THE UNITED STATES CONGRESS

“If men were angels, no government would be necessary.”

-James Madison

A PowerPoint Presentation by

Tamrha Echols

Demographics of Congress

1, 0%

19, 4%

76, 14%

187, 34%

175, 33%

78, 15%

20-29 30-39 40-49 50-59 60-69 >70

Age Distribution Within CongressTotal Number of Members – 535

Gender Distribution Within Congress

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100150200250

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female male

Gender

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Martial Status Within Congress

5%0%

0%

85%

7% 3%

Divorced

Domestic Partner

Engaged

Married

Single

Widowed

Party Affiliation Within Congress

316, 59%

218, 41%

2, 0%

Democrat Republican Independent

Ethnical Distribution Within Congress

421 8

458

25 1 10

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Africa

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Am

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Asia

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Ethnical Group

Nu

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Religious Affiliation Within Congress

47%

15%

13%

8%

17%

Catholic

Methodist

Jewish

Christian

Baptist

Former Occupations Within Congress

Public Service and Government Occupations

38

1310

2 14

14 2 2 1 1 1

05

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May

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State

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Deput

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Police

Offi

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Office

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FBI Age

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Profession

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Senator John Cornyn Elected: 2002

Year Re-elected: 2008 Terms Served: 1; currently

serving his second Political Work: Senator Cornyn, a

republican, has worked hard to establish a more open form of government. He’s passed the OPEN Government Act, completely reforming the Freedom of Information Act for the first time in a decade.

Extra Information: John Cornyn is currently married to Sandy Hansen with 2 daughters, Haley and Danley.

Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison

Elected: 1993 Year Re-elected: 2000 and 2006

Terms Served: 2; currently serving her third Political Work: Senator Hutchison has played

multiple roles as Senior Republican on the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, on the Appropriations Committee, the Committee on Banking Housing, and Urban Affairs, and the Committee on Rules and Administration. She has even served as the Chairman as the Republican Policy Committee in the 110th Congress.

Extra Information: Senator Hutchinson grew up in La Marque, Texas. Her great-great-grandfather, Charles S. Taylor, was friends with Thomas Rusk of Nacogdoches and both signed the Texas Declaration of Independence.

The Sixth District District Overview

Ellis County: Waxahachie, Ennis, Midlothian, Red Oak, Ferris, Italy, Palmer, Oak Leaf, Maypearl, Milford, Pecan Hill, and Bardwell

Freestone County: Fairfield and Teague

Houston County: Grapeland, Lovelady and Crockett

Leon County: Buffalo and Centerville

Limestone County: Mexia Navarro County: Corsicana,

Kerens, Dawson, Rice, Frost, and Richland

Tarrant County: Arlington, Crowley, Fort Worth, and Mansfield

Trinity County: Groveton

Number of Texas Representatives: 32

Representative Joe Barton Year Elected: 1984

Year Re-elected: 2000, 2002, and 2004 Terms Served: 4

Political Work: Barton remains among the steadfast house leaders on tax reform through lower taxes and financial freedom. He helped to eliminated the marriage penalty estate tax, lowered capital gains taxes, and swept bankruptcy reforms.

Extra Information: Born in Waco, Texas, September 15, 1949, Representative Joe Barton was an avid baseball player, earning a 4-year scholarship to Texas A&M as an industrial engineering student.

Joe Biden

Year Elected: 2008 Year Re-elected: n/a

Terms Served: currently serving his first

Political Work: Vice president Biden has had an abundance of previous political occupation ranging from Senator of Delaware to Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Extra Information: Joseph Robinette Biden, Jr. ,at the age of 29, became one of the youngest people elected to the United States Senate.

President of the Senate

Robert Byrd

Year elected: 2006 Terms served: currently serving

his first Year re-elected: n/a

Political Work: Byrd, a loyal democrat, has held many political positions from Senate Conference Secretary, Majority Whip, Minority Leader, and twice Majority Leader. As a matter of fact, he is the only former party leader in the Senate.

Extra Information: At the age of 24, Robert Byrd joined the Ku Klux Klan, which was in some extent the stepping stone to his entire political career despite the hindering effects it had in the political arena.

President Pro Tempore

Harry Reid Year Elected: 2006

Terms Served: currently serving his first Year Re-elected: n/a

Political Work: Harry Reid has held multiple positions in the political world. From a smorgasbord of positions in Nevada—from the mayor of Las Vegas to US Representative—to US Senator.

Extra Information: During his time as chairman of the Nevada Gaming Commission from 1977-1981, he dodged quite a few death threats that the position subjected him to. From sending Jack Gordon to federal prison for bribery to finding a bomb strapped to one of his cars.

