Legislative+Branch+of+U.S.+Government


 * PURPOSE AND ORGANIZATION OF THE LEGISLATIVE BRANCH**

The purpose of the legislative branch is to make laws. The [|legislative branch] of the federal government consists of the Congress, which is divided into two chambers -- the Senate and the House of Representatives. Each member of Congress is elected by the people of his or her state. In the House of Representatives, the number of Representatives from each state is determined by state population. The House has 435 seats. The Senate, with two members from each state, has 100 seats. Members of the House of Representatives are elected for two-year terms, and Senators are elected for six-year terms. The Senate is sometimes called the upper house and the House of Representatives is called the lower house because being a senator is a bit more prestigous than having a seat in the House.

There are two different definitions of Congress. There is "A" Congress and "The" Congress. The difference between the two is "A" Congress is a two year period in which both the Senate and the House of Representatives meet and vote. Right now we are in the 109th Congress, in January we will begin the [|110th Congress]. "The" Congress is both the Senate and the House of Representatives.


 * CHECKS AND BALANCES RELATING TO THE LEGISLATIVE BRANCH**

Checks and balances are things that branches place on one another to make sure that one branch does not get too much power or authority over the other two.

Legislative Checks on the Executive Branch: 1. Pass laws over veto 2. Approval of appointments 3. Approval of treaties 4. Impeachment

Legislative Checks on the Judicial Branch: 1. Approval of judges

Judicial Checks on the Legislative Branch: 1. Constitutionality of laws

Executive Checks on the Legislative Branch: 1. Veto 2. Messages to the Congress 3. Head of the party 4. Appointments 5. Speaker of the people


 * OFFICERS OF THE SENATE**

The Vice President of the United States is the President of the Senate, and only votes when the Senate has a tie. Third in line to the President is the President Pro Tempore.


 * THE SENATE**

These are the Members of the Senate.

AL: Richard Shelby (R), Jeff Sessions (R) AK: Ted Stevens (R), Lisa Murkowski (R) AZ: John McCain (R), Jon Kyl (R) AR: Blanche Lincoln (D), Mark Pryor (D) CA: Dianne Feinstein (D), Barbara Boxer (D) CO: Wayne Allard (R), Ken Salazar (D) CT: Christopher Dodd (D), Joe Lieberman (D) DE: Joe Biden (D), Thomas Carper (D) FL: Bill Nelson (D), Mel Martinez (R) GA: Saxby Chambliss (R), Johnny Isakson (R) HI: Daniel Inouye (D), Daniel Akaka (D) ID: Larry Craig (R), Mike Crapo (R) IL: Richard Durbin (D), Barak Obama (D) IN: Dick Lugar (R), Evan Bayh (D) IA: Chuck Grassley (R), Tom Harkin (D) KS: Sam Brownback (R), Pat Roberts (R) KY: Mitch McConnell (R), Jim Bunning (R) LA: Mary Landrieu (D), David Vitter (R) ME: Olympia Snowe (R), Susan Collins (R) MD: Paul Sarbanes (D), Barbara Mikulski (D) MA: Ted Kennedy (D), John Kerry (D) MI: Carl Levin (D), Debbie Stabenow (D) MN: Mark Dayton (D), Norm Coleman (R) MS: Thad Cochran (R), Trent Lott (R) MO: Kit Bond (R), Jim Talent (R) MT: Max Baucus (D), Conrad Burns (R) NE: Chuck Hagel (R), Ben Nelson (D) NV: Harry Reid (D), John Ensign (R) NH: Judd Gregg (R), John Sununu (R) NJ: Frank Lautenberg (D), Robert Menendez (D) NM: Pete Domenici (R), Jeff Bingaman (D) NY: Chuck Schumer (D), Hilary Clinton (D) NC: Elizabeth Dole (R), Richard Burr (R) ND: Kent Conrad (D), Byron Dorgan (D) OH: Mike DeWine (R), George Voinovich (R) OK: Jim Inhofe (R), Tom Coburn (R) OR: Ron Wyden (D), Gordon Smith (R) PA: Arlen Specter (R), Rick Santorum (R) RI: Jack Reed (D), Lincoln Chafee (R) SC: Lindsay Graham (R), Jim DeMint (R) SD: Tim Johnson (D), John Thune (R) TN: Bill Frist (R), Lamar Alexander (R) TX: Kay Hutchison (R), John Cornyn (R) UT: Orrin Hatch (R), Robert Bennett (R) VT: Patrick Leahy (D), Jim Jeffords (I) VA: John Warner (R), George Allen (R) WA: Patty Murray (D), Maria Cantwell (D) WV: Robert Byrd (D), Jay Rockefeller (D) WI: Herbert Kohl (D), Russ Feingold (D) WY: Craig Thomas (R), Mike Enzi (R)


 * DUTIES OF THE SENATE**

The Senate is able to approve treaties with foreign countries negotiatied by the president with a two-thirds majority vote. They can also approve presidential appointments and federal judges with a one-half majority vote. Examples of this would be the Supreme Court and the cabinet offices. The Senate also holds impeachment trials with a two-thirds majority vote. Impeachment is a formal accusation.


 * OFFICERS OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES**

The Speaker of the House is the leader of the House, they are elected by the party in power, and are also second in line for President (behind the Vice President).


 * DUTIES OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES**

The House of Representatives has the power of impeachment. This takes a two-thirds majority of the members to pass. Impeachment has been known to mean "being kicked out of office". This term really means to be "formally accused". This means that impeachment is just the trial, and getting kicked out of office follows impeachment.

All bills involving money, revenue, and spending must begin in the House of Representatives. The writers of the Constitution created it that way because the House is based on state population. The founding fathers wanted the people to have a say in how the country's money was going to be spent.


 * REQUIREMENTS TO BE A MEMBER OF CONGRESS**

Requirements to become a Senator 1) Have to be at least 30 years of age 2) Have to be a resident of the U.S. for nine years 3) Have to live in the State they are being a Senator for

Requirements to become a Representative in the House of Representatives 1) Have to be 25 years of age 2) Have to be a U.S. resident for seven years 3) Have to live in the state they are representing