The document provides information about the legislative branch of the US government. It discusses the members and organization of Congress, including the House of Representatives and Senate. It explains that Congress is bicameral, with 435 members in the House serving 2 year terms and 100 Senators serving 6 year terms. The document also outlines the powers of Congress, such as passing legislation and approving budgets, and how a bill becomes a law through committee review and votes in both the House and Senate.

1. THE LEGISLATIVE
BRANCH
Chapter 5

2. Focus

3. Agenda
 Members of Congress
 Organization of Congress
 Powers of Congress
 Passing a Bill

4. Members of Congress
 Bicameral system
 Article I
 House of
Representatives
 Senate

5. Members: House of
Representatives
 435 members
 Limit on members
 1789 = 65
Representatives
 Each member represents
a Congressional District
 Area of a state that
includes about 600,000
people
 Number of districts depend
on a state’s population

6. Members: House of
Representatives
 Every 10 years, Congress
decides how districts will
be apportioned or
distributed by using the
Census.
 If a state’s population
increases
 State will gain seats
 If a state’s population
decreases
 State will lose seats

7. Members: House of
Representatives
 If a state loses or
gains seats, district
lines need to be
redrawn
 Gerrymandering is the
practice redrawing district lines
to favor a person or political
group.

8. Members: House of
Representatives
 Gerrymandering in the Animal Kingdom

9. Members: House of
Representatives
 Congressional
elections are held on
even years
 2010, 2012…
 Each term is two
years
 If a representative
dies, the state
governor calls a

10. Members: House of
Representatives
 Qualifications according to Article I of
Constitution:
 Must be at least 25 years old
 United States citizen for at least 7 years
 Resident of the state represented

11. Members: House of
Representatives
Could these people run for the House of

12. Members: Senate
 100 members
 2 per state
 1789 = 26 Senators
 Senators represent
whole state

13. Members: Senate
 Elections are held on
even numbered years
 2010, 2012…
 Each term is 6 years
 If a Senator dies, the
governor appoints a
replacement until the
next election

14. Members: Senate
 Qualifications according to Article I of the
Constitution:
 Must be at least 30 years old
 United States citizen for at least 9 years
 Resident of the state represented

15. Members: Senate
Could these people run for the Senate?

16. Members: Salary and Benefits
 Annual salary of $165,200.
 Members have offices in the Capitol building
and receive an allowance to pay staff
 Member perks:
 Free trips of their home state
 Mail official letters and packages for free

17. Members: Rules of Conduct
 Rules of Conduct
 Each house has its own written rules for
conducting business
 Constitution – Article I
 The House Rules and Manual and The Senate
Manual
 Example: In the Senate Manual, it talks about a
filibuster, or a method of delaying action on a bill by
making long speeches

18. Members: Rules of Conduct
 Expulsion
 If a member commits a serious offense, the
member could be expelled from office.
 Expulsion means that a person must give up
their seat.

19. Members: Rules of Conduct
 Censure
 Less serious offenses
may bring a vote of
censure, or formal
disapproval of a
member’s actions.
 A censured member
must stand alone at
the front of the House
or Senate and listen
as their charges are
read.

20. Organization: House of
Representatives
 The highest officer in
the House of
Representatives is
called the Speaker of
the House
 Elected by members
of the House to make
sure that everything
runs smoothly
 Member of the
majority party
John Boehner (R)

21. Organization: House of
Representatives
 Duties of the Speaker of the House
 Assign legislation to committees for discussion
and preparation
 Decide the legislative agenda for a session of the
House
 Decide when and who can speak on an issue
 Duties of the Speaker of the House
 Assign legislation to committees for discussion
and preparation
 Decide the legislative agenda for a session of the
House
 Decide when and who can speak on an issue

22. Organization: Senate
 Constitution states that the Vice President is
the presiding officer over the Senate.
 When the Vice President cannot make it, the
President Pro Tempore presides.
 Members of the Senate vote for the President
Pro Tempore.

23. Organization: Senate
 Vice President and
President Pro
Tempore are mainly
symbolic
 Vice
President Joe
Biden
President Pro Tempore
Daniel Inouye

24. Organization: Party Leaders and
Whips
 In each
house, members of the
majority and minority
parties have a floor
leader and a whip.
 Floor leaders act as
spokespersons for
their parties.
 Work to persuade
members of both
parties to vote for
specific laws.
House of Representatives – Party
Leaders
Senate – Party Leaders
Eric Cantor (R) Nancy Pelosi
(D)
Mitch McConnell (R) Harry

25. Organization: Party Leaders and
Whips
 Whips assist the floor
leaders in
communicating with
party members.
 “Whip” members into
shape.
House of Representatives – Whips
Kevin McCarthy (R) Steny Hoyer
(D) Senate – Whips
Jon Kyl (R) Richard Durbin

26. Organization: Committees
 Congress divides itself
into different committees
that focus on specific
subject areas.
 Examples:
Education, Agriculture,
Science, etc.
 Led by a chairperson
who guides and sets
priorities for their
committees.
 Members are chosen
by their political parties

27. Organization: Committees
 Committees have 3 main roles
 Research specific subjects – holding hearings
to get advice from experts
 Write legislation – write laws that are related
to their specific subject areas
 Decide whether to send legislation to the
floor – important enough for a vote

28. Organization: Committees
 There are four types of committees:
 Standing
 Joint
 Select
 Conference

29. Organization: Committees
 Standing Committee
 Permanent groups set
up that are
responsible for
specific subject areas.
 Divided into sub-
committees
 Examples
 Veterans Affairs
 Homeland Security
 Agriculture
 Education

30. Organization: Committees
 Joint Committee
 Permanent committees
made up of members
of both houses
 They investigate issues
and make
recommendations but
don’t write bills.

