Malcolm Rivera
The U.S. House of Representatives, one of the two chambers of Congress, is responsible for making and passing federal laws. The House is unique in that it is the only house official mandated by the Constitution to initiate impeachment proceedings and originate revenue bills. The House also has the sole power to impeach and plays a crucial role in lawmaking alongside the U.S. Senate. Each state is guaranteed at least one member of the House, with representatives elected to serve two-year terms and introduce bills, offer amendments, and serve on committees. The House's standing committees have legislative jurisdictions, overseeing agencies, programs, and activities within their purview. The House's rules and proceedings are determined by its constitutional power, and it shares the authority to judge elections and qualifications of its members with the Senate.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of voting representatives | Fixed by law at no more than 435 |
| Number of representatives per state | Proportionate to population |
| Term length | 2 years |
| Powers | Make and pass federal laws, introduce bills and resolutions, offer amendments, serve on committees, initiate impeachment proceedings, originate revenue bills |
| Rules | Established by the House, controlled by the Rules Committee |
| Jurisdiction | Rules of proceedings, conduct of members, officers and employees |
| Committee structure | Approximately 20 standing committees, organised by policy area, each with staff, budgets and subcommittees |
| Committee responsibilities | Holding hearings, preparing bills, regulating House procedure, oversight of agencies, programs and activities |
| Quorum | Majority of each House required to constitute a Quorum to do business |
| Elections | Each state legislature prescribes the times, places and manner of holding elections for Senators and Representatives |
| Compensation | Senators and Representatives receive compensation for their services, paid out of the US Treasury |
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What You'll Learn
The House of Representatives makes and passes federal laws
The United States Constitution outlines the House of Representatives' role in making and passing federal laws. The House is one of two chambers of Congress, the other being the US Senate, and is part of the federal government's legislative branch. The House of Representatives shares equal responsibility for lawmaking with the US Senate.
The legislative process is a matter about which every person should be well informed to understand and appreciate the work of Congress. The process begins with a bill, which is a proposal for a new law or a change to an existing law. The idea for a bill can come from a sitting member of the US Senate or House of Representatives or be proposed during their election campaign. Bills can also be petitioned by people or citizen groups who recommend a new or amended law to a member of Congress representing them. Once a bill is introduced, it is assigned to a committee, which will research, discuss, and make changes to the bill. The House's standing committees have different legislative jurisdictions. Committees also have oversight responsibilities to monitor agencies, programs, and activities within their jurisdictions.
After the committee stage, the bill is put before the chamber to be voted on. If the bill passes one body of Congress, it goes through the same process in the other body. Once both bodies vote to accept a bill, they must work out any differences between the two versions. Then both chambers vote on the same version of the bill. If it passes, they present it to the president. The president can approve the bill and sign it into law or refuse to approve it, which is called a veto. If the president chooses to veto a bill, Congress can usually vote to override that veto, and the bill becomes a law. However, if the president does not sign off on a bill and Congress is no longer in session, the bill will be vetoed by default, called a pocket veto, which cannot be overridden by Congress.
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The House represents citizens based on district populations
The House of Representatives, also known as Congress, is one of two chambers of the US federal government's legislative branch, the other being the US Senate. The House was conceived by the framers of the Constitution to represent the popular will, with its members directly elected by the people. Each state is guaranteed at least one member of the House, with the number of voting representatives fixed by law at no more than 435, proportionally representing the population of the 50 states. This means that the House represents citizens based on district populations.
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 on Ethics, for example, has jurisdiction over the rules and statutes governing the conduct of members, officers, and employees while performing their official duties. The Rules Committee, on the other hand, controls what bills go to the House Floor and the terms of debate. The makeup of the Rules Committee is traditionally weighted in favour of the majority party.
The House of Representatives shares equal responsibility for lawmaking with the US Senate. As per the Constitution, the House makes and passes federal laws, with representatives introducing bills and resolutions, offering amendments, and serving on committees. Representatives also vote on bills, speak with constituents, and review constituent mail, press clips, and various reports. The House has the sole power to initiate impeachment proceedings and originate revenue bills. While the Senate may propose amendments to revenue bills, it cannot initiate them.
The House also has the power to determine its rules of proceedings, within certain limitations. For example, the House may not "ignore constitutional restraints or violate fundamental rights," and there must be a reasonable relation between the method of proceeding and the result sought to be attained. The power to make rules is continuous and subject to exercise by the House at any time.
In summary, the House of Representatives represents citizens based on district populations, with the number of representatives per state proportional to the population. The House has various committees and powers that enable it to effectively represent its constituents and carry out its legislative responsibilities.
