Table of Contents
Do all laws have to be approved by the House and Senate?
Ultimately, a law can only be passed if both the Senate and the House of Representatives introduce, debate, and vote on similar pieces of legislation.
What can the House do but not the Senate?
the House of Representatives. The House has the power to impeach (formally accuse) while the Senate tries impeachments. In addition, the Senate approves treaties and certain presidential appointments, such as ambassadors and Supreme Court Justices.
What power does the House of Representatives have that the Senate doesn t?
Under the Constitution, the House of Representatives has the power to impeach a government official, in effect serving as prosecutor. The Senate has the sole power to conduct impeachment trials, essentially serving as jury and judge.
What does the Constitution say about becoming a member of the House?
The Constitution requires that Members of the House be at least 25 years old, have been a U.S. citizen for at least seven years, and live in the state they represent (though not necessarily the same district).
The two houses share other powers, many of which are listed in Article I, Section 8. These include the power to declare war, coin money, raise an army and navy, regulate commerce, establish rules of immigration and naturalization, and establish the federal courts and their jurisdictions.
How are the members of the House and Senate elected?
In the Senate, the majority and minority leaders generally work together in consultation with all members to determine the schedule. Every two years the entire membership of the House of Representatives is elected. Members vote on the rules that apply for the next two years at the beginning of each new Congress.
What does the constitution say about the House of Representatives?
Article I, Section 2 of the Constitution states that the House “shall have the sole power of impeachment.” This power applies to the offices of president, vice president, federal judges, and other federal officers, as the Library of Congress’ Constitution Annotated explains.
How old do you have to be to be in the House of Representatives?
The Constitution affords the House — known as the lower chamber because it has more members than the Senate — much leeway in deciding how it will operate. Must be at least 25 years old.
How old do you have to be to be in the Senate?
The Senate is known as the upper chamber of Congress because it has fewer members than the House. The Constitution requires that senators be at least 30 years old, U.S. citizens for at least nine years, and residents of the states they’ll represent.