U.S. Congress
The U.S. Congress is the legislative branch of the federal government, responsible for creating laws and overseeing government expenditures. It consists of two chambers: the House of Representatives and the Senate. The House is made up of 435 members, called representatives, who serve two-year terms and are elected from districts based on state populations. In contrast, the Senate comprises 100 members, with each state represented by two senators serving six-year terms, providing equal representation regardless of population.
Congress has several key powers, including the ability to collect taxes, regulate commerce, declare war, and approve government spending. Legislative activity is organized through various committees that focus on specific areas and issues, overseeing the detailed work of lawmaking. The lawmaking process involves multiple steps, from bill introduction to committee review, debate, and voting in both houses, requiring a majority for passage. While both chambers share lawmaking authority, they have unique responsibilities, such as the House's exclusive ability to initiate revenue bills and the Senate's role in confirming presidential nominations. This dual structure facilitates a balance of representation and decision-making at the federal level.
U.S. Congress
The US Congress represents the legislative branch of the federal government. Congress is comprised of two chambers: the House of Representatives and the Senate. Both the House and the Senate have a set number of members, all of whom are elected into office and serve specific terms. Among these members are leaders, including the speaker of the House and the president of the Senate. Both houses have committees that are given certain tasks. The principle duty of Congress is to make laws, and the lawmaking process involves several steps.
Overview
As the legislative branch of the federal government, the US Congress is responsible for making laws. Congress also holds other powers such as approving funds spent by the government, collecting taxes, regulating commerce, and declaring war. Congress consists of the House of Representatives and the Senate. The House comprises 435 members, called representatives, who serve two-year terms. Representatives hail from all fifty states, and the number of representatives from each state is based on population. For instance, the state with the largest population in the country, California, has fifty-two representatives. Conversely, the least populous state, Wyoming, has only one representative. Each member of the House represents a specific district in his or her state; it is the people of this district who elect them. The Senate is comprised of one hundred members, known as senators, who serve six-year terms. Unlike representatives, the number of senators from each state is not based on population. Instead, each of the fifty states has two senators. Rather than representing districts, both senators from a state represent the whole state and are elected by voters statewide rather than in a specific subregion.
In both the House and the Senate, the party that has more seats—either Democrats or Republicans—is the majority. The other party is the minority. The majority holds the top leadership positions in both houses. The leader of the House is called the Speaker of the House. A member of the majority party, the speaker’s duties include presiding over House proceedings, referring bills to House committees, influencing committee assignments for new members, appointing party leaders, and making rulings on questions of parliamentary procedure. The speaker is also second in the US presidential line of succession, after the vice president. The majority and minority leaders are the party leaders on the House floor, monitoring legislative activity. In addition, the majority and minority whips are tasked with ensuring that members vote in line with their party’s positions.
The president of the Senate is the vice president of the United States. However, he or she holds little power in the Senate and may vote only in the event of a tie. Because the president of the Senate usually does not sit with the Senate, the president pro tempore takes his place. As with the House, the Senate has majority and minority leaders. The majority leader begins debates on legislation and influences committee assignments. The minority leader shares these duties, but the majority leader has more power.
Both houses have committees, including standing committees, subcommittees, special or select committees, joint committees, and conference committees. These committees are comprised of members of Congress. Standing committees focus on a specific area of legislation, such as foreign affairs and transportation and infrastructure, and are responsible for most of the legislative business that occurs. Many of these standing committees have subcommittees. Special or select committees focus on specific problems, such as drug abuse, and are usually temporary. Joint committees are comprised of members of both the House and the Senate and focus on issues such as taxation and the economy. Conference committees also consist of members of both houses and are charged with resolving the differences in the two versions of a bill, which is a proposed law under consideration by Congress.
Both the House and the Senate share the power of making laws. The lawmaking process involves several steps. First, a bill is introduced by a member of Congress. The bill is then sent to a standing committee or a subcommittee, where it is debated. If the bill survives, it then moves to the floors of both houses of Congress. Each house debates the bill, amends it, and votes on it. A majority vote is required for the bill to pass, and it must pass both houses to move forward. After the bill passes both houses, it may then go to a conference committee if the differences in the two versions of the bill are significant. From the conference committee, the bill goes back to the floors of each house, where it must be passed again. If both houses indeed pass the bill again, it is then sent to the president for his signature. The president has several options besides signing the bill. For instance, he may choose to veto, or reject, the bill. But if the president does sign the bill, it then becomes law.
The House and the Senate are basically equal in their legislative roles and share many of the same powers. However, a few differences exist. For example, only the House has the power to introduce revenue legislation and bring impeachment charges against federal officials, and only the Senate has the power to confirm presidential nominations and approve treaties. Additionally, the houses have different rules and practices for processing legislation. The House generally processes legislative more quickly than the Senate, as the Senate favors deliberation.
Bibliography
"About Congress." US Capitol, www.visitthecapitol.gov/explore/about-congress. Accessed 14 Oct. 2024.
“How a Bill Becomes a Law.” USHistory.org, Independence Hall Association. www.ushistory.org/gov/6e.asp. Accessed 14 Oct. 2024.
“Leadership in Congress: It’s a Party Matter.” USHistory.org. Independence Hall Association. www.ushistory.org/gov/6b.asp. Accessed 14 Oct. 2024.
“Overview of the Legislative Process.” Congress.gov, Library of Congress. beta.congress.gov/legislative-process. Accessed 14 Oct. 2024.
Trethan, Phaedra. “The US House of Representatives.” ThoughtCo., 3 Sept. 2021, usgovinfo.about.com/od/uscongress/a/abouthouse.htm. Accessed 14 Oct. 2024.