what happens after congress is organized?
How is Congress organized?
Congress is divided into two institutions: the House of Representatives and the Senate. The two houses of Congress have equal but unique roles in the federal government. … Every state has an equal voice in the Senate, while representation in the House of Representatives is based on the size of each state’s population.
What is the congressional process?
The legislative process in a nutshell: First, a Representative sponsors a bill. … If the bill passes by simple majority (218 of 435), the bill moves to the Senate. In the Senate, the bill is assigned to another committee and, if released, debated and voted on.
Which comes first Congress or Senate?
Creating laws is the U.S. House of Representatives’ most important job. All laws in the United States begin as bills. Before a bill can become a law, it must be approved by the U.S. House of Representatives, the U.S. Senate, and the President.
What happens after both houses of Congress pass it?
If the House and Senate pass the same bill then it is sent to the President. If the House and Senate pass different bills they are sent to Conference Committee. Most major legislation goes to a Conference Committee.
How did Congress receive its structure and functions?
Article I of the Constitution describes the legislative branch, called Congress. After hashing out the terms of the Great Compromise, the framers created a bicameral legislature, with a lower chamber called the House of Representatives and an upper chamber called the Senate.
What is the purpose of the organization of the House?
As per the Constitution, the U.S. House of Representatives makes and passes federal laws. The House is one of Congress’s two chambers (the other is the U.S. Senate), and part of the federal government’s legislative branch.
What are the 5 steps of the legislative process?
Steps- Step 1: The bill is drafted. …
- Step 2: The bill is introduced. …
- Step 3: The bill goes to committee. …
- Step 4: Subcommittee review of the bill. …
- Step 5: Committee mark up of the bill. …
- Step 6: Voting by the full chamber on the bill. …
- Step 7: Referral of the bill to the other chamber. …
- Step 8: The bill goes to the president.
What does Congress do simplified?
The United States Congress is the legislative, or law making, branch of the United States government. It meets in the United States Capitol. … The primary duty of Congress is to write, debate, and pass bills (laws they want). For Congress to pass a bill, both houses must pass exactly the same bill.
What houses do Congress build?
The most recognized symbol of democratic government in the world, the United States Capitol has housed Congress since 1800. The Capitol is where Congress meets to write the laws of our nation, and where presidents are inaugurated and deliver their annual State of the Union messages.
What is difference between House and Senate?
House members must be twenty-five years of age and citizens for seven years. Senators are at least thirty years old and citizens for nine years. Another difference is who they represent. Senators represent their entire states, but members of the House represent individual districts.
How does Congress pass a bill?
In order to pass legislation and send it to the President for his signature, both the House and the Senate must pass the same bill by majority vote. If the President vetoes a bill, they may override his veto by passing the bill again in each chamber with at least two-thirds of each body voting in favor.
What branch is Congress?
The legislative branch The legislative branch is made up of the House and Senate, known collectively as the Congress. Among other powers, the legislative branch makes all laws, declares war, regulates interstate and foreign commerce and controls taxing and spending policies.What is pocket veto of US President?
A pocket veto occurs when Congress adjourns during the ten-day period. The president cannot return the bill to Congress. The president’s decision not to sign the legislation is a pocket veto and Congress does not have the opportunity to override.
Which of the following generally results when the Senate and House pass different versions of the same bill?
Often, the two houses pass different versions of the same bill. They then meet in a conference committee to draft a compromise bill, which then returns to each house to be voted on again.
When the House and the Senate pass different versions of the same bill?
That means that whenever the Senate and the House pass two different versions of a bill, those differences must be resolved, and then the consensus bill (known as the “conference report”) must be passed again by both chambers before it can go to the president for signature.
How is the US Congress structured and what are its powers?
The Congress is composed of two parts: the House of Representatives and the Senate. … The president shares power with Congress. For example, the president can veto a bill initiated by Congress, but Congress can override the veto by getting a two-thirds majority vote in both the House and the Senate.
What are the 18 powers granted to Congress?
Terms in this set (19)- Taxes. lay and collect taxes, duties, imposts and excises.
