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No more than 435 elect, proportionally representing the population of the 50 states.

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At least 25 years old, a United States citizen for at least seven years and an inhabitant of the state he or she represents.

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Voted for every 2 years, no term limits.

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Seats are determined based on population size although every state is guaranteed at least one seat in the House of Representatives. They change every ten years based on census data to porperly match population size.

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The House has several powers assigned exclusively to it, including the power to initiate revenue bills, impeach federal officials, and elect the President in the case of an Electoral College tie.

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1. Members of the House of Representatives earn a base salary of $174,000 per year and more in higher positions

2. House members get healthcare, a pension plan after just 5 years, and travel allowances and also receive funds for staff and office expenses.

3. Jeannette Rankin, a Republican from Montana, made history in 1916 as the first woman ever elected to the U.S. House of Representatives.

4.  Even if the President vetos a bill, Congress can override that veto with a two-thirds vote in both the House and the Senate.

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100 representatives, 2 from each state

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1. The Constitution grants the House the power to initiate revenue bills and the Senate can amend them

2. The house has the power to initiate impeachment but the senate follows through with the proceeding trial.

3. The house is led by the speaker of the house while the senate is led by the vice president and Senate majority leader.

4. The House generally does not allow for filibusters, while the Senate does.

5. The House has no role in confirming or rejecting presidential appointments while the senate can ratify appointments such as judges, justices, cabinet members, etc.

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Formal Qualifications needed to become a Senator

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Formal Qualifications needed to become a Senator

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1. Must be at least 30 years old

2. Must be a citizen of the US for 9 years

3. Must be a resident of the state they represent

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1. Both the House and Senate must approve a bill in identical form for it to become law.

2. Both conduct investigations and hearings to oversee executive branch activities and enforce accountability.

3. Both chambers participate in military-related decisions through authorizations and funding.

4. Both chambers are involved in overriding presidential vetoes (with a two-thirds majority in each chamber).

5. Both chambers have a voice in foreign policy through hearings, resolutions, and oversight.

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Senators are elected to 6 year terms. There is no limit to how many terms a senator can be elected to.

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Senators are divided into 3 classes. Each class is elected in 2 year intervals, so while each senators term still lasts 6 years, about ⅓ of the senators go up for election every two years.

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The senate can approve or reject presidential nominations to executive and judicial offices, and to provide or withhold its “advice and consent” to treaties negotiated by the executive. The Senate also has the sole power to try impeachments.

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4 Other Pieces of Important/Interesting Info

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4 Other Pieces of Important/Interesting Info

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1. Senators receive a $165,000 yearly salary

2. The longest senate speech was Strom Thurmond’s 1957 filibuster against the Civil Rights Act, which lasted 24 hours and 18 minutes

3. The longest-serving Senator was Robert C. Byrd, a Democrat from West Virginia who, in 2009, served for 56 years

4. If no presidential candidate wins the electoral majority, they have the power to elect the vice president

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4th district, sworn in on July 8th, 2024

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6th District, been in office since 2019.

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What is your Representative’s Viewpoint on 2 Major Issues?

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What is your Representative’s Viewpoint on 2 Major Issues?

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National Debt

It needs to become a forefront issue in American politics. The growing national debt affects everyone poorly, and we’re making things harder on future generations

Immigration

He proposed a red card system that would allow immigrants to enter the US legally and work for a set period of time, without a path to citizenship. This would put less of a burden on the court system, which is overwhelmed by immigrants seeking asylum status, and instead allow immigrants to immediately start working in the US

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National Security

Jason's working to support Buckley Space Force Base, build and maintain our talented defense workforce, and solidify Colorado's role as the global aerospace leader.

Safer Communities Through Gun Violence Prevention

Enacting common-sense laws -- policies that are supported by a huge majority of Americans -- can help reduce violent crime and make our communities, schools, and homes safer.

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Michael Bennet(D) - Since 2009

John Hickenlooper(D) - Since 2021

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House - Democrats: 222 Democrats Republicans: 213 Republicans Independents: 0

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Senate - Democrats: 45 Democrats Republicans: 53 Independants: 2

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Hickenlooper

Space, Science, and Innovation

John makes it “a priority to restore science as an objective and nonpartisan voice in American policymaking and economic innovation.” A part of this is staying competitive with China.

Marijuana

He believes the federal government should follow Colorado’s path and make marajuana legal. Also, his website says that “The cannabis industry is spurring economic growth for Colorado and other states that have legal marijuana.”

Bennet

Inflation

Supported the inflation reduction act, which was passed back in 2022. The IRA is “the largest investment to confront climate change in history, reduce our deficit, lower costs and help fight inflation for hard-working Coloradans.”