31. Organization: Committees
 Select Committee
 Committees created
to study an issue or
event
 Examples:
 Energy Independence
and Global Warming

32. Organization: Committees
 Conference
Committee
 Committees formed
when the two houses
can’t agree on the
details of a bill

33. Organization: Committees
 Facts of Congress

34. Powers of Congress: Expressed
Powers
 Expressed Powers
 Powers specifically stated in Article I of the
Constitution
 Examples
 Decide how to raise money by setting taxes and borrowing
funds
 Decide how to spend money for the benefit of the nation
 Regulate commerce among states and foreign nations
 Declare war
 Coin money
 Regulate process of becoming a citizen
 Create post offices
 Create an army/navy

35. Powers of Congress: Implied
Powers
 Implied Powers
 Powers the Constitution
gives Congress that are
not listed in detail.
 The Constitution gives
Congress the power to
“make all laws which
shall be necessary and
proper”.
 This is known as the
Elastic Clause.
 Collect taxes – members
don’t go collect taxes
directly. Created the
IRS.

36. Powers of Congress: Special
Powers
 Non-legislative and Special Powers
 Related to placing checks and balances
 Powers shared by both Houses
 Investigate issues and events by holding hearings
 Propose amendments

37. Powers of Congress: Special
Powers
 Unique Powers of the
House of
Representatives
 Impeach, or formally
accuse of wrong-
doing, government
officials – most
importantly, the
President.
 Choose the President
if there is no majority
in the Electoral

38. Powers of Congress: Special
Powers
 Unique Powers of the
Senate
 Approve treaties
 Approve presidential
appointments
 Conduct the trial
when the House
impeaches an official

39. Powers of Congress: Limits on
Power
 Ex Post Facto Laws
 laws that make an act
illegal, then allow the
government to punish
those who committed
the act before it was
made illegal.
 Bill of Attainder
 laws that provide for the
punishment of specific
people or group of
people without a trial.

40. Powers of Congress: Limits on
Power
 Writ of Habeas
Corpus
 Right to know what
you are tried for.
Congress can’t take
away this right except
during civil war or
invasion.
 Cannot show
favoritism or give titles
of nobility.

41. Passing a Bill: Introduction
 Introduction of a Bill
 Any member of
either house can
introduce a bill
 Ideas for bills come
from the
President, businessm
en, farmers, and
ordinary citizens.

42. Passing a Bill: Introduction
 Bills can be introduced
in both houses.
 The only exception to
this rule is an
Appropriations Bill, or
one approving the
spending of
money, which must
begin in the House of
Representatives.

43. Passing a Bill: Committees
 Bill is sent to Committee
 The Bill is sent to a
standing committee. The
subject of the bill
determines which
committee will receive the
bill.
 The committee can decide
to:
 Make no changes to the
bill
 Rewrite the bill
 Ignore the bill which
“kills” the chance of it
becoming a law
 Send it to a
subcommittee for more
study and investigation

44. Passing a Bill: Committees
 If a bill is sent to a subcommittee:
 The subcommittee then reports back to the larger
committee and decides what to do with the bill.
 The larger committee then votes to send it to the
floor to be debated
 If the floor votes “no”, the bill is sent back to the
committees. If it votes “yes”, it is sent to the other
house of Congress.

45. Passing a Bill
 Once it is in the other house of Congress, it
goes through the committee process again.
 After the committee approves the bill, it will be
debated and voted on.
 If the vote is “no”, the bill is sent back to the
committees. If the vote is “yes”, the bill is sent to
a Conference Committee.

46. Passing a Bill: Committees
 Bill is sent to Committee
 The Bill is sent to a standing
committee. The subject of
the bill determines which
committee will receive the
bill.
 The committee can decide
to:
 Make no changes to the
bill
 Rewrite the bill
 Ignore the bill which “kills”
the chance of it becoming
a law
 Send it to a subcommittee
for more study and
investigation

47. Passing a Bill: Committees
 If a bill is sent to a subcommittee:
 The subcommittee then reports back to the larger
committee and decides what to do with the bill.
 The larger committee then votes to send it to the
floor to be debated
 If the floor votes “no”, the bill is sent back to the
committees. If it votes “yes”, it is sent to the other
house of Congress.

48. Passing a Bill
 The Conference
Committee resolves
any differences
between the House
and Senate versions
of the bill
 The Bill is sent back
to both houses for a
final vote

49. Passing a Bill
 Approved bills are sent
to the President who
can sign the bill into
law or veto it.
 If the President vetoes
the bill, it is sent back to
the House and Senate
where they can vote to
override the veto with a
2/3 vote.
 Finally the bill becomes
a law

51. Passing a Bill
 I'm Just a Bill