Congress Flashcards
(29 cards)
What is the current (2025) split in the Senate?
53 Rep 47 Dem
How many independent Senators are there?
2 (Bernie Sanders, Angus King, both caucus with the Democrats)
What is the current (April 2025) split in the House?
220 Rep 213 Dem 2 Vacant
If a congressional committee puts a bill to one side, effectively killing it, it
is said to be using what technique?
Pigeonholing
Roughly how many bills are introduced each Congress, and what percentage become law?
14,000; 2-4%
“Nothing is more likely than that the enumeration of powers is defective.” So said:
Jefferson
What are the three main tasks of Congress?
Oversight, representation, legislation
Which type of representation is measured by the extent to which Congress reflects the make-up of the US?
Descriptive
How many African-American senators are there (April 2025), and of those how many are Republican?
5; 1
Where in the Constitution are the enumerated powers listed?
A1 s8
How is the 18th enumerated power of Congress often known?
Elastic clause
Give three exclusive powers of the House.
- Initiate money bills
- Initiate impeachment proceedings
- Elect president if Electoral College is deadlocked
What majority, and where, is required to overturn a presidential veto?
2/3 in both houses
In total, how many of Obama, Biden and Trump’s vetoes have been overturned?
2
Obama and Trump’s vetoes were both overturned towards the end of their terms. What two things does this tell us?
- Congress rarely overturns vetoes.
- Congress is more likely to overturn vetoes once the president is a lame duck.
What majority is required to end a filibuster, and in which house?
3/5, Senate
Gerrymandering is more properly known as:
Redistricting.
How often are mid-terms and who is up for election?
Every four years; all House, 1/3 Senate
Which committee decides which bills come to the floor of the House?
House Rules Committee
According to the bumper sticker, Congress is:
the opposite of progress.
The House January 6 Committee was bipartisan in that it had two Republicans on it, but:
They were both confirmed Trump enemies and have since been hounded out of office.
The extent of Congressional oversight of the executive will probably depend on three things:
Whether one party holds a trifecta; the popularity of the president; the size and strength of the minority party.
How long was the 2018/19 government shutdown?
35 days
Republican Representative Roy LaHood said of Congressional oversight of GWB’s government:
Unless they really screw up, we are not going to go after them.