Innovation

Bennet supports “Investments in Semiconductors, 5G, and Next Generation Technologies.” In particular, the CHIPS act, that was passed back in 2022.

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Gender

House - Males: 328 Females: 106

Senate - Males: 74 Females: 26

Race/Ethnicity

SENATE: White: 92%

Black or African American: 6%

Hispanic or Latino: 2%

Asian American: 1%

Native American: 1%

HOUSE: White: 67.9%

Black or African American: 13.6%

Hispanic or Latino: 11.7%

Asian American: 3.2%

Native American: 1.1%

Other or Mixed Race: 2.5%

Religion

Chrisitan

Senate: 96%

House: 88%

Jewish:

Senate: 2%

House: 2%

Muslim:

Senate: 1%

House: 1%

Hindu:

House: 1%

Buddhist:

House: 1%

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Is Congress Becoming More Demographically Similar to the US?

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Is Congress Becoming More Demographically Similar to the US?

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Yes because it is slowly becoming more diverse as is the United States and our government should represent its population.

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Speaker: Rep. Mike Johnson

House Majority leader: Democrats

House Minority leader: Republicans

President Pro Tempore: Patty Murray

Senate Majority: Democrats

Senate Minority: Republicans

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Two Pieces of Legislation that Have been Proposed/Passed

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Two Pieces of Legislation that Have been Proposed/Passed

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House Bill 6513

1. There were 413 yes votes on this bill, so both sides support this bill. This bill passed as it confirmed a 2002 law that requires states to “allow access to designated congressional election observers to observe the election administration procedures in congressional elections.”

2. There was only 1 no vote against this bill

3. I agree with this bill passing, as it improves security for our elections, and allows for greater transparency

H.R 82 (Social Security Fairness Act)

1. The vote on this bill was 375 to 75, so there was bipartisan support for this bill.

2. The bill removes a provision that holds back social security benefits from people “who have worked in jobs not covered by Social Security” and another provision the reduces  “the Social Security spousal or survivor benefits of individuals who also receive a government pension.” Possible disagreement with this act may come from a government spending standpoint.

3. I agree with the bills passing, as it increases benefits for a lot of people, in particular, retired firefighters, police officers, teachers, and other public servants.

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1.  In September 2023, Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy authorized a formal impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden. This action demonstrates how the House uses its investigatory powers to check the executive branch's actions.

2.  In 2023 and 2024, the Senate confirmed several of President Biden's federal judicial nominees, including appellate and district court judges, continuing its role in shaping the federal judiciary. In February 2024, the Senate confirmed several judges to federal courts.

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https://www.house.gov/the-house-explained

https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/R/R41636#:~:text=According%20to%20Section%202%20of,State%2C%20excluding%20Indians%20not%20taxed.

https://www.whitehouse.gov/

https://www.senate.gov/

https://www.visitthecapitol.gov/education-resource/us-senate#:~:text=The%20Senate%20shares%20full%20legislative,treaties%20negotiated%20by%20the%20executive.

https://borgenproject.org/20-facts-u-s-senate/

https://sites.google.com/site/thepoliticsteacherorg/congress/the-powers-of-the-house-and-senate-compared

https://lopez.house.gov/

https://ziplook.house.gov/htbin/findrep_house?ZIP=80126

https://crow.house.gov/issues

https://www.hickenlooper.senate.gov/

https://www.bennet.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/2022/8/bennet-celebrates-inflation-reduction-act-becoming-law

https://www.bennet.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/2022/7/bennet-applauds-passage-of-the-bipartisan-competition-bill

https://www.gao.gov/blog/now-election-over-here-are-some-major-issues-facing-nation-and-next-congress

https://legiscan.com/US/bill/HB6513/2023

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In our work, we evaluate an array of national security efforts in areas such as military readiness, space programs, and the U.S. nuclear complex. Military readiness: Nearly 2 decades of conflict has degraded the U.S. military’s readiness. Our service branches face challenges maintaining existing ships, vehicles, and aircraft, while acquiring new weapon systems that can adapt to and overcome rapidly advancing future threats. Space programs: Competition in space is growing as more countries launch their own space programs. Nuclear Complex: The DOD and National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) are working to modernize virtually all U.S. nuclear weapon capabilities, most of which are from the Cold War era. Billions of dollars are being spent on these efforts.

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An increased focus on Cybersecurity should be expected as the new administration is sworn in in 2025. The federal government collects, uses, and shares a lot of data—including personally identifiable information from tax returns, social security, Medicare and Medicaid, and more. Increasingly, the federal IT systems that store this data are under threat from malicious actors.