1. The Legislative Branch

2. The Federal
Government


3. The Congress
The Lawmakers

Senate
100 Senators
House of
Representatives
435 Represenatives
Congress is called the legislative branch of the government. The
legislative branch was mentioned in Article I of the Constitution.
Congress is made up of two groups 1. The Senate, and 2. The House of
Representatives

4. Leader of the Senate

I call on members to speak and
to introduce questions for a
vote. I cannot debate or vote
unless there is a tie.
Joe Biden
The vice president tends to be busy and is present only for the very
important debates. When he is not around, there is the president pro
tempore to fill in his duties. Pro tempore is Latin for “temporary”.

5. Who Can Be a Senator?
1. Must be at least 30 years old, 2. Must live in U.S. for at least nine years, 3. Must be a
resident of the state they represent. They have a six-year term.

Barbara Boxer
has been
California’s
senator since
1993. We vote
for our senators
every 6 years.
Democrat
Senator
Dianne
Feinstein
has been
California’s
Senator
since 1992.
Democrat

6. To be a representative, you must:

Be 25 or older
Be a U.S. citizen
For seven years
California
currently has 53
U.S.
representatives.
They serve a two
year term in office
and then they
would need to be
reelected.
435 total
Be a resident of the state
and district you live in

7. 
South Lake Tahoe’s
Representative
Republican
representative,
of the 4th
Congressional
district.
There are 435
districts
throughout the
U.S. There are
53 in
California.
Each districts
has a
representative.
The average
population
per district
is 710,767
people.

8. 
Republican
The leader of the House of Representatives is known as
the Speaker of the House. The Speaker is elected by the
majority party members to serve for two years. The
speaker 1. leads sessions, 2. decides who may speak, 3.
calls for votes, 4. places members of the House on
committees, and 5. makes sure everyone is following the
rules.

9. Review of
and

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Name the two parts of Congress
What are the requirements to be a senator?
What are the requirements to be a representative?
Briefly explain what a district is or what is means.
Name two elected officials mentioned in this presentation and what their
role is.

10. 
Make laws
Collect taxes
Maintain the armed forces
Regulate trade
Punish certain crimes
Suggest amendments
Check on the other branches
(Executive and Judicial).
• Can accuse or impeach a
public official if they have
committed a crime
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
• Tell other senators and
representatives about new bills
that will be voted on. Work
closely with Speaker of the House
and leader of the Senate to
manage debates and committee
business.

11. How Laws are Made

A bill is an idea for a new law or a change
in an old law. The idea can come from
citizens who write their senators or
representatives with a suggestion! The
president, senators, and representative can
also suggest ideas for bills.
Please spend a few minutes writing an idea
you would like a Congress person to
consider. It could be anything from
improving road conditions, public school
equipment, job opportunities, or crime
prevention. Name a representative or senator
you would send it to.

12. •
•
Bill introduced in Senate or House
Sent to committee
Bill introduced
•
•
Bill dropped or approved
If approved, bill sent to subcommitee
Bill at committee
3rd
•
•
Bill dropped or approved
If approved, bill sent back to
committee
Bill at subcommittee
4th
•
•
Bill dropped or approved
If approved, bill back on Senate or
House calendar
Bill at committee again
5th
•
•
•
Bill debated in House or Senate
If approved, sent to other house
If both approve, sent to president
Bill at Senate or House
6th
•
President signs bill into law or vetoes
bill
Bill with President
1st
LAW
Bill at Congress

13. Joint committees

14. 1. A__________committee works on a bill that must be changed before it can go to
the president.
A. standing B. subcommittee C. conference D. presidential
2. A committee can approve a bill and give it to the __________ or House to
consider and vote on.
A. people
B. Population
C. Senate
D. President
3. What are the three main branches of the federal government? Which branch is
Congress?
4. Describe three steps a bill must take before it becomes a law.
5. The leader of the House of Representatives is the _______of the House.
6. Why might the president use a pocket veto? (this is an opinion question)