ARTICLE I

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ARTICLE I

• ESTABLISHES THE LEGISLATIVE BRANCH OF GOVERNMENT

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U.S. Capitol Building

• Washington D.C.
• (Capital City)

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2 HOUSES - Bicameral
CONGRESS
Upper House

• SENATE

2 Senators per State

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
435 Representatives Based on Population of each
state
Lower House
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TERMS OF CONGRESS

• Each term starts on January 3rd of odd years
• Each term lasts 2 years
• Each term is given a to identify its 2 year
  term
• Odd years are considered the 1st Session
• Even years are considered the 2nd Session
• 2001.107th 1st session
• 2002.107th 2nd session
• 2003.108th 1st session
• 2004.108th 2nd session

What term and session of Congress starts on
January 3rd 2008?
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HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

• TERM 2 YEARS
• AGE 25 YEARS OLD
• CITIZEN 7 YEARS
• An inhabitant of the state in which he or she was
  chosen

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SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE

• 2nd in line of succession to the presidency
• Sets the House legislative calendar
• Great influence over the committee process
• Controls the flow of debate on the floor

NANCY PELOSI (First
woman speaker)
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The United States Constitution requires that
the number of representatives shall not exceed
one for every thirty - thousand, but each state
shall have at least one representative Because
of rising populations, the government set the
membership of the House at 435 members. If the
ratio as specified by the Constitution of one
representative for every 30,000 people were
maintained today the House of Representatives
would have about 10,000 members. Instead,
today one member represents about 650,000 people
which varies by state.
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CENSUS

• The United States Constitution mandates that the
  census be taken at least once every 10 years, and
  that the number of members of the House of
  Representatives from each state be determined
  accordingly

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GERRYMANDER

• An oddly shaped district designed to increase
  the voting strength of a particular group

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SENATE

• TERM 6 YEARS
• AGE 30 YEARS OLD
• CITIZEN 9 YEARS
• An inhabitant of the state in which he or she was
  chosen

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The Vice-President of the United States is the
President of the Senate

• Does not usually attend the day to day business
• Appoints the Pro Tempore in his absence
• Votes only to a break a tie in the Senate

RICHARD (DICK) CHENEY
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SENATE PRO TEMPORE

• In charge of the Senate when the Vice-
• President is not present
• 3rd in line of succession to the presidency

ROBERT BYRD
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IMPEACHMENT

• TO FORMALLY CHARGE A PUBLIC OFFICIAL WITH
  IMPROPER CONDUCT WHILE IN OFFICE

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In 1998, as a result of issues surrounding
personal indiscretions with a young woman White
House intern, Clinton was the second U.S.
president to be impeached by the House of
Representatives. He was tried in the Senate and
found not guilty of the charges broughtagainst
him.

• Grand Jury Perjury..Intentionally lying under
  oath (45-55)
• 2. Obstruction of justice..Offering interference
  of any sort to the work of the justice system
  (50-50)

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HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

• EACH STATE WILL HAVE AT LEAST ONE (1)
  REPRESENTATIVE
• WILL HAVE THE SOLE POWER TO IMPEACH
• (majority 218 representatives)
• A CENSUS WILL BE TAKEN EVERY TEN (10) YEARS
• ALL BILLS INVOLVING MONEY/TAXES MUST BE
  INTRODUCED IN HOUSE
• CHOOSE PRESIDENT IF TIE IN ELECTORAL COLLEGE

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SENATE

• THE VICE-PRESIDENT IS THE PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
• WILL HAVE THE SOLE POWER TO TRY ALL IMPEACHMENTS
  2/3 vote to convict 67 senators
• WILL ADVISE AND CONSENT ON ALL PRESIDENTIAL
  APPOINTMENTS
• RATIFIES TREATIES WITH OTHER COUNTRIES
• SOLE POWER TO FILIBUSTER

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ENUMERATED POWERS OF CONGRESS

• 1 COLLECT TAXES
• 2 BORROW MONEY
• 3 REGULATE COMMERCE
• 4 LAWS TO OBTAIN CITIZENSHIP
• 5 COIN MONEY
• 6 PUNISHMENT FOR COUNTERFEITING
• 7 ESTABLISH POST OFFICES ROADS
• 8 PROMOTE THE SCIENCES ARTS
• 9 SET-UP FEDERAL COURTS
• 10 PUNISHMENT FOR PIRACY/FELONIES ON HIGH SEAS
• 11 TO DECLARE WAR
• 12 TO RAISE AND SUPPORT AN ARMY
• 13 TO RAISE A NAVY
• 14 ESTABLISH RULES FOR THE MILITARY (UCMJ)
• 15 PROVIDES THE USE OF A MILITIA
• 16 ESTABLISH RULES FOR ORGANIZING/ARMING FOR A
  MILITIA
• 17 ESTABLISHING WASHINGTON D.C.
• 18 NECESSARY AND PROPER CLAUSE

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LIMITS ON CONGRESSIONAL POWER

