The Role of the Senate and House of Representatives

The Role of the Senate and House of Representatives

The Congress of the United States consists of the Senate and the House

of Representatives which means the USA is bi-cambial. The Congress of

the United States was created by Article I, Section 1, of the

Constitution, adopted by the Constitutional Convention on September

17, 1787.

The Senate is composed of 100 Members, 2 from each State, who are

elected to serve for a term of 6 years. Senators were originally

chosen by the State legislatures. This procedure was changed by the

17th amendment to the Constitution, adopted in 1913, which made the

election of Senators a function of the people. There are three classes

of Senators, and a new class is elected every 2 years.

The House of Representatives comprises 435 Representatives. The number

representing each State is determined by population, but every State

is entitled to at least one Representative. For example Alaska only

has 1 representative where California has the most in the USA. Members

are elected by the people for 2-year terms, all terms running for the

same period.

Both the Senators and the Representatives must be residents of the

State from which they are chosen. In addition, a Senator must be at

least 30 years of age and must have been a citizen of the United

States for at least 9 years; a Representative must be at least 25

years of age and must have been a citizen for at least 7 years.

Under the Constitution, the Senate is granted certain powers that the

House of Representatives don’t have. The Senate approves or

disapproves certain Presidential appointments by majority vote, for

example there was a huge po...

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...n the Senate and 19 in the House of Representatives. In

addition, there are select committees in each House and various

congressional commissions and joint committees composed of Members of

both Houses. Each House may also appoint special investigating

committees.

The membership of the standing committees of each House is chosen by a

vote of the entire body; members of other committees are appointed

under the provisions of the measure establishing them.

Each bill and resolution is usually referred to the appropriate

committee, which may report a bill out in its original form, favorably

or unfavorably, recommend amendments, or allow the proposed

legislation to die in committee without action.

Together the House of Representatives and the Senate play very

important roles combined and in there separate chambers.