© 2004 By Default!
THE
LEGISLATIVE
BRANCH
Mr. P’s Class
Yellow on the left, RED on the right
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Slide 1
© 2004 By Default!
KEY
QUESTION
You have a great idea for a new bill.
Describe the process, in detail, of how
a bill becomes a law.
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Slide 2
© 2004 By Default!
The Legislative Branch
The Great Compromise created two houses
of Congress:
 House of Representatives – 435
members.
The number of members per state is
based upon the population.
 The Senate – EVERY state has two
senators.
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© 2004 By Default!
The Legislative Branch
VOCABULARY
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© 2004 By Default!
The Legislative Branch
VOCABULARY
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© 2004 By Default!
VOCABULARY
The Legislative Branch
(cont.)
DISTRICTS – Area that an elected member
represents.
TERM – Amount of time that a member
serves.
CONSTITUENT – People that a member of
Congress represents.
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REQUIREMENTS
for Congress
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THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Two-year term.
Member must be…
Elected by people in their district.
at least 25 years old.
citizen for at least seven years.
resident of the state that they represent.
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The Legislative Branch
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THE SENATE
Six-year term.
Members must be…
elected by the people in their states.
at least 30 years old.
citizen for nine years.
resident of the state that they represent.
© 2004 By Default!
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The Legislative Branch
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RULES FOR CONGRESS:
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The Legislative Branch
If a person elected to Congress is of
“questionable” character, the other members may
challenge their qualifications. The Supreme Court
will decide.
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The Legislative Branch
RULES FOR CONGRESS:
Campaign money will not be used for
personal expenses.
Violations of conduct may result in
EXPULSION (being kicked out).
A 2/3 vote is required to expel someone.
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© 2004 By Default!
The Legislative Branch
RULES FOR CONGRESS: (cont.)
 SESSIONS (The amount of time that
Congress meets) begin January 3rd, end in
September.
 In an Emergency, the President can call
congress back for a “SPECIAL SESSION”.
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PEOPLE IN CONGRESS
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MAJORITY PARTY - party in a house with
the most members.
MINORITY PARTY - party with fewer
members.
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SPEAKER OF THE
SENATE - Vice
President of the
United States.
-runs the Senate
meetings.
Joe Biden – V.P. and Speaker
of the Senate
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SPEAKER OF THE
HOUSE - runs the
meetings in the
House of
Representatives.
• Elected by the
membership.
The Legislative Branch
John Boehner (R-OH) Speaker of the House
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PRESIDENT PROTEMPORE runs the
Senate when the
Vice-President is not
there.
•Elected by the
membership.
The Legislative Branch
Senator Dan Inouye (DHI) - President Pro Tempore
of Senate
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MAJORITY LEADER (FLOOR LEADER) – Top
member of the party with the most members.
Elected by the party members.
Harry Reid (D-NV) Senate
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Eric Cantor (R-VA) –
House of Rep.
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MINORITY LEADER (FLOOR LEADER) Top member of the party with fewer
members. Elected by the party members.
Mitch McConnell (R-KY)
- Senate
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Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) House
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PARTY WHIP – assists the Floor Leader.
•They have to “whip” party members into shape.
•Elected by the party members.
Dick Durbin
D-IL
Senate
Jon Kyl
R-AZ
Senate
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Steny Hoyer Kevin McCarthy
D-MD
R-CA
House
House
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DELORES ON A FRIDAY NIGHT
She wanted to be “Party Whip”
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The Legislative Branch
HOW TO MAKE A LAW
HEY!
Watch
that pen!
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© 2004 By Default!
The Legislative Branch
BILL – (a proposed
law)
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© 2004 By Default!
 a member of Congress has an idea for a law;
 the “bill” is put into a box known as the
“hopper” (sort of like a “suggestion box”).
The clerk of the
house empties the
hopper every day,
and gives all of the
bills to the
appropriate
committee.
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© 2004 By Default!
A bill may be introduced in either;
•The House of Representatives
•The Senate
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•Before the entire House of Representatives (or
Senate) votes on it, it must first pass a vote in a
small committee.
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COMMITTEE (a group of Congressmen who work
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on details and create bills).
Majority party has more members on the committee.
This is where the REAL work of Congress is done.
Members of the committees are elected by their party.
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19 committees in the House.
17 in the Senate.
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Then the bills are sent
to be worked on in a
SUB-COMMITTEE.
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The Legislative Branch
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Bills are debated, worked on, compromised over, and
The Legislative Branch
then voted on by the FULL
House of Representatives
(all 435 members) or Senate (100).
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TYPES OF COMMITTEES
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The Legislative Branch
SELECT COMMITTEES –deal with issues not
covered by the regular committees. Iraq War, etc.
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TYPES OF COMMITTEES
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JOINT COMMITTEES –Senators and
Representatives meet before a bill is voted on.
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TYPES OF COMMITTEES
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CONFERENCE COMMITTEES –Senators and
Representatives meet to work out a compromise
between two versions of the same bill.
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After going through all of this…
The bill must be voted “YES” by
a majority of the members of
EACH house.
Legislative Branch
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© 2004 By Default!
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© 2004 By Default! The Legislative Branch
 Congress may add a “Rider”, another part
of the bill that may have nothing to do
with the original bill.
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FILIBUSTER – In the Senate only, the minority can
keep debate going to prevent a losing vote.
Legislative Branch
© 2004 By Default!
As long as
someone is
standing and
talking, the
debate
continues.
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60 votes are needed for CLOTURE – (ending debate
and beginning the vote) on a bill.
As long as someone is standing and talking, the
debate continues.
Legislative Branch
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© 2004 By Default!
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The Legislative Branch
The President
will VETO
(reject), or sign
the bill into law.
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Legislative Branch
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© 2004 By Default!
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© 2004 By Default!
Ordinary citizens
can create laws.
•PETITION (a
The Legislative Branch
document with the
proposed law
explained in writing,
followed by
signatures of
registered voters).
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INITIATIVE - (a bill created by a citizen or
© 2004 By Default!
The Legislative Branch
citizens).
PROPOSITION (proposed law) - If the initiative
has enough signatures it will appear on the next
BALLOT (the list of people and propositions that
people will vote for or vote against).
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© 2004 By Default!
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© 2004 By Default!
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The Legislative Branch
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REFERENDUM (After a bill is passed by the
legislature, people must also vote yes by a
majority for the law to take effect).
This is a way that the people can “check” the
power of government.
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© 2004 By Default!
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The Legislative Branch
Slide 43
© 2004 By Default!
KEY QUESTION
You have a great idea for a new bill.
Describe the process, in detail, of
how a bill becomes a law.
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Slide 44
© 2004 By Default!
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The Legislative Branch
Slide 45