House & Senate Differences

Characteristic

House

Senate

1

Term (# of years)

2 years

6 years

2

Representation Based Upon?

Based on population

Is based on the state

3

Qualifications:
Age
Citizenship
Residency

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

U.S. Senate: age (at least thirty years of age); U.S. citizenship (at least nine years); and residency in the state a senator represents at time of election.

4

Total Members

435

100

5

Area Represented

Districts

States

6

Impeachment Process

To bring charges against somebody (Simple majority to impeach)

Serves as the Jury. (⅔ vote to remove you from office) 7

Presidential Election Process
(if no majority in the EC)

Chooses the president

Chooses the vice president

8

Currently controlled by what party

Republican

Republican

9

Leadership

Speaker ­ John Boehner
Majority Leader ­ Kevin McCarthy
Minority Leader ­Nancy Pelosi

VP / President of Senate ­ Joe Biden
Majority Leader ­ Harry Reid
Minority Leader ­ Mitch McConnell
President Pro Tempore ­ Patrick J. Leahy

10

Missouri’s Elected Officials

Representatives & Party
District
1st Lacy Claire Jr. Democratic
2nd Anne Wagner Republican
3rd Blaine Luetkemeyer Republican
4th Vicky Hartzler Republican
5th Emanuel Cleaver II Democratic
6th Sam Graves Republican
7th Billy Long Republican
8th Jason Smith Republican

Senator & Party ­ Claire McCaskill
Democratic

Senator & Party ­ Roy Blunt
Republican

If the House is going to put an attachment on a bill it must be germane. That means it’s ‘related to’ the bill.

A non germane attachment is totally acceptable. That’s why the senate always gets crazy attachments to bills.

11

Amendments to Bills

(Pork Attachments)

12

Differences in Duties / Powers

Domestic: Means ‘home’ (duh) home as in within the United States. Why?
Cause the constitution says that any revenue bills have to start in the house.
What’s revenue? Anything to do with taxes
The EC: If no candidate gets 270 votes then the house decides the presidency
SO the House is more focused on issues in the
US.

Senate focuses more on foreign issues.
Two examples of what the senate does that supports this idea.
­ Senate approves ambassadors to foreign countries (Like Caroline Kennedy is the ambassador to Japan)
­ Senate has to approve treaties with other countries (by ⅔)
The EC: Gets to decide the vice preseidency
SO the Senate focuses more on foreign affairs

13

Differences in Atmosphere

So many people are in the House that they have to have tons of rules. That makes the
House more formal. All 435 White dudes have lots of limits on debate.

100 dudes are in the Senate. Senate is more
‘deliberative’ which means debate. They can do this because there are less people.
Unanimous consent agreement: all 100 people have to agree to rules being put on a