Our Legislative Branch: Congress

• Legislative Branch:– Local Gov’t: borough council or township

supervisors– State Gov’t: PA House & Senate– National Gov’t: US House & Senate

House Senate

435 (based on census) Numbers 100

2 years Length of Term 6 years

All every 2 years When Elected 1/3 every 2 years

25 Min. Age 30

$150K Salary $150K

Must live in state Legal Residence Must live in state

None Term Limit None

• Each state gets 2 Senators• House is broken into “districts”• House lines “redrawn” every 10 years• Gerrymandering:

Powers of Congress• Expressed Powers: Article I, Section 8

– Create laws, collect taxes, borrow & coin money, declare war, govern DC

• Elastic Clause• Immunity• Franking Privilege• Approve all treaties• Approve Presidential appointments (Secretaries, ambassadors,

judges)• Break tied Presidential elections (House chooses Prez)• Can impeach members of government

Congressional Oversight• Congress’ ability to investigate and “fix”

problems in the nation– Examples:

• Steroids in baseball• Hurricane Katrina• 9/11

Impeachment

• To be impeached means ________________• Step 1: Indicted in House (51%) vote• Step 2: Trial in Senate– Operates like normal trial with prosecutors &

defense– VP is judge unless President is on trial—then it is

SC Chief Justice– Guilty verdict requires 66 votes (2/3)– If guilty, removal from office occurs

Andrew Johnson

• Impeached in 1868 for illegally firing & replacing the Secretary of War– Senate fell 1 vote shy of removal

Bill Clinton

• 1998—Ken Starr finished investigation– Was looking for wrongdoing in “Whitewater”

scandal• Lewinsky worked @ White House from 1995-

1996• Affair from 1995-1997• Discussed affair with friend Linda Tripp• Impeached in 1998 & found not guilty in 1999– Accused of perjury– Only 50 guilty votes in Senate

Limits on Congress

• Cannot:– Pass ex post facto laws– Pass bill of attainders– Suspend habeas

corpus• Unless in time of

invasion or rebellion

Organization of Senate

• President of the Senate: Joe Biden (D); DE– President Pro Temp:

Daniel Inouye (D); HI• Majority leader: Harry

Reid (D); NV– Minority leader: Mitch

McConnell (R); KY» Majority whip

• Minority whip

Organization of House

• Speaker of the House: John Boehner (R); OH– Majority leader: Eric Cantor (R); VA• Minority leader: Nancy Pelosi (D); CA

– Majority whip: » Minority whip:

Our Representatives

• Senators:– Bob Casey (D)—

Scranton – Pat Toomey (R)—

Zionsville (Lehigh County)

• House member:– Glenn Thompson (R);

5th district—State College

Organization of PA Congress

• Senate: 50 districts– President Pro Temp• Joe Scarnati (R); Brockway

• House: 203 districts

Committees

• Committee:• Types:– Appropriations– Standing– Subcommittee– Joint/conference– Select

• Membership requirements• Leadership requirements

There are two things you never want to see being made. Sausage is one. Laws are the other.

How a Bill Becomes a Law

1. Eureka moment2. Referral to committee3. Hearings4. Markup5. Floor consideration– Both chambers must vote on it– Debate/discussion– Filibuster in Senate

• Cloture– Roll-call vote

• Quorum needed

• What makes Congressmen vote the way they do?– Personal Beliefs– Constituent interests– Interest groups/lobbyists– Political Party loyalty

• Presidential action– Sign it– Ignore it for 10 days– Veto it– Pocket veto– Line-item veto