Senate Majority Leader

Richard Durbin

Year Elected: 2006 Terms Served: currently serving his

first Year Re-elected: N/A

Political Work: Senator Durbin has been working his way thorough the Senate since 1983 when he was elected as Illinois’ 20th District Representative. He is known as one the most liberal members of Congress, using his position as the Majority Whip to pursue Congress decisions.

Extra Information: Richard Durbin is perhaps most remembered for his controversial statements comparing FBI torture techniques to those of regimes like Nazi Germany, the Soviet Union, and the Khmer Rouge.

Home State: Illinois

Chief Assistant to the Senate Majority Leader

Mitch McConnell Year Elected: 2006

Terms Served: currently serving his first Year Re-elected: n/a

Political Work: Minority Leader McConnell was first elected into the Senate in 1995 as the Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Ethics. He has slowly been working his way up to Minority Leader ever since.

Extra Information: Before working in the Senate, McConnell held a career in the justice system, working as a Deputy Assistant Attorney General.

Senate Minority Leader

John Kyl Year Elected: 2006

Terms Served: currently serving his first Year Re-elected: n/a

Political Work: A good majority of Senator Kyl’s work has left a good impression upon the political world with his help in sponsoring to amend the U.S. Constitution to help protect the rights of victims in the criminal justice system as well as supporting the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006.

Extra Information: Kyl was ranked the fourth-most conservative United States Senator by the National Journal in their March 2007 conservative/liberal ratings.

Home State: Nebraska (represents Arizona)

Chief Assistant to the Senate Minority Leader

Nancy Pelosi Year Elected: 2006

Terms Served: 1; currently serving her second Year Re-elected: 2008

Political Work: Before she became the first female Speaker, Nancy Pelosi served as the minority whip and minority leader for the House as well as the Representative of California’s 8th district.

Extra Information: As well as being the first female speaker, Pelosi is one of the richest members of Congress.

Speaker of the House

Steny Hoyer Year Elected: 2006

Terms Served: 1; currently serving his second Year Re-elected: 2008

Political Work: Before being elected as the Majority Leader twice, Hoyer served for 2 consecutive terms as the Democratic Whip as well as earning a reputation as a strong leader and able legislator.

Extra Information: Hoyer takes a pro-choice stand point toward abortion, affirmative action, and gay rights.

Majority Leader of the House

James E. Clyburn

Year Elected: 2006 Terms Served: 1; currently serving

his second Year Re-elected: 2008

Political Work: James Clyburn’s career in politics started long before his winning the election for Vice-Chairman of the House Democratic Caucus in 2003. For over 2 decades, he worked in the politics of his home state, South Carolina, before jumping his way up toward the House itself.

Extra Information: When James was only 13 years old, he knew he wanted to work in Congress. However, one of his mother’s clients at her beauty shop had told him that his thinking was a dangerous thing for a young black child. His mother, however, told him to achieve his dream.

Home State: South Carolina

Majority Whip of the House

John Boehner

Year Elected: 2006 Terms Served: 1; currently serving his

second Year Re-elected:2008

Political Work: A good portion of John Boehner’s political career revolves around eliminating wasteful spending, creating jobs, and balancing the federal budget without raising taxes.

Extra Information: John Boehner, born in Cincinnati in November 1949, was one of 12 brothers and sisters.

Minority Leader of the House

Eric Cantor

Year Elected: 2008 Terms Served: currently serving his

first Year Re-elected: n/a

Political Work: Not only does Eric Cantor hold the position of Minority Whip of the House of Representatives, but he also holds a powerful position on the House Ways and Means Committee which has direct jurisdiction over taxes, trade, Social Security, Medicare, prescription drugs for seniors, healthcare and welfare reform.

Extra Information: Eric Cantor met his wife, Diana Marcy Fine, while in New York on a blind date. They have 3 children, Evan, Jenna, and Michael.

Home State: Virginia

Minority Whip of the House

Bill by MayImmigration Activists Plan Rallies May 1st

With health care over and done with for the most part, activists are looking toward pushing lawmakers to pass new laws regarding immigration. On Tuesday, during a conference call with reporters, much praised was passed to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid for his promises of giving these laws his attention, while much criticism has been thrown toward Senators John Kyl and Jeff Sessions for their oppositions.

Immigration rights activists plan to pressure lawmakers with a final ultimatum: pass the laws by the end of the month or new rallies will follow.

13 April 2010

Hill Meeting DisruptedProtesters Interrupt Testimony of Coal Industry Executives

During a congressional meeting on Wednesday covering climate change, three young environmentalists stood silently while the head of Peabody Energy Corporation testified in front of the House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming. These young activists, faces covered in masks, held up hands dirtied in what was assumed to be coal dust. The protestors than went on to place a piece of coal on the desk where the coal industry leaders of Peabody Energy Corporation were sitting.

This liberal group has held similar protests against what they say is “industry influence over the Senate debate on climate change”. 14 April 2010