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United States Senate
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the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States
together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States
Congress
. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S.
Constitution
Each U.S. state is represented by two senators, regardless of population
Senators serve staggered six-year terms
The chamber of the United States Senate is located in the north wing of the Capitol,
in Washington, D.C., the national capital.
The Senate has several exclusive powers not granted to the House, including:
o consenting to treaties as a precondition to their ratificationand consenting or
confirming appointments of Cabinet secretaries, federal judges, other federal
executive officials, military officers, regulatory officials, ambassadors, and
other federal uniformed officers,[2][3] as well as trial of federal officials impeached by
the House.
The Senate of the United States was formed on the example of the ancient Roman Senate
The name is derived from the senatus,Latin for council of elders (from senex meaning old
man in La
The United States has had 50 states since 1959,[14] thus the Senate has had 100 senators
since 1959.tin)
The District of Columbia and all other territories (including territories, protectorates, etc.) are
not entitled to representation in either House of the Congress.
Membership
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Article I, Section 3 of the Constitution sets three qualifications for senators:
o 1) each senator must be at least 30 years old,
o 2) must have been a citizen of the United States for at least the past nine years, and
3) must be (at the time of the election) an inhabitant of the state he or she seeks to
represent.
The Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution disqualifies from the Senate any
federal or state officers who had taken the requisite oath to support the Constitution, but later
engaged in rebellion or aided the enemies of the United States.
Originally, senators were selected by the state legislatures, not by popular elections. By the
early years of the 20th century, the legislatures of as many as 29 states had provided for
popular election of senators by referendums.[19] Popular election to the Senate was
standardized nationally in 1913 by the ratification of the 17th Amendment.
Senators serve terms of six years each; the terms are staggered so that approximately onethird of the seats are up for election every two years.
Elections to the Senate are held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November in
even-numbered years, Election Day, and coincide with elections for the House of
Representatives
Senators are elected by their state as a whole.
The annual salary of each senator, as of 2009, is $174,000; the president pro tempore and
party leaders receive $193,400
Along with earning salaries, senators receive retirement and health benefits that are identical
to other federal employees, and are fully vested after five years of service
According to the convention of Senate seniority, the senator with the longer tenure in each
state is known as the "senior senator"; the other is the "junior senator". This convention does
not have official significance, though it is a factor in the selection of physical offices.
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The Senate may expel a senator by a two-thirds vote
Majority and minority parties
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The "Majority party" is the political party that either has a majority of seats or can form a
coalition or caucus with a majority of seats; if two or more parties are tied, the vice president's
affiliation determines which party is the majority party.
The next-largest party is known as the minority party.
The president pro tempore, committee chairs, and some other officials are generally from the
majority party; they have counterparts (for instance, the "ranking members" of committees) in
the minority party.
Independents and members of third parties (so long as they do not caucus with or support
either of the larger parties) are not considered in determining which is the majority party.
The Democratic Party always sits to the presiding officer's right, and the Republican
Party always sits to the presiding officer's left, regardless which party has a majority of seats.[
Officers
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The Vice President of the United States presides over the Senate, but the party leaders have
the real power and they control procedure.
The Vice President of the United States is the ex officio President of the Senate, with authority
to preside over the Senate's sessions, although he can vote only to break a tie.
The Constitution authorizes the Senate to elect a president pro tempore (Latin for "president
for a time") to preside in the vice president's absence; the most senior senator of the majority
party is customarily chosen to serve in this position.
The presiding officer sits in a chair in the front of the Senate chamber.
The presiding officer calls on senators to speak, ruling on points of order, and announcing the
results of votes.
Each party elects Senate party leaders
. Floor leaders act as the party chief spokespeople
The Senate Majority Leader is responsible for controlling the agenda of the chamber by
scheduling debates and votes.
. Each party elects an assistant leader (whip) who works to ensure that their party's senators
vote as the party leadership desires.
Functions of the Senate
Legislative functions
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Bills may be introduced in either chamber of Congress.
However, the Constitution provides that "All bills for raising Revenue shall originate in the
House of Representatives." As a result, the Senate does not have the power to initiate bills
imposing taxes.
the Senate does not have the power to originate appropriation bills, or bills authorizing the
expenditure of federal funds.
Although the Constitution gave the House the power to initiate revenue bills, in practice the
Senate is equal to the House in the respects of taxation and spending
The approval of both houses is required for any bill, including a revenue bill, to become law.