• MAY NOT FAVOR ONE STATE OVER ANOTHER STATE
• MAY NOT TAX INTERSTATE COMMERCE
• MAY NOT TAX EXPORTS
• CANNOT PASS LAWS WITHOUT MONEY TO PAY FOR THEM
• CANNOT INTERFERE WITH LEGAL RIGHTS OF INDIVIDUALS

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LIMITIS ON CONGRESSIONAL POWER

• SUPREME COURT CAN DECLARE LAWS UNCONSTITUTIONAL
• CANNOT SUSPEND THE WRIT OF HABEAS CORPUS
• CANNOT PASS ANY BILLS OF ATTAINDER
• CANNOT PASS ANY EX POST FACTO LAWS
• NO TITLE OF NOBILITY GRANTED

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STANDING COMMITTEES
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Agriculture
International Affairs
Appropriations
Judiciary
Armed Services
Resources
Budget
Rules
Science
Education the Workforce
Small Business
Energy Commerce
Financial Services
Standards of Conduct
Government Reform
Transportation
House Administration
Veterans' Affairs
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An idea for a bill may come from anybody,
however only Members of Congress can introduce a
bill in Congress. Bills can be introduced at any
time the House is in session.
Beginning of a Bill
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After the idea for a bill is developed and the
text of the bill is written, a Member of Congress
must officially introduce the bill in Congress by
becoming the bill's sponsor.
Proposal of a Bill
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In the House, bills are officially introduced by
placing them in a special box known as the
hopper, In the Senate, a bill is introduced by
placing it on the presiding officer's desk or by
formally introducing it on the Senate Floor. A
bill clerk assigns the bill a number. House bills
begin with "H.R. and Senate bills begin with
"S."
Introduction of a Bill
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All bills are assigned a committee, Once there
the committee can.1. Pass the bill without
changes2. Mark-up a bill and recommend it be
passed3. Replace the bill with a new/clean
version4. Ignore/Pigeonholing/let it die5.
Kill the bill with a majority vote
Committee Action
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The bill may be referred to a subcommittee where
it is carefully studied. If changes are needed,
the subcommittee will meet to mark up the bill.
Subcommittee members vote to accept or reject
the changes. If the subcommittee accepts the
bill, the bill is sent back to the full committee
for approval or rejection
Subcommittee Action
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The bill is released from the committee, along
with a report explaining the provisions of the
bill, and is thus ordered reported. The reported
bill is put on the House calendar and then sent
to the House Floor for consideration.
The Bill is Reported
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Once the bill is introduced on the floor, Floor
action begins and Members debate the bill.
Following debate, the second reading of the bill
begins in a section-by-section manner, during
which amendments may be offered. At the
conclusion of all amendment debate, the bill is
read a third time.
The Bill is Considered on the House Floor
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The bill is read by title only and put to a vote.
Members in attendance will vote Yea, Nay, or
Present, to record that they were in attendance
but chose not to vote. If a majority of the House
votes to pass the bill, the bill is then referred
to the Senate to undergo a similar process of
approval.
The Bill is Put to a Vote
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When a bill passes in the House, it must also
pass in the Senate. In the Senate, the bill
again may be sent to a committee for study or
mark-up. Members may ignore the bill or take a
vote to pass it. If the bill passes but with
different language, it is sent to a conference
committee where differences are agreed upon
before it is sent to the president
The Bill is Referred to the Senate
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When a bill passes in the House and Senate and is
sent to the President for a signature, it is said
to be enrolled. The President can take one of
several possible actions
The Bill is sent to the President
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If the President signs the bill, or takes no
action while Congress is in session, then the
bill becomes a law
The Bill Becomes a Law
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If the President does not sign the bill, he will
issue an official statement of objections to the
bill called a veto. The President can veto a bill
indirectly by withholding approval of the bill
until Congress has adjourned. This informal way
of preventing a bill from becoming a law is
called a pocket veto
The Bill is Vetoed
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If enough Members object to the veto, a vote is
taken to override, or overrule the veto. A
two-thirds vote or greater is needed in both the
House and the Senate to override the President's
veto. If two-thirds of both houses vote
successfully to override the veto, the bill
becomes a law. If the House and Senate do not
override the veto, the bill "dies" and does not
become a law.
The Veto is Overridden
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BILL BECOMES A LAW
Summary

• Bills that will start in one house must then be
  approved by the other house
• When a bill passes both houses it then goes to
  the President for approval
• If signed by the President it then becomes a law.
  

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BILL BECOMES A LAW

• If the President does not sign it, it is then
  returned to Congress (called a veto)
• If 2/3 of both houses then vote to pass the law
  anyway, the bill becomes a law
• If the bill is not returned to Congress within
  ten (10) days it becomes a law without the
  Presidents signature

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BILL BECOMES A LAW

• If Congress has already adjourned and the
  President fails to return it to Congress then it
  does not become a law
• This is called a pocket veto