How Congress is organized

The Senate began with 26 members in 1789 now has 100 members today

The increase of the House of Representatives was ever greater.

The House has grown from 65 members in 1789 to 435 members today.

Since there are so many members in the House they have strict rules.

Rules in the House of Representatives

Rules that specify when a Bill can be introduced.

A rule on how long a Bill can be debated.

Congressional Leaders

The party with more than ½ the members is called the Majority party.

The party with less than ½ the members is called the minority party.

Floor Leaders and Party Whips

Floor Leaders try to make sure that the laws Congress passes are in the best interest of their own political Party.

Each House of Congress has 2 Floor leaders and Democrat and a Republican.

The Majority party’s leader is called the majority Leader. The Minority Party;’s leader is called the Minority Leader.

The Minority Party;’s leader is called the Minority leaderr Addison

Mitchell "Mitch" McConnell, Jr. is the senior United States Senator from Kentucky. He was chosen by his Republican colleagues as the Minority Leader

Harry Mason Reid-Democratic Majority Leader

(born December 2, 1939) is the senior United States Senator from Nevada and a member of the Democratic Party.

Party Whip- Assists each floor leader.

The Party Whips job is to keep track of how party members vote and to persuade all members of his or her party to vote together on issues.

Party Whips The House Majority Whip of the 111th

United States Congress is Rep. James E. Clyburn (D., South Carolina)

The House Minority Whip of the 111th United States Congress is Rep. Eric I. Cantor (R., Virginia

Speaker of the HouseThe Overall leader of the

House of Representatives.They are a member of the

Majority party and they are in Charge of everything that occurs in the House.

Speaker of the House

Nancy Pelosi from California.

President Pro-Tempore

They are from the Majority party and are in Charge of the Senate when the Vice-President is Gone.

“ For the Time Being”

President Pro-Tempore

It is an honorary position that goes to the most senior member of the Majority Party.

President Pro Tempore of the Senate

The current President pro tempore of the Senate is Robert Byrd (D-West Virginia).

Vice President Joe Biden is the leader of the Senate

Vice Dick Cheney Leader of the Senate-

According to the Constitution the Official Leader of the Senate is the Vice President.

Congressional Committees

Each house of Congress must consider thousands of Bills-or proposed laws.

To handle all these Bills each house has developed a system of committees.

Every New Bill goes to a committee.

Congress has 3 types of Committees

StandingSelectJoint

Standing Committee

Is a permanent committee that specializes in a particular subject.

Select Committee- a temporary committee of Congress formed to deal with a particular problem.

Joint Committee- it contains members of both houses of Congress.

Seniority System- the members of Congress who have served the longest get first choice of Committee assignments.