Both Houses must pass the same version of the bill; if there are differences, they may be
resolved by sending amendments back and forth or by a conference committee, which
includes members of both bodies
Checks and balances
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The Constitution provides several unique functions for the Senate that form its ability to "check
and balance” These include:
o
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include the requirement that the Senate may advise and must consent to some of the
president's government appointments; also the Senate must ratify all treaties with
foreign governments; it tries all impeachments, and it elects the vice president in the
event no person gets a majority of the electoral votes.
Under the Twelfth Amendment, the Senate has the power to elect the vice president if no vice
presidential candidate receives a majority of votes in the Electoral College.
The Twelfth Amendment requires the Senate to choose from the two candidates with the
highest numbers of electoral votes.
Current composition and election results
Current party membership by state
2 Democrats
1 Democrat and 1 Republican
2 Republicans
1 Independent, 1 Democrat
[edit]Current
party standings
Main article: List of current United States Senators
The party composition of the Senate after January 3, 2011:
Affiliation
Members
Democratic Party
51
Republican Party
47
Note
Independent
Total
2
100
Both caucus with the Democrats
United States House of Representatives
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one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also
includes the Senate.
The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution.
The House of Representatives convenes in the south wing of the same building.
The major power of the House is to passfederal legislation that affects the entire country,
although its bills must also be passed by the Senate and further agreed to by
thePresident before becoming law (unless both the House and Senate re-pass the legislation
with a two-thirds majority in each chamber).
Each state receives representation in the House in proportion to its population but is entitled to
at least one representative.
The most populous state, California, currently has 53 representatives. The total number of
voting representatives is fixed by law at 435.[1]
Each representative serves for a two-year term.
The Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, traditionally the leader of the
majority party is the presiding officer of the chamber, elected by the members of the House.
The Constitution grants the House several exclusive powers: the power to
initiate revenue bills, to impeach officials, and to elect the President in case of an Electoral
College deadlock.[2] The House meets in the south wing of the United States Capitol, with the
Senate meeting in the north wing of the same building.
Membership, qualifications and apportionment
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The District of Columbia and the territories of American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana
Islands, and the U.S. Virgin Islands are represented by one non-voting delegate each.
Puerto Rico elects a Resident Commissioner, but other than having a four-year term, the
Resident Commissioner's role is identical to the delegates from the other territories.
States that are entitled to more than one Representative are divided into singlemember districts
states redraw these district lines after each census, though they may do so at other times
Each state determines its own district boundaries, either through legislation or through nonpartisan panels. "Malapportionment" is unconstitutional and districts must be approximately
equal in population (
Article I, Section 2 of the Constitution sets three qualifications for representatives. Each
representative must:
o (1) be at least twenty-five years old;
o (2) have been a citizen of the United States for the past seven years; and
o (3) be (at the time of the election) an inhabitant of the state they represent.
Members are not required to live in the district they represent, but they traditionally do
Elections for representatives are held in every even-numbered year, on Election Day the first
Tuesday after the first Monday in November.
By law Representatives must be elected fromsingle-member districts by plurality voting.
Representatives and Delegates serve for two-year terms, while the Resident Commissioner
serves for four years.
The Constitution permits the House to expel a member with a two-thirds vote
Salary and benefits
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As of January 2010, the annual salary of each Representative is $174,000.[13] The Speaker of
the House and the Majority and Minority Leaders earn more: $223,500 for the Speaker and
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$193,400 for their party leaders (the same as Senate Representatives are eligible for
retirement benefits after serving for five years.[15]
Representatives use the prefix "The Honorable" before their names
A member of the House is referred to as a "Representative," "Congressman," or
"Congresswoman."
Officers
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The party with a majority of seats in the House is known as the majority party.
The next-largest party is the minority party.
The Speaker, committee chairs, and some other officials are generally from the majority party;
they have counterparts (for instance, the "ranking members" of committees) in the minority
party.
The Constitution provides that the House may choose its own Speaker.
[16] Although not explicitly required by the Constitution, every Speaker has been a member of
the House.
The Constitution does not specify the duties and powers of the Speaker, which are instead
regulated by the rules and customs of the House.
Speakers have a role both as a leader of the House and the leader of their party (which need
not be the majority party; theoretically, a member of the minority party could be elected as
Speaker with the support of a fraction of members of the majority party).