- Borrowing. borrowing money for the U.S.
- Commerce. regulate trade with foreign countries.
- Naturalization; bankruptcy. …
- Coins; weights; measures. …
- Counterfeiting. …
- Post Offices. …
- copy rights patents.
What are the 5 functions of Congress?
Congress has five main functions: lawmaking, representing the people, performing oversight, helping constituents, and educating the public.
Who are constituents and why are they important to members of Congress *?
Who are constituents and why are they important to members of Congress? Constituents are the people who a member of Congress has been elected to represent. Constituents are important to members of Congress because they are the ones who will vote members in or out of office.
Is the House of Representatives the same as the Congress?
Established by Article I of the Constitution, the Legislative Branch consists of the House of Representatives and the Senate, which together form the United States Congress. … The House of Representatives is made up of 435 elected members, divided among the 50 states in proportion to their total population.
Which committee is considered the most powerful in all of Congress?
The Senate Appropriations Committee is the largest committee in the U.S. Senate, with 30 members in the 117th Congress.
How is legislation passed?
First, a representative sponsors a bill. … If the bill passes by simple majority (218 of 435), the bill moves to the Senate. In the Senate, the bill is assigned to another committee and, if released, debated and voted on. Again, a simple majority (51 of 100) passes the bill.
What is the President’s role in the legislative process?
With the advice and consent of the Senate, the president also has the power to make treaties and to appoint ambassadors, U.S. officers, and judges to federal courts. He is also the commander in chief of the armed forces. The president signs laws and can veto bills that have passed Congress.
What is meant by legislative process?
Legislation. Bill. A proposal to make or amend a law is brought before the Assembly in the form of a Bill i.e. the proposed draft law. A Bill is, in fact, a motion to make a law.
Is Congress the most powerful branch?
Constitutionally speaking, the Congress is by far the most powerful of allthe branches of the government. It is the representative of the people (and,originally, the states), and derives its power from the people. … This is a lot of power, and the framers made sure thatthe power could not be wielded without balance.
What are the 4 powers of Congress?
Congress has the power to:- Make laws.
- Declare war.
- Raise and provide public money and oversee its proper expenditure.
- Impeach and try federal officers.
- Approve presidential appointments.
- Approve treaties negotiated by the executive branch.
- Oversight and investigations.
What does a Congress member do?
Members of Congress represent the people of their district in the United States Congress by holding hearings, as well as developing and voting on legislation.
What 2 groups make up the Congress?
The legislative branch of the U.S. government is called Congress. Congress has two parts, the Senate and the House of Representatives. Congress meets in the U.S. Capitol building in Washington, DC. to the President.
Who elects Congress?
Members of Congress in both houses are elected by direct popular vote. Senators are elected via a statewide vote and representatives by voters in each congressional district. Congressional districts are apportioned to the states, once every ten years, based on population figures from the most recent nationwide census.
Who takes over if a senator dies?
If a vacancy occurs due to a senator’s death, resignation, or expulsion, the Seventeenth Amendment allows state legislatures to empower the governor to appoint a replacement to complete the term or to hold office until a special election can take place. There are a few exceptions to this rule.
What is it called when one party controls both houses of Congress?
In the United States, divided government describes a situation in which one party controls the executive branch while another party controls one or both houses of the legislative branch. … Opponents, however, argue that divided governments become lethargic, leading to many gridlocks.
What is the current salary of a US Congressman?
$174,000 Salaries of members of the United States Congress| Position | Salary |
|---|---|
| Senators and House Representatives | $174,000 |
| Resident Commissioner from Puerto Rico | $174,000 |
| President pro tempore of the Senate | $193,400 |
| Majority leader and minority leader of the Senate | $193,400 |
How many terms can a senator serve?
2, if approved by two-thirds of the members of both the House and Senate, and if ratified by three-fourths of the States, will limit United States Senators to two full, consecutive terms (12 years) and Members of the House of Representatives to six full, consecutive terms (12 years).
Can Congress enforce laws?
The Congress shall have the power to enforce, by appropriate legislation, the provisions of this article. …
