1. How Congress is Organized
7th Grade Civics
Miss Smith
*pgs Civics in Practice

2. Terms and Sessions Terms of Congress
Begin: noon January 3rd of odd- numbered years (stated in the 20th Amendment)
Ends: 2 years later
Congress meets at least once per year

3. Terms and Sessions
Terms are divided into 2 sessions (1 session per year of term)
Sessions also begin on January 3rd
Sessions adjourn (or end) when legislative work is done
The Senate and the House meet separately
They meet together occasionally (a joint session)
ex: During the president’s State of the Union address

4. Organization of Congress
Constitution lists 3 rules:
House of Reps must select a presiding officer
The vice president of US is president of Senate
Must select a senator to preside in VP’s absence

5. Organization of Congress
At the beginning of each term, Republican and Democratic Party members meet in separate private meetings (or party caucuses)
Here they choose their own leaders within Congress
The political party that has the most members in each house is called the majority party
The party with the fewest is the minority party

6. Organization of the Senate
The president pro tempore presides over the daily meetings in the vice president’s absence
The “floor leaders” are:
The majority leader
The minority leader
Each leader has a “party whip”:
They try to get votes for their party’s legislation

7. Organization of the Senate
There are about 20 committees that:
Consider legislation
Hold hearings
There are subcommittees that consider legislation before it gets to the full committee
Each (sub)committee has a:
Chairperson- this person is a member of the majority party
Ranking minority member- this is the highest ranking/longest serving member of the min. party

8. Organization of the House of Representatives
The Speaker of the House presides over the House when it is in session
The Speaker is:
always a member of the majority party
the most powerful officer of the House
the biggest influence on the order of business
2nd in the US presidential line of succession

9. Organization of the House of Representatives
Committee structure is very similar to committee structure in the Senate