Legislative Branch

Legislative Branch

1. Responsible for making laws, confirms/rejects president appointments and has the ability to proclaim war

2. Includes 2 different federal houses

   • Senate
     • There are always 2 elected senators per state resulting in a total of 100 senators
     • The senators serve a term of 6 years but there is no fixed limit to the number of terms a senator can serve
     • Requirements include:
       • Minimum of 30 years of age
         • Being a United States citizen for at least 9 years
           • Be a citizen of the state they represent at the time of election
   • House of Representatives
     • Members can be referred to as a congressman/congresswoman
       • Representatives serve terms of 2 years
         • Requirements include:
           • Minimum of 25 years of age
             • Being a United States citizen for at least 7 years
               • Be a citizen of the state they represent
     • The total number of representatives in congress is 435
     • Each state has a different number of representatives depending on population

3. Legislative Process

   • 1. Referral: The Bills are sent to the committees in the Senate or House of Representatives depending on the procedure
     • 2. Committee Action: When a bill goes to a committee, it is placed on a calendar to be voted on by congress
       • 3. Review: Bills are often referred to a subcommittee for hearings and being studied
         • 4. Mark Up: When the hearings are completed, the subcommittee might have to mark up the bill/ make changes or amend the document
           • 5. Action to report a Bill: The committee can conduct further hearings or vote on any of the subcommittee’s ideas and any of their amendments
             • 6. Publication: After a committee votes on having a bill reported, the chairman instructs the staff to prepare a written report on the bill
               • 7. Floor Action When the bill is reported, it goes back to the place where it originated and place in order on the calendar. The senate only has one legislative calendar
                 • 8. Debate: The members vote on the bill and can approve any amendments that were made.
                   • 9. Voting: The bills are either passed or defeated
                     • 10. Final Actions: After a bill is passed, it is then sent to the president where they can approve it and sign it making it a law. They can take no action for ten days and if Congress is in session still, then it is automatically a law. If Congress has adjourned its 2nd session, then the bill is a “pocket veto” an is automatically rejected.
                       • 11. Overriding vetoes If a president vetoes a bill Congress can attempt to override the veto which requires a ⅔ roll call vote.

4. Levels of Legislative Branch

   • State Level
     • States are made up of legislatures made up of elected representatives who consider anything brought forth by the governor. The state legislative can also approve a state’s budget and sets out tax legislation. All states except nebraska have 2 chambers that make state laws and take care of governmental duties. There is a smaller upper chamber (Senate) and a larger lower chamber (House of Representatives/ House of Delegates/ the Assembly). The larger chamber often serves a shorter term of two years.
   • Local Level
     • Local level governments have two different kinds of branches. there are known as counties and cities/towns. unlike federal government and state governments (which share power), local governments must be granted power by the state. many different governing body that can be elected include mayors city councils and other governing bodies.