

There are 17 Senate committees, with 70 subcommittees, and 23 House committees, with 104 subcommittees. During the legislative process, however, the initial bill can undergo drastic changes.Īfter being introduced, a bill is referred to the appropriate committee for review. Some important bills are traditionally introduced at the request of the President, such as the annual federal budget. Anyone can write it, but only members of Congress can introduce legislation. The first step in the legislative process is the introduction of a bill to Congress. If the President vetoes a bill, they may override his veto by passing the bill again in each chamber with at least two-thirds of each body voting in favor. In order to pass legislation and send it to the President for his or her signature, both the House and the Senate must pass the same bill by majority vote. The Senate also tries impeachment cases for federal officials referred to it by the House. There are, however, two exceptions to this rule: the House must also approve appointments to the Vice Presidency and any treaty that involves foreign trade. The Senate has the sole power to confirm those of the President’s appointments that require consent, and to provide advice and consent to ratify treaties. The Vice President of the United States serves as President of the Senate and may cast the decisive vote in the event of a tie in the Senate. citizens for at least nine years, and residents of the state they represent. Senators’ terms are staggered so that about one-third of the Senate is up for reelection every two years. Since then, they have been elected to six-year terms by the people of each state. Until the ratification of the 17th Amendment in 1913, Senators were chosen by state legislatures, not by popular vote. The Senate is composed of 100 Senators, 2 for each state. The House has several powers assigned exclusively to it, including the power to initiate revenue bills, impeach federal officials, and elect the President in the case of an Electoral College tie. citizen for at least seven years, and a resident of the state (but not necessarily the district) they represent. Members of the House are elected every two years and must be 25 years of age, a U.S. He or she is third in the line of succession to the Presidency. The presiding officer of the chamber is the Speaker of the House, elected by the Representatives. Virgin Islands, and the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands. In addition, there are 6 non-voting members, representing the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and four other territories of the United States: American Samoa, Guam, the U.S. The House of Representatives is made up of 435 elected members, divided among the 50 states in proportion to their total population. The Constitution grants Congress the sole authority to enact legislation and declare war, the right to confirm or reject many Presidential appointments, and substantial investigative powers. Get Involved Show submenu for “Get Involved””Įstablished by Article I of the Constitution, the Legislative Branch consists of the House of Representatives and the Senate, which together form the United States Congress.The White House Show submenu for “The White House””.


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