Malcolm Rivera
The Constitution of the United States outlines the framework for the country's government, including the establishment of the House of Representatives and the Senate. The House, with representation based on population, currently consists of 435 voting representatives, with additional delegates representing territories. The Senate, on the other hand, provides equal representation for each state, with two senators from each state serving six-year terms. The Constitution's first article details the roles and procedures of both houses, including the legislative process, elections, and the powers granted to Congress.
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What You'll Learn
The House of Representatives
The House has several important functions, including the introduction of bills and resolutions, offering amendments, and serving on committees. The House also has the sole power of impeachment. The number of representatives with full voting rights is 435, a number set by Public Law 62-5 on August 8, 1911, and in effect since 1913. There are also five delegates representing the District of Columbia, the Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. A resident commissioner represents Puerto Rico. These delegates possess the same powers as other members of the House, except that they may not vote when the House is meeting as the House of Representatives.
The House has a leadership structure that includes the speaker, majority and minority leaders, assistant leaders, whips, and a party caucus or conference. The speaker acts as the leader of the House and combines several institutional and administrative roles. Majority and minority leaders represent their respective parties on the House floor, while whips assist leadership in managing their party's legislative program.
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The Senate
The United States Constitution outlines the framework for the country's government, including the establishment of the Senate. The Senate, as part of the legislative branch, plays a crucial role in lawmaking and representing the interests of individual states.
The creation of the Senate was a result of the Great Compromise, which aimed to balance representation in the legislative body. The framers of the Constitution agreed that the Senate would provide equal representation for all states, while the House of Representatives would be based on population size. This compromise ensured that smaller states had a voice in the government, while also reflecting the principle of proportional representation.
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Speaker of the House
The Speaker of the House is the leader of the House of Representatives. The House elects its speaker at the beginning of a new Congress, biennially, after a general election, or when a speaker dies, resigns, or is removed from the position during a congressional term. The Speaker is second in the United States presidential line of succession, after the vice president and ahead of the president pro tempore of the Senate.
The current Speaker of the House is Mike Johnson, a Republican from Louisiana. While every speaker of the House has been a sitting House member, Article I, Section II, Clause 5 of the U.S. Constitution does not explicitly state House membership as a requirement. The Speaker acts as the leader of the House and combines several institutional and administrative roles.
The House's standing committees have different legislative jurisdictions. Each considers bills and issues and recommends measures for consideration by the House. Committees also have oversight responsibilities to monitor agencies, programs, and activities within their jurisdictions. The Committee of the Whole House is a committee of the House in which all representatives serve and which meets in the House Chamber for the consideration of measures from the Union calendar.
The Speaker of the House has strong beliefs about the role of government in preserving individual liberties and maintaining a limited government that operates with the consent of the governed. They emphasize the importance of transparency and accountability in Congress and highlight the federal government's obligation to provide for the "common defense" of the United States. Additionally, they address the unsustainable federal debt and the need for economic reforms to ensure progress and prosperity.
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Representatives' duties
The US Constitution outlines the duties of the House of Representatives, also referred to as Congress. The House represents citizens based on district populations, while the Senate represents citizens on an equal state basis.
The Constitution provides for both the minimum and maximum sizes for the House of Representatives. The number of representatives with full voting rights is 435, with the number per state being proportionate to population size. There is a minimum requirement of one representative per state, and a maximum of one for every thirty thousand people.
The House of Representatives has a range of duties and powers, including the power of impeachment, and the ability to introduce and vote on bills and resolutions, offer amendments, and serve on committees.
Committees play a significant role in the House's functions. The Committee of the Whole House, for example, is a committee on which all representatives serve, and it considers measures from the Union calendar. There are also standing committees with different legislative jurisdictions. These committees consider bills and issues and recommend measures for the House's consideration. They also have oversight responsibilities to monitor agencies, programs, and activities within their jurisdictions.
The House leadership includes the speaker, majority and minority leaders, assistant leaders, whips, and a party caucus or conference. The speaker is the leader of the House and combines several institutional and administrative roles. Majority and minority leaders represent their respective parties on the House floor, while whips assist in managing the party's legislative program.
The House also has the power to determine the rules of its proceedings, punish members for disorderly behaviour, and expel members with a two-thirds concurrence. Additionally, the House has a role in the law-making process. Every bill that passes the House and the Senate must be presented to the President for approval. If the President disapproves, the bill is returned to the House for reconsideration, and if two-thirds of the House still agree to pass it, it is sent to the other House for reconsideration. If approved by two-thirds of that House, it becomes a law.
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Rules Committee
The Committee on Rules, or the Rules Committee, is a committee of the United States House of Representatives. It is one of the oldest standing committees, first formally constituted on April 2, 1789. The Rules Committee is responsible for the rules under which bills are presented to the House of Representatives. This includes controlling what bills go to the House Floor and the terms of debate.
The Rules Committee is often considered one of the most powerful committees as it influences the introduction and process of legislation through the House. It has been nicknamed the "Speaker's Committee" and the "traffic cop of Congress". The committee's power stems from its ability to exert control over amendments, debate, and when measures will be considered. The majority party will usually be keen on controlling it tightly.
The Rules Committee has two broad categories of jurisdiction: special orders for the consideration of legislation (known as "special rules" or "rules") and original jurisdiction matters. A "special rule" resolution is a simple resolution of the House of Representatives, usually reported by the Rules Committee, to permit the immediate consideration of a legislative measure, notwithstanding the usual order of business, and to prescribe conditions for its debate and amendment. This "special rule" resolution is privileged under the Standing Rules of the House, meaning it is immediately subject to a debate and a vote by the full House upon being reported by the Rules Committee.
The Rules Committee issues the following types of "special rule" resolutions:
- Open rule: Allows any member to offer any amendment in compliance with house rules under the five-minute rule. Under this rule, a member argues for the amendment for 5 minutes, followed by an opponent arguing against it for 5 minutes. Other members may then speak further on the Amendment, and the house then votes on the amendment. This type of rule has not been used since June 10, 2014.
- Modified open rule: Similar to an open rule, but may require amendments to be preprinted in the congressional record beforehand, and may impose a total time limit for the consideration of all amendments, or for debate on each amendment.
- Structured rule: Members submit amendments to the rules committee, and the rules committee selects which amendments may be considered on the floor.
The number of voting representatives in the House of Representatives is currently 435, with each state having at least one representative. Additionally, there are five delegates representing the District of Columbia, the Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. A resident commissioner represents Puerto Rico. The delegates and resident commissioner possess the same powers as other members of the House, except that they may not vote when the House is meeting as the House of Representatives.
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Frequently asked questions
Two houses are mentioned in the US Constitution: the House of Representatives and the Senate.
The House of Representatives is a body of elected representatives, each serving a two-year term for the people of a specific congressional district. There are 435 representatives with full voting rights, with the number per state being proportional to the population. The House of Representatives introduces bills and resolutions, offers amendments, and serves on committees.
The Senate is a smaller body than the House of Representatives, with equal state representation. The US Senate is composed of two senators from each state, chosen by the Legislature for six-year terms.