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The House has the sole power of impeachment
The House of Representatives, as outlined in the Constitution, represents citizens based on district populations, while the Senate represents citizens on an equal state basis. The House is one of Congress's two chambers, and part of the federal government's legislative branch. The Constitution gives the House of Representatives the sole power to impeach federal officials, and it makes the Senate the sole court for impeachment trials. The House has initiated impeachment proceedings more than 60 times, and roughly a third of all proceedings have led to full impeachments.
The House may bring impeachment charges against federal officials as part of its oversight and investigatory responsibilities. The process often begins when a lawmaker introduces an impeachment resolution, or when the House passes a resolution authorizing an inquiry. The Committee on the Judiciary ordinarily has jurisdiction over impeachments, but special committees have also investigated charges. The committee then chooses whether to pursue articles of impeachment against the accused official and report them to the full House. If the articles are adopted, the House appoints Members by resolution to manage the ensuing Senate trial on its behalf.
The House of Representatives can impeach a party with a simple majority of the House members present or such other criteria as the House adopts in accordance with Article One, Section 2, Clause 5 of the United States Constitution. This triggers a federal impeachment trial in the United States Senate, which can vote by a two-thirds majority to convict an official, removing them from office. The impeachment power also had a toehold in Revolutionary-era America. Prior to the ratification of the U.S. Constitution in 1788, individual states had provided for impeachment in cases of "maladministration" or "corruption."
The president, vice president, and all civil officers of the United States are subject to impeachment. Federal judges are subject to impeachment, as are any presidentially appointed "principal officers," including a head of an agency such as a secretary, administrator, or commissioner. The Senate has concluded that members of Congress (representatives and senators) are not "civil officers" for purposes of impeachment. The power of impeachment can both remove someone from office and, if Congress votes to do so, disqualify an impeached individual from holding future office.
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The House has the power to make rules
The U.S. House of Representatives, also referred to as Congress, is one of two chambers that make up the federal government's legislative branch. The House is responsible for making and passing federal laws, and its members are elected directly by the people. Each representative serves a two-year term and represents the people of a specific congressional district.
The House has various powers and duties, including the power to make its own rules. This is a continuous power, always subject to be exercised by the House, and within certain limitations, it is absolute and beyond the challenge of any other body or tribunal. In exercising this power, the House may not ignore constitutional restraints or violate fundamental rights, and there must be a reasonable relation between the mode or method of proceeding established by the rule and the result sought to be attained.
The House's standing committees play a crucial role in lawmaking and oversight. These committees consider bills and issues and recommend measures for consideration by the House as a whole. The Rules Committee, in particular, controls what bills go to the House Floor and the terms of debate. The makeup of this committee is traditionally weighted in favour of the majority party.
The House also has the exclusive power to initiate impeachment proceedings and originate revenue bills. It shares equal responsibility for lawmaking with the U.S. Senate, with each chamber having the ability to propose and amend bills. The Senate, however, has the sole power to try all impeachments.
The House's powers and duties are outlined in Article I of the U.S. Constitution, which also includes provisions regarding the election and qualifications of representatives, the compensation they receive, and their privileges and protections.
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The House has a busy schedule of hearings, briefings, meetings and votes
The House of Representatives, also referred to as Congress, is one of two chambers of the US federal government's legislative branch. The House is responsible for making and passing federal laws. The number of voting representatives in the House is fixed by law at no more than 435, with each representative serving a two-year term.
The House has a busy schedule, with representatives often attending early-morning briefings, moving quickly between caucus and committee meetings, and participating in hearings. They also vote on bills, speak with constituents and other groups, and review various reports and documents.
The House's standing committees play a crucial role in controlling governmental agencies, and cabinet officers and officials frequently appear before them to explain policies. Committees also hold hearings, prepare bills, and regulate House procedures. Each committee is chaired by a member of the majority party, and almost all bills are first referred to a committee before being considered by the entire House.
The Rules Committee, which has traditionally been weighted in favour of the majority party, controls which bills go to the House Floor and the terms of debate. The Committee on Ethics has jurisdiction over the rules and statutes governing the conduct of members, officers, and employees while performing their official duties.
The House's schedule is further filled with various other activities, including receptions, fundraising events, and meetings with constituents. Representatives also introduce bills and resolutions, offer amendments, and serve on committees. The House shares equal responsibility for lawmaking with the US Senate, with the power to initiate impeachment proceedings and originate revenue bills.
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Frequently asked questions
The House of Representatives is one of Congress's two chambers, the other being the U.S. Senate. The House makes and passes federal laws, with each representative introducing bills and resolutions, offering amendments, and serving on committees.
The number of voting representatives in the House is fixed by law at no more than 435, proportionally representing the population of the 50 states. Each state is guaranteed at least one member of the House.
The Constitution prohibits members of Congress from holding offices in the executive branch of government. Representatives are elected to two-year terms serving the people of a specific congressional district.
The House has the sole power to initiate impeachment proceedings and originate revenue bills. The House also has the power to determine its rules of proceedings, within constitutional restraints.
