6 years. The Senate makes only limited use of its right to scrutinize the work of the Government. U.S. House of Representatives Washington, DC 20515 (202) 224-3121 TTY: (202)-225-1904 II, sec. Lower house. The House of Representatives is the lower chamber of the U.S. Congress, and it currently counts 435 men and women among its members. However, as district borders were never defined definitively, they can and often do stretch into peculiar shapes due to a practice known as gerrymandering. The Virginia plan proposed the idea of a bicameral legislature and the creation of the House to represent the Americans. The House has no say when it comes to appointing of candidates. The House of Representatives has 9 official in-session days and the Senate 14 days before both houses break before the new year. I, sec. Text of a Letter to the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President of the Senate. While there are 100 seats in the Senate (two senators from each state), there are 435 seats in the House of Representatives (one representative from each of the various congressional districts, with the number of congressional districts in each state determined by the population). The New Jersey Plan was criticized for holding larger states "hostage" to smaller states, as each would have the same power base. Diffen.com. This stipulation has been used by representatives and senators to avoid subpoenas and other judicial procedures. All 435 seats are up for reelection every two years. Senators are elected for a six-year term, but House representatives only have two-year terms before they need to seek reelection. Committees also have subcommittees, which are formed to focus more closely on certain issues. The United States Congress is the legislative branch of the federal government and consists of two houses: the lower house known as the House of Representatives and the upper house known as the Senate. It is not a requirement to be a natural-born citizen in order to become a member of Congress. Edit or create new comparisons in your area of expertise. Due to this arrangement, the Senate has more flexibility in its rules. I, sec. The senators can only consider the bill and propose any amendments, but they do not have the final say. 435 voting members, 6 non-voting members: 5 delegates, 1 resident commissioner. Senate Committees - Committee Aides Assembly Committees -Committee Aides Joint Committees -Committee Aides Committee Groups Legislative Commissions Senate Nominations. About the House of Representatives. The house of representatives also known as the House has the responsibility of representing the citizens as opposed to the senate which represents the interest of the state. By Geoffrey Migiro on April 12 2019 in World Facts. Both senators and representatives are chosen through direct election, though vacancies in the Senate may be filled by a governor's appointment. The case is heard in a judicial forum, and punishment (a sentence) for those found guilty of "contempt of Congress" is handled strictly by the judicial system. A filibuster is used to block potential legislation or Senate decisions until a favorable vote can be called. All maps, graphics, flags, photos and original descriptions © 2020 worldatlas.com. Members of the House of Representative are over twenty-five years of age and must have resided in the United States for over seven years. The Difference Between The Senate And The House of Representatives. What is the Difference Between Grasshoppers and Locusts. However, with less than a … All bills which deal with revenue must come from the House of Representatives before proceeding to the Senate. 7) Initiates (and passes or defeats) articles of impeachment (Art. Standing committees are permanent and provide longer-serving members with power bases. House members are popularly elected by voters residing in their home states. Each district elects a representative to the House of Representatives for a two-year term. The vice president is considered the "president" of the Senate, though he or she is not required or even expected to attend most Senate sessions. Every member of the House is up for election or reelection every two years, but the Senate has a staggered system wherein only one-third of the Senators are up for election or reelection every two years. Democratic (235), Republican (199), 1 vacant seat, Republican (53), Democratic (45), Independent (2). The House has 435 members while the Senate has 100 members. There are 535 members of Congress: 100 senators and 435 representatives in the House. The Senate elects a "President Pro Tempore," often the senior, or longest-serving, senator of the majority party, who is responsible for managing day-to-day business. All the US states have representatives at the House with the most populous states having more representatives than the least populated ones; for example, California has fifty-two representatives while Vermont and Alaska have one representative each. It was also decided that all classes would be eligible to become senators, subject to age and residency restrictions. Conference committees are formed when legislation is approved in both the House and Senate; they finalize the language in legislation. However, with less than a … Noncompliance with a congressional subpoena can carry up to a one-year jail sentence. So only 34 or 33 senators are up for election at one time. James Madison drafted the plan while waiting for a quorum at the 1787 Constitutional Convention. US election 2020: the US Senate and House of Representatives explained. 2) and to major presidential appointments (Art. < >. Diffen LLC, n.d. The US Constitution stipulates that for anyone to be a senator, he/she must be over thirty years old and lived in the country for about nine years. Gerrymandering is used at the state legislature level to create districts that overwhelmingly favor one party. It is possible for the House to change to a large extent (in terms of party control) every two years, but changes are slower in the Senate. In the Senate, the tactic called filibustering is allowed. The compromise established that representatives in the lower house (House of Representatives) will be based on a population number (called a "district") while the upper house (Senate) would contain two representative from each state. In colonial times, the proposed "legislative body" had two models. The decision of one senator can change the entire course of a bill in the Senate while a representative in the House cannot. Unlike U.S. Statutes Chapter Laws Constitution. All the US states have representatives at the House with the most populous states having more representatives than the least populated ones; for example, California has fifty-two representatives while Vermont and Alaska have one representative each. Some have become permanent, but most are formed for limited time frames. The senator who has the podium can speak for as long as he/she wants which means that the minority can control the Senate. Joint committees feature members of the House and Senate, with leadership of each committee alternating between members of each chamber. The United States Congress is the bicameral parliament of the United States federal government. The House of Representatives has two main duties: making laws and scrutinising the work of the Government. 27 Nov 2020. Special House of Representatives Powers The main job of the House of Representatives is to vote on new laws along with the Senate. A senator serves for a six-year term while the representatives have a two-year term. Foreign Policy Issued on: November 24, 2020. 1) The Senate with its 100 members is smaller, compared to the House of Representatives, which has 435 members. These two bodies differ in their constitutional requirements, the number of members and their power, and more. The representatives and senators are appointed through direct election although a vacancy in the Senate can be filled by gubernatorial appointment. Senate Committees - Committee Aides Assembly Committees -Committee Aides Joint Committees Committee Groups Legislative Commissions Senate Nominations. The United States House of Representatives is one of the two houses of the United States Congress. The succession order in the federal government is president, vice president and then Speaker of the House, the leader of the representatives.