FLORIDA

United States Congress

Upper Chamber

Lower Chamber

Table of Contents
Introduction

United States Congress

Present US congress at a glance

The United States Senate

Terms of Senate
Qualifications to be a member of Senate
When a member is disqualified
Elections
Mid-term vacancies
Current party standings
Composition of US Senate
Presiding over the Senate
Committees of Senate
Powers and Functions of Senate

Contents

Sessions of Senate or Congress

Present Senate at a glance

The House of Representative

Composition of the House
Qualifications and Limitations to be Member
Elections and Terms
Members of the House
The Speaker
Powers and Functions
Salary and benefits
Expulsion and other disciplinary actions
Conclusion

U.S. Congress
bicameral legislature of U.S.
consisting of two houses: House of Representatives &the Senate
Congress meets in the Capitol in Washington, D.C.

must assemble at least once a year

The date for assemble is January 3
beginning of session, the president delivers a State of union address

Courts implied power to invalidate legislation .

Congress has 535 voting members: 435 Representatives
and 100 Senators.
Both representatives and senators are chosen through direct election.

Meeting p
lace

United States
C

ap i t o l

Present US congress at a glance

113th United States Congress

Senate President: Joe Biden (D)
Senate Pres. pro tem : Patrick Leahy (D)
House Speaker: John Boehner (R)

Members: 100 Senators

435 Representatives
6 Non-voting members
Senate Majority: Democratic Party
House Majority: Republican Party

Sessions: January 3, 2014 present

The United States Senate

Upper Chamber

Terms of Senate:
Senators serve terms of six years. The terms of
about one-third of the Senate membership expire
every two years.
Qualifications to be a member:
A Senator must:-1. be a US citizen for at least nine years when
elected to the Senate.
2. be at least 30 years of age.
3.be inhabitants of the states they seek to represent
at the time of their election.

Disqualifications
No person holding any office of profit
under the Govt. of the United States
No Senator or Representative may
during the time for which he or she is
elected, be appointed to any civil
office which have been created or the
emoluments of which shall have been
increased during such time.

Elections:
held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday
November.

Current party standings:

Affiliation

Members

Democratic Party

53

Republican Party

45

Independent

Total

2
100

Composition of US Senate:
The U.S.A. is now a federation of 50 States and
the Senate represents all the States send two
Senators irrespective of its size and population.
The senate constitutes 100 Senators.
Presiding over the Senate:
The Vice President of the United States shall
be President of the Senate, but shall have no
Vote, unless they are equally divided.

Powers and Functions of Senate

A) LEGISLATIVE POWER

1) The right to propose legislation

2) Right of amendment
B)EXECUTIVE POWERS
1.International treaties
2.Nominations:

C) JUDICIAL POWERS
1) Impeachment:
2)Appointment:

D) ADMINISTRATIVE FUNCTIONS
E) INVESTIGATIVE POWERS
F) Miscellaneous Powers:
1.The Senate shares with the House of Representative
the power to propose amendments to the constitution.
2.The Senate decides the Vice-President, election
when no candidate gets an absolute majority of votes
in the election and elects one out of the two candidates
securing highest votes.

3rd
January of
each year

SESSIONS OF SENATE OR CONGRESS

House of Representatives
Lower Chamber

Composition of the House:

*The total number of voting representatives is
fixed by law at 435.
*no Representative shall represent less than 30,000
citizens.
*The most populous state, California currently has
53.
representatives.
*Each representative serves for a two-years term.
*The Speaker presides over the House, is
elected by the members of the House.
*The House meets in the south wing of the U.S.
Capitol.

Qualifications
Member :

and

Limitations

to

be

1.He must be at least 25 years old.

2.He must have been a citizen of USA for the past 7 years.
3.He must be an inhabitant of the State from which he
wants to contest election.

Limitations
1.No person holding any office of profit under the
Govt. of the United States
2.No Senator or Representative may during the
time for which he or she is elected, be appointed to
any civil office which have been created or the
emoluments of which shall have been increased
during such time.

The Speaker:

The Speaker
#The Speaker is the commanding figure in the House
and many important duties belong to the office.
#He presides over the sittings of the House.
#As a member of the House, the Speaker has the same
right to speak and vote as other members, although he
does not vote, except when the House is voting by
ballot or when there is a tie.

Powers and Functions

Legislative powers:
Judicial powers:
Electoral Powers:
Constitution amending Powers:
Declaration of war by Congress:

Salary and benefits

The Senators and Representatives shall receive a
compensation for their service.
In addition to it, travelling allowance is paid for one
trip in each session from the Members home to
Washington.
Every member has a franking privilege too- that is
to write and sent letter in his constituency free of
postage.
Free medical service.
Retirement annuities have been provided since 1946.

Exemption
1.Congressman are exempt from process in
all civil actions while attending the sessions of
Congress and when going to or returning
thereto.This immunity, however, does not
cover indictable criminal offences.
2.They are also legally immune from
prosecution or suit, as for libel and slender
for anything they may say on the floor of the
House.

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Group Members
Md. Harun Ar Rashid (L)
Farzana Tabassum Mary (D.L)
Israfil Hosen
Md.Jamal Uddin
Abul Kalam Maumdar
Yusuf Ali
M.Eakub Ali Forazi
Md.Zahedul Islam
Md.Rakib Hassan
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