CIVICS IN PRACTICE

HOLT

Chapter 5

The Legislative Branch

Section 1:
Section 2:
Section 3:
Section 4:

The Senate and the House of Representatives

How Congress Is Organized
The Powers of Congress
How a Bill Becomes a Law

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Section 1: The Senate and the House of Representatives

The Main Idea
Congress is divided into two houses, the Senate and the
House of Representatives, and its members have
certain qualifications.
Reading Focus
What are the two houses of Congress?
What are the qualifications, salaries, and rules of
conduct for members of Congress?
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Section 1: The Senate and the House of Representatives

Members and terms lengths in the

House and the Senate:
The House of Representatives has 435

members, who serve two-year terms.

The Senate has 100 members, two for each
state, who serve six-year terms.
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Section 1: The Senate and the House of Representatives

Qualifications and salaries in the

House and Senate:
Representatives: must be at least 25 years old, a

U.S. citizen for at least seven years, and a legal

resident of the state they represent
Senators: must be at least 30 years old, a U.S.
citizen for at least nine years, and a legal resident
of the state they represent
The yearly salary is $145,100.
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Section 1: The Senate and the House of Representatives

Misconduct by members of Congress:

May lead to expulsion, removal from

Congress, with a vote of two thirds of other

members
May lead to censure, a written reprimand

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Question: In what ways does Congress

deal with misconduct by its members?

Legislative Misconduct
HOW
Censure
Expulsion

DESCRIPTION
written
reprimand
removing a member from
Congress
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Section 2: How Congress Is Organized

The Main Idea
Congress is organized in a way that allows its
members to consider and pass legislation
without each member having to do everything.
Reading Focus
What are the terms and sessions of Congress?
How is Congress organized?
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Section 2: How Congress Is Organized

Congressional Sessions
Two sessions per term
Sessions begin in January each year, and a

date to adjourn is agreed upon.

Sessions usually adjourn in August or
September.
The president may call a special session when
necessary.
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Section 2: How Congress Is Organized

Congressional Leaders
Speaker of the Houseelected from the majority party
Floor leaders elected in party caucuses to guide

proposed laws through Congress

Party whipspersuade members to vote for legislation
Vice president according to the Constitution
presides over the Senate but only votes to break a tie
President pro temporefills in for the vice president
when necessary
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Section 2: How Congress Is Organized

Congressional Committees
Study all bills before they are presented to Congress
Members are nominated to committee assignments.
Senators serve on at least two standing committees.
Representatives serve on only two standing committees.
Standing committee membership is proportionate to

party majority in each house.

Heads of Committee are now chosen by secret vote.
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Question: When does a session of Congress begin,

and how long does it last?

When Sessions Begin

The first session begins
January 3 in oddnumbered years following
the congressional election
in November. The second
session begins January 3 of
the following year.
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How Long They Last

Sessions last as long as
Congress wishes.
Adjournment dates are
selected by Congress.

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Section 3: The Powers of Congress

The Main Idea
The Constitution both defines and limits the
powers of Congress.
Reading Focus
What types of powers are granted to Congress?
What are some of the limits on the powers of

Congress?
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Section 3: The Powers of Congress

Five major areas in which Congress

makes laws:
Financing government
Regulating and encouraging American trade

and industry
Defending the country
Enforcing laws
Providing for growth
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Section 3: The Powers of Congress

The Elastic Clause

to make all laws which shall be necessary

and proper for carrying into execution the

foregoing powers
allows Congress to stretch its delegated
powers to manage new situations

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Section 3: The Powers of Congress

The special powers of Congress:

Housebegins impeachment proceedings,

initiates bills to raise money, and selects

president when no candidate receives sufficient
electoral votes
Senateholds impeachment trials, selects vice
president when no candidate has sufficient
electoral votes, approves treaties, approves high
officials
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Section 3: The Powers of Congress

Congress is forbidden to:

Pass ex post facto laws, pass bills of attainder,

suspend writ of habeas corpus, tax exports,

pass laws violating the Bill of Rights, favor
trade of any state, grant titles of nobility, or
withdraw money without a law

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Question: What are the five major areas in

which Congress has the power to make laws?
financing
government

defending the
country

Congressiona
l Powers
providing for
growth

enforcing laws

regulating and encouraging

U.S. trade and industry
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Section 4: How a Bill Becomes a Law

The Main Idea
To become a law, a bill goes through a
multistage process involving both houses of
Congress.
Reading Focus
How does a bill begin?
How do the House and the Senate consider a bill?
In what ways can the president act on the bill?
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Section 4: How a Bill Becomes a Law

Ideas for bills originate from:

U.S. citizensconstituents making requests of their congress

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members
Organized groupsbusinesspeople and labor groups seeking to
protect their interests
Committees of Congressinvestigating committees determine
needs for new laws
Members of Congressexperts in certain fields propose new
laws
The presidentoften introduces ideas for laws in the State of the
Union Address
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Section 4: How a Bill Becomes a Law

Bills introduced in either house of Congress

Are read and placed in the Congressional Record.
Are sent to a standing committee to be studied.
Receive hearings by the committees and are amended.
The committee majority can recommend that a bill be passed.
Bills reported out of committee are placed on the calendar for

debate.
The bill is voted on and sent to the other house of Congress
for consideration.
Approved bills are sent to the president.
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Section 4: How a Bill Becomes a Law

Actions of the president regarding a bill:

sign the bill and declare it a law
veto the bill and send it back to Congress
hold the bill for 10 days, when it becomes a

law or is killed by pocket veto

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Question: What actions can the president

take regarding a passed bill?

If Congress is
in session, the

SIGNS THE BILL

BILL
BECOMES
LAW,

and it becomes law

The president

The president
ACTS on a Bill

KEEPS the BILL

for 10 DAYS
without signing or
vetoing it:

REFUSES TO SIGN and sends

back to Congress with rejection
reasons called a VETO.
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even without a
signature.
If Congress is
not in session,
the bill is killed
by POCKET

VETO.
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Chapter5WrapUp
1. WhydidtheframersoftheConstitutioncreatea
bicameralnationallegislature?
2. WhattwomethodsdoesCongresshavetodealwith
misconductbyitsmembers?
3. WholeadsthehousesofCongress,andhowarethese
leaderschosen?
4. WhyismostoftheworkofCongressdonethrough
committees?
5. WhatspecialpowersdoeseachhouseofCongresshave?
6. Howdobillsbecomelaws?
7. Whatcanthepresidentdowithabillpassedby
Congress?
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