Congress Vocab
What do we call a legislature that has two chambers?
bicameral
How many members serve in the United States House of Representatives?
435
Who is the most powerful leader in the House of Representatives?
Speaker of the House
What is the main way Congress organizes its work to handle many bills?
Committees
What must happen before a bill can be sent to the President?
Must pass both the House and Senate
What is the name for a population count conducted every 10 years?
Census
How many members serve in the United States Senate
100
Who serves as President of the Senate?
Vice President
What type of committee continues working from one legislative session to the next?
Standing Committee
What happens to a bill after it is introduced in Congress?
It is sent to a committee
What is the process of drawing congressional district boundaries after reapportionment?
Redistricting
How long is a term for a member of the House of Representatives?
2 years
Who breaks a tie when the Senate vote is evenly divided?
Vice President
What type of committee is created to investigate or study one specific issue?
Select Committee
What national event causes Congress to reconsider how many House seats each state receives?
Census
What is it called when district boundaries are drawn to help one political party win elections?
Gerrymandering
How long is a term for a United States Senator?
6 years
Who takes over the Senate's presiding role when the Vice President is unavailable?
President Pro Tempore
What type of committee includes members from both the House and Senate?
Joint Committee
What can the President use to check Congress?
Veto
What is the Senate tactic in which a senator keeps debating to delay or prevent a vote?
Filibuster
Which chamber has more flexible debate rules and allows senators to filibuster?
Senate
What is the job of the House Majority Leader?
Help the Speaker plan the majority party's legislative program and more important bills through the House
What committee works out differences when the House and Senate pass different versions of the same bill?
Conference Committee
What are the seven major steps a bill follows to become a law?
introduction, committee review, floor debate, a vote, consideration by the other chamber, repeating the process in the other chamber, and action by the President