Article 1, Legislative Branch

Section 1, C1

• Name: Congress

• Bicameral

• Senate “Upper Chamber”

House of Representatives (HoR) “Lower Chamber”

Section 2, C1

HoR serves a 2 yr term & chosen by popular vote.

Section 2, C2

HoR must be 35 yrs old, 7 yr citizen, & live in the state they rep.

Section 2, C3

• # of reps a state gets in HoR is determined by state population.

• Census (Counting population) every 10 yrs.

Section 2, C4

If a rep seat is vacant in middle of term, a special election is held to fill it.

• Section 5, C5

• HoR picks its own leaders.

• HoR does impeachment. (Officially changing an office holder w/ wrong doing)

Section 3, C1

• 2 Senates per state

• Originally chosen by state legislatures

• 6 yr term

Section 3, C2

• Sets up the Stagger Effect

Section 3, C3

• Be at least 30 yrs old

• 9 yrs US citizen

• Live in the state you rep

Section 3, C4

• VPotus is President of Senate

  • Only vote to break ties

Section 3, C5

• Senate picks own leaders

  • President Pro temp runs Senate when VPotus is absent.

Section 3, C6

• Senate decides the guilt or innocence of officer holders —> need 2/3 (super majority)

Section 3, C7

If convicted by Senate, they can only kick them out & bar them from holding any federal office in future.

Section 4, C1

Elections are held the first Tuesday after the first Monday.

Section 4, C2

Congress must meet AT LEAST once a year.

Section 5, C1

Quorum: The minimum # of members who need to be present for business to be official.

Section 5, C2

Quorum: The minimum # of members who need to be present for business to be official.

218/435 for HoR

51/100 for Senate

Section 5, C3

Each chamber must record its businesses, even voted how (if 1/5 of chamber request it)

Section 5, C4

Both chambers have to meet at the same time & place.

Section 6, C1

• Members of Congress paid

  • Law enforcement can’t stop a Member of Congress to their job or completing their job

Section 6, C2

• No double dipping

  • Can’t get a civil authority job to increase pay/benefits

Section 7, C1

Any Bill that involves taking people’s $ must start in the HoR

Section 7, C2

• POTUS Veto

  • Congress can override POTUS veto w/ 2/3 vote

• Pocket Vero (POTUS doesn’t sign & if Congress is working, 10 later it’s a still a law)

Steps for a Bill to Become a Law

1. Bill introduced by a legislator

2. Bill goes to appropriate committee for markup (write it in legalese)

3. Committee Chair decides whether it gets a vote (Gatekeeping Authority)

4. Committee votes to send Bill to Floor Vote

5. Floor approves bill

6. Goes to other chambers relevant committee for revision

7. Repeat step 3 in other chamber

8. Repeat step 4 in other chamber

9. Repeat step 5 in other chamber

10. Bill goes to joint committee (made up of member of both chambers) for “reconciliation”

11. New reconciled bill is sent back to both chambers for approval

12. Approved bill is signed by President

Section 8, C1

Can tax imports & state of goods

Section 8, C6

Punish people who make fake money

Section 7, C7

Create the post office system

Section 8, C8

Issue patents & trademarks

Section 8, C8

Inferior to the Supreme Court

Section 8, C10

Decide punishment for crimes that happen in international waters.

Section 8, C11

• Declare war

  • Can make legal pirates

    
    

Section 8, C12

Can raise army

Section 8, C13

Can raise Navy

Section 8, C13

Makes rules for army and navy

Section 8, C15

Can take control of state militia in terms of crisis.

Section 8, 16

Decide rules and regulation of state militia

Section 8, C17

• Create capital

• Buy/rent land for states for federal facilities

Section 8, C18

If congress needs to a power to do C1-C17, they get it, even if it isn’t listed in C1-C17.

Section 9, C2

• Can’t deny people’s Habus Corpus (Right to due process)

  • Exception rebellion or invasion

Section 9, C3

Bill of Attainder: Throw someone or groups in jail & prosecute them w/out due process

Ex Post Factor: Making some illegal in the past thing.

Section 9, C4

If federal government directly taxes the people, it must do so based on state population.

Section 9, C5

Can’t tax exports

Section 9, C6

Can’t favor the exports from state to one another

Section 9, C7

Can’t spend any $ unless a bill is posed specifically saying so

Section 9, C8

• Can’t create nobility

• Federal officials can’t accept titles or gifts w/out Congress

Section 10, C1

• No treaties

• Can’t make own $

• Can’t do anything that federal government can’t

Section 10, C2

States can’t tax imports

Section 10, C5

Can’t fight w/out states or countries