Purpose of US House and Senate

Purpose of US House and Senate

The major purpose of the House of Representatives is to make and pass laws while the Senate is tasked with ratifying treaties, confirming presidential appointments, and ratification of trade agreements. To serve in the House of Representatives, one must be at least 25 years old, an American Citizen for over seven years, and a resident in the state one wish to represent. To enter the senate, one must be at least 30 years old, citizen for nine years, and a resident of the particular state. Senators are elected to six-year terms and can serve not more than two consecutive terms. On the other hand, Congress men are elected to two year terms and can serve up to six terms. In America, there are a total of 435 House of Representative members and 100 senators. In the house leadership, the speaker administers all oaths of office, counts and declares all votes, and appoints members to the relevant committees (Government Info, 2020). The majority leader is second in command and schedules legislation and legislative plans. The minority leader is responsible in communicating the party’s policies, nominating minority members to committees and protecting minority rights (House, 2019). One way citizens can influence politics and policy making is through electing specific leaders from specific parties who resonate with their thinking patterns.

References

Government Info. (2020). House Practice: A Guide to the Rules, Precedents and Procedures of the House - Chapter 34. Office of the Speaker. Www.govinfo.gov. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GPO-HPRACTICE-108/html/GPO-HPRACTICE-108-35.htm

House. (2019). Home | House.gov. House.gov. https://www.house.gov/