congress project
TRANSCRIPT
Congress Project
Nichole Fort
Courtnei Johnson
Hannah Kettles
Demographics
Age0%
4%15%
33%34%
14% 20-2930-3940-4950-5960-69<70
Gender
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
400
450
Male Female
Marital Status
050
100150200250300350400450500
Divorced DomesticPartners
Engaged Married Single Widowed
Party
218
2
316
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
Number in party
Type of Party
RepublicanIndependentDemocrat
Religion
45%
16%
15%
12%
12%
CatholicBaptistMethodistPresbyterianJewish
Ethnicity
38
42 25
458
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
400
450
500
Caucasian AfricanAmerican
Hispanic Asian Others
Congress Members from Texas
SenatorJohn Cornyn
• Year elected- 2002• Number of terms- two• Year of re-election- 2008• Political Work- Co-founded
and became co-chairmen of the U.S. Senate India Caucus, served in San Antonio for six years as a district judge.
• Home State- Texas• Extra Info- Ranked as
seventeenth most conservative United States Senator in 2008 by the National Journal.
SenatorKay Bailey Hutchison
• Year elected- 1993
• Number of Terms- three
• Year of Re-election- 2006
• Political Work- Senate Committee, and Chairmen of the Republican Policy Committee
• Home State- Texas
• Extra Info- recently published her most recent best seller: Leading Ladies: American Trailblazers
RepresentativeJoe Barton
• 6th District• Number of Representatives- 35• Year elected- 1984• Number of terms- five• Year of re-election- 2009• Political Work- Assisted V.P.
aide to Energy Secretary James B. Edward, Natural Gas Consultant to Congress
• Home State- Texas• Extra Info- Primary House author
of the Energy Policy Act of 2005, co-founded the Congressional Privacy Caucus, and co-sponsor of the Anti-Spy ware SPY ACT.
Senate Leaders
President of the SenateJoe Biden
• Year elected- 1972
• Number of terms- six
• Year of re-election- 2009
• Political Work- – Chairmen of Foreign Relations
Committee
– Chairmen of the Senate Judiciary Committee, dealing with issues of drug policy, crime prevention, and civil liberties
– Led creation of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act and Violence Against Women Act.
President of the SenateJoe Biden
• Home State- Delaware
• Extra Info- – Became one of the youngest
people ever elected to U.S. Senate
– Chairmen of the administration’s Middle Class Task Force, a White House initiative targeted at raising the living standards of Middle Class families in America.
President Pro TemporeRobert C. Byrd
• Year elected- 1959
• Number of terms- nine
• Year of re-election- 2007
• Political Work- – Dean of the Senate since 2003
– Senate Conference Secretary
– Majority Whip, Minority Leader, and twice elected Majority Leader
• Home State- West Virginia
• Extra Info- Used to be an Attorney
Majority LeaderHarry Reid
• Year elected- 1986• Number of terms- five• Year of re-election- 2004• Political Work-
– Represented Nevada’s 1st congressional district from 1983 to 1987
• Home State- Nevada• Extra Info-
– Graduate of Utah State University and George Washington University Law School.
– Served as a City Attorney of Henderson
– Lieutenant Governor of Nevada
Minority LeaderMitch McConnell
• Year elected- 1984• Number of terms- five• Year of re-election- 2008• Political Work-
– Introduced the Project America Act of 2007, which allowed National Security Agency to listen in on phone calls of suspected terrorists inside and outside the U.S. without obtaining a warrant
– Writer of the Gas Price Reduction Act, which calls for more offshore and domestic oil exploration to try to curb rising gas prices
Minority LeaderMitch McConnell
• Home State- Kentucky
• Extra Info- – Intern at Capitol Hill under
Senator John Sherman Cooper
– Has his B.A. in political science
– An advocate of principles, receiving a perfect score from the American Conservative Union in 2006
Majority WhipRichard J. Durbin
• Year elected- 1996• Number of terms- three• Year of re-election- 2008• Political Work-
– Serves as chairmen of the Judiciary Subcommittee on Human Rights and the Law and the Appropriations Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government
– Co-sponsored the Darfur Peace and Accountability Act
– Introduced the African Health Capacity Investment Act
– Co-sponsor of the Early Treatment for HIV Act of 2007
Majority WhipRichard J. Durbin
• Home State- Illinois
• Extra Info- – Time magazine identified him as
one of “America’s top 10 senators”
– He is also a trial lawyer, and was told by Harry Reid that he is the “best debater” in the U.S. senate.
Minority WhipJon L. Kyl
• Year elected- 1994• Number of terms- three• Year of re-election- 2006• Political Work-
– Co-authored the Crime Victim’s Rights Act
– Supporter of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Act of 2006
– Served as Policy Committee Chairmen from 2003-2007
– Served as Conference Chairmen in 2007
• Home State- Arizona• Extra Info-
– First Arizonan to hold such a high position in the senate as Minority Whip
– Before politics, Kyl was a lawyer and a lobbyist
House Leaders
Speak of the HouseNancy Pelosi
• Year elected- 2007
• Number of terms- two
• Year re-elected- 2009
• Political Work-– Represented the 8th Congressional
District of California
– Served on Appropriations and Intelligence Committees
• Home State- California
• Extra Info-– First female Speaker of the House
– Highest ranking female politician in American History
Minority LeaderJohn A. Boehner
• Year elected- 2007• Number of terms- two• Year of re-election- 2009• Political Work-
– Represented Ohio’s 8th Congressional District
– Championed the Freedom to Farm Act
– House Republican Conference Chairmen from 1995-1999
– Authored the Pension Protection Act reform
• Home State- Ohio• Extra Info-
– Major force in the No Child Left Behind program
Minority WhipEric I. Cantor
• Year elected- 2009
• Number of terms- one
• Year of re-election- None
• Political Work-– Raised of $30 million for the
National Republican Congressional Committee
– Wrote for the National Review in 2007
• Home State- Virginia
• Extra Info- – Supporter of free trade
Majority LeaderSteny H. Hoyer
• Year elected- 2007• Number of terms- two• Year of re-election- 2009• Political Work-
– Served on the Democratic Caucus– Chief candidate recruiter for the
House Democrats from 1995-2000
• Home State- Maryland• Extra Info-
– Highest ranking member of Congress in Maryland history
– First Marylander to become Majority Leader
– Interned for Senator Daniel Brewster along with Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi
Majority WhipJames E. Clyburn
• Year elected- 2007• Number of terms- two• Year of re-election- 2009• Political Work-
– Elected Vice-Chairmen of the House Democratic Caucus in 2003
– Introduced the Access for All American Act, which provides money to community Health Centers for low-income citizens
• Home State- South Carolina• Extra Info-
– Considered to be the most important African-American political leader in his home state
– Second African-American and first South Carolinian to hold this position
Current Events
HealthCare Bill
• Since the HealthCare Bill was signed into law, there are high risk insurance plans– The government has to create
insurance pools for people who cannot get coverage because of pre-existing health conditions
– Health and Human Services has to sync the new plan by June 1st of the year
– And they have to make sure that there will be enough funding to cover new people enrolling for Health insurance
PETA
• People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals are outside the White House almost every day protesting for animal rights
– Such as no testing cosmetics on animals
– PETA has filled out more protest permit applications with the local police than any other group during the months of January and February
– They even wore monkey masks and put themselves in dog cages to show animal cruelty