What are the different responsibilities and powers of the House of Representatives and the Senate?
Under the Constitution, the House of Representatives has the power to impeach a government official, in effect serving as prosecutor. The Senate has the sole power to conduct impeachment trials, essentially serving as jury and judge. Since 1789 the Senate has tried 20 federal officials, including three presidents.
What are the differences between the two chambers of Congress?
Congress is divided into two institutions: the House of Representatives and the Senate. The two houses of Congress have equal but unique roles in the federal government. Every state has an equal voice in the Senate, while representation in the House of Representatives is based on the size of each state’s population.
What are the powers and responsibilities of members of Congress?
Congress has the power to:
- Make laws.
- Declare war.
- Raise and provide public money and oversee its proper expenditure.
- Impeach and try federal officers.
- Approve presidential appointments.
- Approve treaties negotiated by the executive branch.
- Oversight and investigations.
What are the 3 qualifications to serve in the House of Representatives?
Each representative must: (1) be at least twenty-five years old; (2) have been a citizen of the United States for the past seven years; and (3) be (at the time of the election) an inhabitant of the state they represent.
Why is the speaker of the House third in line?
A 1947 law changed the order of succession to place the Speaker of the House in line after the vice president, followed by the president pro tempore, and then the secretary of state and other cabinet officers in order of their departments’ creation. This is the system in effect today.
Who is the current minority leader of the Senate?
The current leaders are Democratic Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York and Republican Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky.
What power does Senate Minority Leader have?
The minority leader is often assisted in his/her role by one or more whips, whose job is to enforce party discipline on votes deemed to be crucial by the party leadership and to ensure that members do not vote against the position of the party leaders.
What does the minority whip do in the Senate?
The majority and minority whips (and their assistants) are responsible for mobilizing votes within their parties on major issues. In the absence of a party floor leader, the whip often serves as acting floor leader.