2.1- the structure of congress

Question 1

How many congresspersons identify as LGBTQ?

Answer 1

13 in congress, 2 in the senate

Question 2

What % of the Senate is over 58?

Answer 2

74%

Question 3

What percentage of Congress are Christian?

Answer 3

88%

Question 4

What % of Congress is white?

Answer 4

74%

Question 5

What % of congress are women, and how does this differ from the Senate?

Answer 5

• 29% of congress
• 25% of the senate

Question 6

what is the structure of the US congress?

Answer 6

bicameral- two houses of equal legislative power

Question 7

how are seats allocated in each house? who do they represent?

Answer 7

• senate: each house gets 2
• in the senate representatives represent their whole state
• HOR: based on population
• in the house representatives represent a congressional district

Question 8

what are the key roles in the HOR?

Answer 8

• speakers- defacto leader of the majority, coordinates the legislative agenda
• majority leader: second highest ranking member
• minority leader

Question 8

what are the key roles in the senate?

Answer 8

• president of the senate (VP)- can break ties if it is 50/50
• majority leader: schedules the legislative programme
• minority leader

Question 8

what is the current composition of the senate?

Answer 8

• 49 democrats
• 48 republicans
• 3 independents (vote with the democrats)

Question 9

what is the current composition of the HOR?

Answer 9

217 republicans
213 democrats
5 vacancies

Question 10

how many seats in the HOR?

Answer 10

435

Question 11

who is the current majority leader in the house? when was he elected?

Answer 11

steve scalise
- after kevin mccarthy was outsted by the right wing trump supporters after making a deal with the democrats

Question 12

what are the exclusive powers of the senate?

Answer 12

• can try and impeachment case (2/3)
• ratify treaties (2/3 majority)
• ratify presidential appointments
• elect the VP if the electoral college does not provide a majority

Question 13

what are the exclusive powers of the HOR?

Answer 13

• impeach a federal official
• intiate money bills
• elect the president if no candidate has over 50% in the E.C

Question 14

what key powers are shared by both houses?

Answer 14

• the power to declare war
• override a presidential veto (2/3)
• initiate ammendments

Question 15

why are filibusters not possible in the house but are possible in the senate?

Answer 15

• in the senate there is no limit to the length of speeches
• in the house, most bills are limited to 40 minutes of debate and there are strict limits on speech times

Question 16

what it the role of the house rules committee?

Answer 16

• controls the legislative timetable in the house
• decides how much it can be ammended
• a ‘closed bill’ blocks all ammendments