Overview of Congressional Structure & Leadership
“All legislative Powers herein granted
shall be vested in a Congress of the United States, which shall
consist of a Senate and a House of Representatives.”
—Article I, Section I, U.S. Constitution
Congress is the governing legislature of the U.S.
comprised of two chambers: the Senate and House of Representatives.
The Senate is composed of 100 members, two from each state, who
are elected to serve for a term of six 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 selection of senators a decision for the people. There
are three classes of senators. A new class is elected every two
years.
The House of Representatives is composed of 435 members. The
number representing each state is determined by population, but
every state is entitled to at least one representative. Members
are elected by the thier constituents for two 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 nine years. A
representative must be at least 25 years of age and must have
been a citizen for at least seven years.
Officers
The Vice President of the United States is the “presiding
officer” of the Senate; in his absence the duties are performed
by the president pro tempore. The presiding officer of the House
of Representatives is the “speaker” who is elected
by the House members. The Speaker may designate any member of
the House to act in his/her absence.
The positions of Senate “majority and minority leaders”
have been in existence only since the early years of the twentieth
century. These leaders are elected at the beginning of each new
Congress by a majority vote of the senators in their political
party. In cooperation with their party organizations, leaders
are responsible for the design and achievement of a legislative
program. This involves managing the flow of legislation, expediting
non-controversial measures, and keeping members informed regarding
proposed action on pending business. Each leader serves as an
ex officio member of his party’s policymaking and organizational
bodies, and is aided by an assistant floor leader, or whip, and
a party secretary.
The House leadership is structured essentially the same as the
Senate, with the members each political party responsible for
the election of their respective leader and whips. For a directory
of the current members of Congress, their committee assignments,
and leadership roles, visit
http://thomas.loc.gov/links/.
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