A Comparison of the House and Senate :
House of Representatives:
- Membership: 435 members (apportioned by population)
- Term of office: 2 years; entire House elected every 2 years
- Qualifications: At least 25 years of age; citizen for 7 years; must live in state where the district is located
- Constituencies: Smaller, by districts
- Prestige: Less prestige
Senate:
- Membership: 100 members (two from each state)
- Term of office: 6 years; staggered terms with one-third of the Senate elected every 2 years
- Qualifications: At least 30 years of age; citizen for 9 years; must live in state
- Constituencies: Larger, entire state
- Prestige: More prestige
Speaker of the House: presiding officer and most powerful member of the House; assigns bills to committee, controls floor debate, and appoints party members to committees; elected by members of his or her political party within the House.
Majority and minority leaders:
The majority leader serves as the major assistant to the speaker, helps plan the party’s legislative program, and directs floor debate.
The minority floor leader is the major spokesperson for the minority party and organizes opposition to the majority party.
Whips help floor leaders by directing party members in voting, informing members of impending voting, keeping track of vote counts, and pressuring members to vote with the party.
The U.S. vice president, although not a Senate member, is the Senate’s presiding officer, according to the Constitution.
President pro tempore: senior member of the majority party chosen to preside in the absence of the Senate president; mostly ceremonial position lacking real power.
Majority and minority floor leaders:
The majority floor leader is the most influential member of the Senate and often the majority party spokesperson.
The minority floor leader performs the same role as the House minority leader.
Whips serve the same role as whips in the House of Representatives.
House of Representatives :
- Committee of the Whole-a committee on which all representatives serve, and which meets in the House Chamber for the consideration of measures
- Rules Committee-responsible for determining under what rules other committees' bills will come to the floor; the committee decides for how long and under what rules the full body will debate bills
- Ways and Means Committee-a committee that, along with the Senate Finance Committee, writes the tax codes, subject to the approval of Congress as a whole; jurisdiction over all taxation, tariffs, and other revenue-raising measures
Senate :
- Appropriations-responsible for all spending of the federal budget
- Foreign Relations-oversees the foreign policy agencies of the U.S. government such as funding foreign aid programs and arms sales; reviews and considers all diplomatic nominations and international treaties and legislation relating to U.S. foreign policy
- Judiciary conducts hearings prior to the Senate vote on whether to confirm prospective federal judge nominations by the president; provides oversight of the Department of Justice and all the agencies under the Department of Justice
Congress has both legislative and non-legislative powers.
Expressed powers: powers specifically granted to Congress by the Constitution, mainly found in Article I, Section 8. Examples include enacting legislation, coining money, passing the federal budget, raising revenue, declaring war, and maintaining an armed force.
Implied powers: powers that are not explicitly stated in the Constitution but are reasonably suggested to carry out the expressed powers. The "necessary and proper" or elastic clause in Article I, Section 8, Clause 18 allows for the expansion of Congress's powers.
Limitations on powers: powers denied to Congress by Article I, Section 9, and the Tenth Amendment.
\
How a Bill Becomes a Law:
Bills, or proposed laws, may begin in either house, except revenue bills, which must begin in the House of Representatives.
House of Representatives:
- A bill is introduced, numbered, and assigned to a committee.
- The bill may be assigned to a subcommittee for further study.
- The bill is returned to committee, where it is approved or rejected.
- The rules committee sets terms of debate for the bill.
- The bill is debated by the House.
- A vote is taken, where the bill is passed or defeated. Bills that pass the House are sent to the Senate.
- Conference committee resolves differences between House and Senate versions of a bill. Compromise versions may not contain any new material.
- Bill is returned to the House for a vote on the compromise version.
- Presidential action: President may sign the bill, veto the bill, allow the bill to become law without signing, or pocket veto the bill. Vetoed bills are returned to Congress, where they may be overridden by a two-thirds vote in each house.
Senate :
- A bill is introduced, numbered, and assigned to a committee
- The bill may be assigned to a subcommittee for further study.
- The bill is returned to committee, where it is approved or rejected.
- No rules committee!
- The bill is debated by the Senate.
- A vote is taken, where the bill is passed or defeated. Bills that pass the Senate are sent to the House.
- Conference committee resolves differences between House and Senate versions of a bill. Compromise versions may not contain any new material.
- Bill is returned to the Senate for a vote on the compromise version.
- Presidential action: President may sign the bill, veto the bill, allow the bill to become law without signing, or pocket veto the bill. Vetoed bills are returned to Congress, where they may be overridden by a two-thirds vote in each house.
Legislative tactics refer to the strategies and methods used by Congress and others to block or pass legislation. Some of these tactics are:
Constituents: Members often take into consideration the opinions of their constituents and voters back home in their district or state.
Other lawmakers and staff: More senior members often influence newer members, committee members who worked on legislation often influence other members, and staff often research issues and advise members.
Party influences: Each party's platform takes a stand on major issues, and loyal members often adhere to the "party line." Members in the House are more likely to support the party position than are Senators.
President: Presidents often lobby members to support legislation through phone calls, invitations to the White House, or even appeals to the public to gain support from voters to bring pressure on members.
Lobbyists and interest groups: Often provide members with information on topics relating to their group's interest or possible financial support in future campaigns.
\