The House of Representatives has various powers and responsibilities, as described in Article I of the Constitution. The articles cover the number of representatives and their authority to impeach federal officials. These articles also address the election of president. In addition to their legislative functions, the House may discipline its Members. Common forms of discipline are expulsion, censure, and reprimand, but the House may impose other penalties. Sanctions may include fines, loss of seniority, and suspension of certain privileges. The House Ethics Committee also has the authority to issue a formal letter of reproval.
Article I of the Constitution
According to Article I of the Constitution, the House of Representatives and Senate each have the power to set and amend the state’s laws, a task which is given to them by the Constitution. They also define the boundaries of their respective districts. Representatives are elected to two-year terms; senators are elected to four-year terms. The legislature must apportion the senate’s districts in a manner that is uniform throughout the country.
The House of Representatives has the power to amend or repeal laws approved by the people. Article III of the Constitution states that no person shall be barred from holding state or county office on account of his or her gender. The amendments are self-executing. As a result, the House of Representatives has a power to amend or repeal a law that has been approved by the people. But this power is limited, and it has to be exercised with caution.
Amendments to the Constitution are proposed by a majority of members of the legislature. Such amendments are considered legislative bills. They must be published along with any laws passed during a session. If approved by the people, the amendment becomes part of the constitution. If not approved by the people, the proposed amendment is rejected by the senate. However, if the proposed amendment was introduced by an initiative petition, the proposal is considered an initiative amendment.
The House of Representatives and Senate are coequal branches of government. The House has significant powers and functions. The Constitution gives the House of Representatives the power to pass bills, while the Senate can only propose amendments to taxing and spending legislation. Moreover, the framers purposefully allowed bills to pass the House with a simple majority, in order to expedite the passage of legislation. Furthermore, the responsibility for developing the bill rests with standing committees, which are composed of members of both parties.
In addition to appointing a Speaker, the House also elects senators. The House elects two senators from each state, as required by the Constitution. The 17th Amendment, passed in 1913, mandated the election of U.S. senators through direct election. But even then, this arrangement can become dysfunctional. So, the Constitution grants the House the power to pass laws and regulate federal agencies.
Number of members
The House of Representatives consists of 435 elected members, divided among the 50 states, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and the four U.S. territories. In addition, there are six non-voting representatives who serve on committees and in the Executive Branch. The House also elects a Speaker of the House, who is third in line after the President and the Vice President. There are four main branches of government, with each one governing a specific area.
The number of representatives in the House has fluctuated over time. Between the 1789 census and the 1920 census, the population of the U.S. population was growing. As new states were admitted, so did the House membership. The House expanded and contracted twice during the mid-1800s, but expansion was managed in such a way that states gained or lost seats. Eventually, four-year-old censuses were conducted to determine how many representatives were needed to represent all Americans.
The number of representatives in the House is set by federal law. In 1911, Congress fixed the number of representatives at 435. After the 1911 Census, the number of representatives was increased again based on population growth. After that, Hawaii and Alaska joined the Union and were seated with one representative each. The number of representatives in the House was further increased to 437 in 1959 and then permanently fixed at 435 in 1961.
The House is run by majority rule, making the process of passing legislation relatively efficient. The minority party has much less influence than the majority, however, so a single senator can stop a bill in its tracks. There are two major leaders in the House: the Speaker and the Minority Leader. The Speaker, in turn, is responsible for passing legislation in the House. The House has several committees and a budget, but it rarely meets on the weekend.
The majority party controls the House, with the minority party having fewer members than the majority party. The majority party usually controls the House, but extra seats are reserved for their members on certain committees. For example, in the 109th Congress, Republicans controlled 53% of the House and had 54% of the seats on the Appropriations Committee, the Energy and Commerce Committee, the Rules Committee, and the Judiciary Committee.
Authority to impeach federal officials
The House of Representatives has the power to impeach federal officials for their crimes. Impeachment proceedings begin when the House passes an impeachment resolution. The House can do so either as a whole body or by passing articles of impeachment individually. The House usually investigates impeachment cases prior to 1813. Before then, the House Committee on Judiciary investigates the case and determines whether to pursue the articles of impeachment. The House will then appoint a Senate trial manager to present the case in the Senate.
The House of Representatives has the power to impeach federal officials for a variety of reasons. For example, impeachment has been used to remove federal district court judges for political reasons. In the 1996 presidential election, both candidates were attacking a federal district court judge. Clinton and Dole were both criticized for making political attacks against Judge Harold Baer. In response, four sitting appeals court judges condemned the political attacks and argued that impeachment was not allowed by the Constitution.
The House has the authority to impeach a federal official for a variety of reasons. Among these is obstruction of justice. The senate has a different role. The House can also try to remove a president who has violated the law. In addition, the Senate has the power to impeach a president if it finds them guilty of crimes. This is often the case, as the Senate has ruled against impeachment of President Clinton.
There are several ways to initiate impeachment. Charges can be initiated by a petition or sent to a House committee. Impeachment charges can be sent to the Senate only after the House has considered the petition. Other possible ways to impeach a federal official include charges arising from a grand jury or independent counsel investigation. These are just a few examples. The power of impeachment is a powerful tool that most members of Congress attempt to avoid.
In addition to impeaching a federal official, the House can also remove an executive branch official. The process of impeachment differs from state to state, but is generally the same. Whether a state has impeachment power is determined by the Constitution. The House and Senate must agree to a resolution that does not violate the Constitution. Similarly, a resigned official remains subject to impeachment in the House.
Election of president
The US has a unique electoral system that allows the house of representatives to elect the president from among three candidates. The House votes en bloc, with each member of the state delegation receiving a single vote. The candidate receiving the highest number of votes must then win a majority of all state delegation votes in order to become president. This election occurs every two years, and while the House is in a majority and the president is in a minority, it can still choose the president.
The House of Representatives elects the president by giving each state delegation a vote. In order to win the presidency, a candidate must have a majority of the electoral votes, or more than two-thirds of the total. The Senate elects the vice president. Election of president by the house of representatives is also similar to that of vice president. In order to win the presidency, a candidate must receive a majority of the vote in each state.
In the case of the vice president, the president and vice president are indirectly elected by the house of representatives. The Electoral College consists of 538 electors from the fifty states plus the District of Columbia. Most states choose electors on a winner-take-all basis. Maine, on the other hand, assigns Electors according to the Congressional district. There is a complicated process involved in choosing the president.
The Election of the President and Vice President is the first and most important part of the American presidential system. Historically, the two positions are held by the President and Vice President. The Vice President becomes President should the President die before the inauguration date. However, the House of Representatives has also worked out an alternative election system, which requires the House of Representatives to elect the President and Vice President. This system has led to a variety of outcomes, including many presidents who were unpopular at the time.
