Organizational Structure of Congress
The organizational structure of the Congress of the United States is based on three elements. Congress is organized based on the U.S. Constitution, legislation enacted by Congress and signed by the president, and rules created by both the House of Representatives and the Senate.
Other People Are Reading
-
Function
-
Under Article 1 of the Constitution of the United States, the legislative powers of the country are vested in Congress. The primary function of Congress is to enact legislation that is conveyed to the president for approval or veto. The Constitution establishes the organizational structure of Congress.
Bicameral
-
The U.S. Congress is what is known as a bicameral legislature. Bicameral means that the Congress is composed of two legislative bodies; these are the House of Representatives and the Senate. Legislation passed by one of the houses must be approved by the other chamber before being sent along to the president.
-
Senate
-
The Senate is composed of 100 members. The vice president of the United States is president of the Senate, the only example of a U.S. governmental official serving in two branches of government. The vice president's leadership role in the Senate largely is ceremonial. The vice president, in his role as Senate president, votes only in the event of a tie.
The president pro tempore of the Senate is the ceremonial head of the Senate in the absence of the vice president. The functional or actual leader of the body is the Senate majority leader, selected by the political party with a majority of members. The Senate minority leader is the official who heads up the minority party.
House of Representatives
-
The House is made up of 435 voting members and six non-voting members. The Speaker of the House is the leader of the House of Representatives, elected by the majority party. The House majority leader is the second in command of the House, also selected by the majority party. The House minority leader is head of the minority party in the House of Representatives.
Voting Rules
-
The organizational structure of both houses of Congress results in different voting rules in each body. In the House, legislation passes upon a majority vote of members present. The Senate, being a smaller body, requires what is known as a supermajority to end debate and move legislation to a vote. A supermajority to terminate debate requires a vote of at least 60 members.
Committees
-
A great deal of the work of both the Senate and the House of Representatives is done through committees and subcommittees. Through committees and subcommittees, proposed legislation initially is considered, including hearings on bills. If a piece of legislation is approved by a committee, the bill heads to the full House or Senate for consideration and an ultimate vote.
-
References
Resources
- Photo Credit us capitol image by Ritu Jethani from Fotolia.com
