulating bankruptcies Coin (and print) currency, and regulate its value. Establish standards of weights and measures

Punish counterfeiters Establish post offices and post roads. Regulate copyrights and patents Establish the federal court system Punish illegal acts on the high seas Declare war Raise and regulate an army and a navy Call up and regulate the state militias to enforce laws, to suppress insurrections, and to repel invasions Govern the District of Columbia the most important of the domestic powers of Congress, listed in Article 1, Section 8, are the right to collect taxes, to spend, and to regulate commerce. The most important foreign policy power is the power to declare war. Other sections of the Constitution allow Congress to establish

Rules for its own members, to regulate the electoral college, and to override a presidential veto. Congress may also regulate the extent of the Supreme Court’s authority to review cases decided by lower courts, regulate relations among states, and propose amendments to the Constitution. Powers of the Senate Some functions are restricted to one chamber. The Senate must advise on, and consent to, the ratification of treaties and must accept or reject presidential nominations of ambassadors, Supreme Court Justices, other federal judges, and “all other Offices of the United States.” But the Senate may delegate to the president or lesser officials the power to make lower-level appointments. These specific powers granted to the Senate mean that the Senate is a more powerful chamber than the house. The United States is unique among the world’s economically advanced nations in that its “upper house”—the Senate—is more powerful than the “lower house.” In every nation with a parliamentary system, the lower house in effect chooses the nation’s chief executive officers, the prime minister.

Constitutional Amendments Amendments to the Constitution provide for the other congressional powers. Congress must certify the election of a president and a vice president or itself choose those officers if no candidate has a majority of the electoral vote (12 th Amendment). It may levy and income tax (16 th Amendment) and determine who will be acting president in case of the death or incapacity of the president or vice president (20 th Amendment and 25 th Amendment)

The Necessary and Proper Clause Beyond these numerous specific powers, Congress enjoys the right under Clause 18 of Article 1, Section 8 (the “elastic”, or “necessary and proper”, clause), “to make all Laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into Execution the foregoing Powers [of Article I], and all other Powers vested by this Constitution in the Government of the United States, or in any department or Officer thereof.” This vague statement of congressional responsibilities has provided, over time, the basis for greatly expanded national government. It also has constituted, at least in theory, a check on the expansion of presidential powers.

Characteristics of the 113 th Congress CharacteristicU.S. PopulationHouseSenate Age (median) Percentage minority Religion Percentage church or synagogue members Roman Catholic Protestant Jewish Percentage female Percentage advanced degrees Person age 25 or above only Occupation Percentage lawyers or those employed Percentage blue-collar workers of those employed Family income Percentage of families earning over 50,000 annually Personal Wealth Percentage with assets over $1 million