Legislative Branch and Structure of Congress (copy)

Composed of the United States Congress:
Bicameral legislature responsible for writing and passing federal laws.

Functions include representing constituents, writing laws, overseeing government agencies, and passing bills.

Structure of Congress

Article One of the Constitution:
Establishes Congress, its powers, functions, and structure.

Bicameral System:
House of Representatives:
Composed of 435 members.
Representation based on state population (apportioned).
Members must be at least 25 years old, U.S. citizens for 7 years, legal residents of the state represented, and elected by constituents.
Serve 2-year terms with reelection every even year.

Exclusive Powers:
Initiate tax laws and spending bills.
Impeach federal officials.
Decide the presidency if no candidate receives a majority in the Electoral College.

Senate:
Composed of 100 senators (2 from each state).
Representation is equal regardless of population, ensuring smaller states have a voice.
Members must be at least 30 years old, U.S. citizens for 9 years, and residents of the state represented.
Serve 6-year terms; approximately one-third, known as a "class," are up for reelection every even year.

Leadership:
The Senate is presided over by the Vice President, who only votes in case of ties.
The Speaker of the House leads the House, elected by its members and is considered the chief officer.

Current Speaker of the House: Mike Johnson.
Senators from Illinois: Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth.

Legislative Process

Bill Introduction:
Bills can originate in either house and must go through committees, amendments, and debates.
If one house amends a bill, it must return to the original house for approval.

Voting:
Both houses must approve the exact same version of a bill, with the hope that it will become law.
If a bill fails to pass, it is reintroduced.

Presidential Approval:
If signed by the president, it becomes law; if vetoed, Congress can override with a two-thirds majority in both houses.

Difficulties in Passing Bills:
The process is lengthy and often contentious, including strategies such as filibustering in the Senate.

The Great Compromise

Proposed by Roger Sherman and Elijah Elsworth during the Constitutional Convention (1787).
Resulted in a bicameral legislature:
House for proportional representation.
Senate for equal representation.
Approved on July 16, 1787, with a narrow margin.

The New Jersey Plan and Virginia Plan

Both plans were drafted during the Constitutional Convention to address the structure of government.

• Virginia Plan: Proposed by James Madison, it called for a bicameral legislature with representation based on state population, favoring larger states.
• New Jersey Plan: Proposed by William Paterson, it suggested a unicameral legislature with equal representation for each state, favoring smaller states.

These competing plans highlighted the conflict between populous states and less populous states, paving the way for the Great Compromise, which established the current structure of Congress.

Key Comparisons Between House and Senate

Direct Elections:
Originally, senators were elected by state legislatures until the 17th Amendment (1912).
Currently, both houses consist of members directly elected by the people.

Representation:
House members represent about 761,000 people; Senators represent around 3.4 million (Wyoming's senator represents about 289,000).

Compensation:
House members earn $174,000, while the Speaker earns $223,500 and the Senate President Pro Tempore earns $193,400.

Terms and Accountability:
House is more responsive due to shorter terms, leading to more frequent elections.
Senate has longer terms, which allows for greater independence from immediate political pressures.

The Senate approves and rejects treaties and ensures vacancies are filled by appointment from the state governor.
The house brings impeachment charges over an official, while the senate serves as a jury in case of impeachment.
Both meet in the Capitol building at least once a year.
Revenue bills start in the House, and the House ensures that population affects the number of representatives per state.
The minimum number of representatives from each state is one.
Illinois has 17 representatives.
If there is a vacancy in the House, a special election occurs.
Each third of the Senate is called a class.
Both houses and Senate duties include salary.
There are 153 women in Congress.

Additional Powers and Responsibilities

House of Representatives:
Power of the purse: any bill related to taxes and spending starts in the House.

Senate:
Exclusive powers include ratifying treaties and confirming presidential appointments.
Holds trials for impeached officials.

Impeachment Process

House initiates impeachment; the Senate conducts trials.
Requires a two-thirds majority in the Senate for conviction.

Conclusion

Congress is the only government branch directly elected by the people, designed to balance national power with state interests.