The Senate
The Senate is also nicknamed what?
The Upper House
The House of Representatives is also nicknamed the what?
What is the difference between Legislative Powers and Non Legislative Powers?
Legislative = law making
Non Legislative = does not deal with law making
Define a select committee.
Joint Committees
Made up of members of both the House and Senate
Can be temporary or permanent
Act as a kind of study group that reports back to their floors on a topic or bill
Help work together on issues
Define Pocket Veto
If Congress’ session ends before the 10 Days are up, the bill dies and this is called a
How old do you have to be to run for Senate?
30 years old
How is representation decided in the House of Representatives?
List two implied powers held by the Legislative Branch.
Establishing the Federal Reserve
Making tax evasion a crime
Establishing federal aid programs
Drafting an army
Setting minimum wages and maximum work hours
List two types of Committees.
Standing
-Subcommittees
Select
Joint
Conference
How long can a Senator talk during a whole floor debate? What about Congressman?
Forever. 1 hour.
How long is a Senator's term?
6 years
How long is a member of the House of Representative's term?
2 year
List three expressed powers.
Congressional Powers SPECIFICALLY listed in the Constitution
Power to tax
Power to borrow
Power to regulate trade and selling of goods (commerce)
Power to print currency and make coins
What is the purpose of a Conference committee?
Temporary committee that is set up when the House and Senate have passed different versions of a bill
Normally members consist of the standing committee that handled the bill from both houses
Resolve differences and create a compromise bill called the conference report
Both houses have to agree to the conference report completely for it to pass
List three groups of people that can propose an idea for a new law.
These ideas can come from Congress, private citizens or from the White House (i.e. The President) or Special Interest Groups (groups of individuals who try to influence Congress) may also present ideas to Congress that may become bills.
What is it called when a Senator speaks for a very long period of time in order to prevent a bill from passing?
Filibuster
List two distinct powers held by ONLY the House of Representatives.
Articles of Impeachment
Revenue Bills Must Originate HERE
Which clause allows powers that Congress needs in order to conduct its business?
Necessary and Proper Clause
Also known as elastic clause
List two purposes that Congressional Committees serve
Committees exist to divide up the workload of Congress
They control the agenda and guide legislation from its introduction to its sendoff
Help give further consideration to the sheer number of bills that get introduced
Learn what affects the public and the nation
What amount is needed for a bill to pass in voting?
a simple majority
List two distinct powers held by ONLY the Senate?
Impeachment Trial
Nominations approved
(Judicial, Cabinet, Ambassadors)
Ratify Treaties (2/3)
How many members are in the House of Representatives currently?
435
List three powers that are DENIED to the Legislative Branch.
Cannot pass laws that violate the Constitution
Cannot suspend the writ of habeas corpus
Police have to explain why they are holding a prisoner.
Prohibited from passing bills of attainder
Laws that punish a person without a jury trial
No ex post facto laws
Laws that make an act a crime after it has been committed
Define a standing committee and provide an example.
Standing Committees
Permanent groups to oversee bills that deal with certain kinds of issues
House and Senate each have their own standing committees
Some current committees ae:
Agriculture
Energy and Commerce
House Administration
Veterans Affairs
Small Business
What three choices can the President make when deciding what to do with a Bill?