Congress
The United states legislate branch is composed of a bicameral congress. A bicameral congress is composed of two bodies. In the U.S, the two bodies are the House of Representatives, and the Senate.
House of Representatives
There are 435 members in the house of representativesMembers of the house of representatives serve two year terms
To become a representative, one must meet the following criteria:
-Be at least 25 years of age
-Be a resident of the state they wish to represent
-Be a citizen of the United states for at least 7 years
Leadership in the House of Representatives
Speaker of the house - The speaker of the house presides over the House; he makes sure everything runs smoothly, and represents the majority party in the House
Minority leader - Represents the minority party's interests in the house of representatives
Majority/minority whip - The whip's role is to confirm members of their respective parties are voting along party lines on bills, and if they are unable confirm that they are their job is to attempt to convince the representative to do so.
Minority leader - Represents the minority party's interests in the house of representatives
Majority/minority whip - The whip's role is to confirm members of their respective parties are voting along party lines on bills, and if they are unable confirm that they are their job is to attempt to convince the representative to do so.
Senate
The senate consists of 100 members who serve 6 year terms
Senators are divided into three groups, and every 2 years one of those groups is up for reelection
To become a Senator, one must meet the following criteria:
-be at least 30 years of age
-be a resident of the state they wish to represent
-be a US citizen for at least 9 years
Senators are divided into three groups, and every 2 years one of those groups is up for reelection
To become a Senator, one must meet the following criteria:
-be at least 30 years of age
-be a resident of the state they wish to represent
-be a US citizen for at least 9 years
Leadership in the Senate
President of the Senate - The vice president serves as the president of the senate, but rarely actually presides over the senate. instead he would only preside over a senate session in the event that a 50-50 vote is likely to occur, during which he would be able to cast the deciding vote.
President Pro Tempore - the President Pro Tempore is the oldest serving senator, and presides over the senate in most cases; the exception being cases where the President of the Senate is present.
President Pro Tempore - the President Pro Tempore is the oldest serving senator, and presides over the senate in most cases; the exception being cases where the President of the Senate is present.
Salary and Benefits
Congressmen and women are paid about $174000 a year
They are given the same health insurance benefits as other federal employees as well as the same retirement plan.
They are given the same health insurance benefits as other federal employees as well as the same retirement plan.
Congressional Committees
Members of Congress are divided into smaller groups which each focus on a specific type of legislation. examples include committees include the standing committees on the Armed Services, Agriculture, and Financial services. Bills must be approved by their respective committees before they can be brought up in the house or senate.