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Legislative branch of the U.S.
government Article I of the U.S. Constitution prescribes that the Legislative Branch consists of the House of Representatives and the Senate, which together form the United States Congress.
1. The Senate: The Senate has 100 members, called Senators, and there are 2 members from each state among them. Senators, who represent all people of the state, are elected every six years by the people of each state. To become a Senator, they must be 30 years of age, U.S. citizens for at least 9 years, and residents of the state they represent. The leader of the Senate is the Vice President of the United States. He or she may cast the decisive vote in the event of a tie in the Senate. The Senate has the sole power to confirm the President’s appointments that require consent, and to provide advice and consent to ratify treaties.
2. The House of Representatives:
The U.S. House of Representatives is made up of 435 voting members, divided among the 50 states in proportion to their total population. The Speaker of the House is the presiding officer of the chamber, elected by the Representatives. He or she is third in the line of succession to the Presidency. Representatives of the House are elected every two years and must be 25 years of age, a U.S. citizen for at least seven years, and residents of the state they represent. The House has several special duties, including the power to initiate revenue bills, impeach federal officials, and elect the President in the case of an Electoral College tie.
3. Powers of Congress: Congress is the only part of the government that can make new laws or change existing laws because all legislative power in the government is vested in it. Besides, establishing an annual budget for the government is a part of Congress duties. Congress levies taxes and tariffs to provide funding for essential government services. Congress can also mandate spending on specific items. Both chambers of Congress have extensive investigative powers so that members of Congress spend much of their time holding hearings and investigations in committee. In particular, the Senate always maintains several powers to itself: It consents to the ratification of treaties by a two-thirds supermajority vote and confirms the appointments of the President by a majority vote. In addition, Congress is the only entity empowered to declare war.
4. The Legislative Process:
The first step in the legislative process is the introduction of a bill to Congress. After being introduced, a bill is referred to the appropriate committee for review. There are many commitees and subcommittees. Each committee oversees a specific policy area while the subcommittees take on more specialized policy areas. A bill is first considered in a subcommittee with the convening of hearings to investigate the merits and flaws of the bill of the committees and subcommittees throughout the process. After that, if all committees vote to approve the bill, it is reported to the House or Senate. There are two different debate processes of considering the bill between the House and the Senate. The bill can only be sent to the President for consideration when it is approved by both houses of Congress. When receiving a bill from Congress, the President has several options. If the President agrees substantially with the bill, he or she may sign it into law. If the President believes the law to be bad policy, he or she may veto it and send it back to Congress. Congress may override his or her veto by passing the bill again in each chamber with at least two-thirds of each body voting in favor.
5. Government Oversight: Oversight of the executive branch is an important Congressional check on the President’s power and a balance against his or her discretion in implementing laws and making regulations. The primary way Congress conducts oversight is through hearings. Congress also maintains an investigative organization, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) which audits and generates reports on every aspect of the government, ensuring that taxpayer dollars are spent with the effectiveness and efficiency that the American people deserve.