Under the Presidential Succession Act (1947), the Speaker is second in the line of presidential
succession behind the Vice President.
Each party elects a floor leader, who is known as the Majority Leader or Minority Leader.
The Minority Leader heads his or her party in the House, and the Majority Leader is his or her
party's second-highest ranking official, behind the Speaker.
Party leaders decide what legislation members of their party should either support or oppose.
Each party also elects a whip, who works to ensure that the party's members vote as the party
leadership desires.
Functions of the House of Representatives
Legislative functions
the House of Representatives holds that the Senate cannot originate appropriation bills, or bills
authorizing the expenditure of federal funds.
The approval of the Senate and the House of Representatives is required for a bill to become law.
Checks and balances
the House must confirm the nomination of a new Vice President under the 25th Amendment
The Constitution empowers the House of Representatives to impeach federal officials for
"Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdem
The House may approve "articles of impeachment" by a simple majority vote; eanors"
Under the Twelfth Amendment, the House has the power to elect the President if no presidential
candidate receives a majority of votes in the Electoral College.
The Twelfth Amendment requires the House to choose from the three candidates with the highest
numbers of electoral votes.
Latest election results and current party standings
Main articles: United States House of Representatives elections, 2010, Members of the 112th United
States Congress, and 112th United States Congress
[edit]2010
elections
Delegates
/ Resident
Commissioner
Members
(non-voting)
Number of
state majorities
Republican Party
242
0
33
Democratic Party
193
6
16
0
0
435
6
Affiliation
Vacancy
Total
Majority
49
Current standings
Delegates
/ Resident
Commissioner
Members
(non-voting)
Number of
state majorities
Republican Party
242
0
33
Democratic Party
192
6
16
3
0
435
6
Affiliation
Vacancy
Total
Majority
50
How is the US Senate different from the House of
Representatives?
Answer:
Improve
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The Senate has 100 members, two per state. The House has 435, based roughly on states'
population as of the most recent census.
Senators serve a six-year term; representatives serve a two-year term, making them more
responsive to (and responsible for) voter confidence.
According to the U.S. Constitution, senators must be at least 30 years old; representatives
can serve starting at age 25.
Only the House can propose revenue and taxation bills; only they can determine whether a
government official can be tried for crimes against the United States.
Only the Senate can confirm treaties, and confirm or reject presidential appointees. Only
they can conduct a trial against government officials for crimes against the U.S. (and only
after the House authorizes them to do so).
The president of the House is known as the Speaker, and is elected by a majority vote of
the representatives of the political party in power (known as the majority party) at the
time. The Speaker of the House is second in line in matters of presidential succession.
The president of the Senate is the Vice President of the United States, who is by definition
first in line in matters of presidential succession. However, the Vice President only votes to
break a tie.
In day-to-day matters, the head of the Senate is known as the President pro tempore of
the Senate; and while it is technically an elected position, it is usually reserved for the
most senior (longest-serving) senator of the majority party. The President pro tempore is
third in line in matters of presidential succession.
Comparing
House of Representatives
Senate
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2 yr. term
must be a 7 yr U.S. citizen
must live in district/state
representing
must be 25 yrs. Old
contains 435 members
led by Speaker of House
elected by the people of
the state
Majority elects Speaker
and officers
Has the sole power to
impeach
Debate usually limited to
one hour
Referral of bills hard to
challenge
Power to begin tax bill
Breaks tie in Electoral
College
Rules Committee
powerful
Controls time of debate,
admissibility of
amendments
Non-germane
amendments may not be
introduced from floor
Both
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6 yr term
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must be a 9 yr U.S. citizen
must live in state
representing
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must be 30 yrs old
contains 100 members
led by Vice-President
(Cheney)
Senators have one vote
each
Senate chooses officers
and a President pro
tempore
Has sole power to try
impeachments
Referral of bills easily
challenged
Rules Committee weak
Has few limits on debate
time or amendments
Unlimited time of debates
unless challenged by
unanimous vote or
invoking cloture.
Non- germane
amendments maybe
introduced (riders)
 Must live in state representing
• Are the judge of the elections, returns and qualifications
• Majority vote constitutes a Quorum to do business
• May determine the Rules of its Proceedings, punish its members, and
expel a member
• Bills must pass through both
• Power to borrow money on the credit of the United states
• Power to regulate commerce with foreign nations, the several states,
and Indian