Tuesday, May 19, 2020

Where, When, and Why Does the US Congress Meet

Congress is charged with drafting, debating and sending bills to the president to be signed into law. But how do the nations 100 senators and 435 representatives from 50 states manage their legislative business? Where Does Congress Meet? The United States Congress meets in the Capitol Building in Washington, District of Columbia. Originally built in 1800, the Capitol Building stands prominently atop the famously named â€Å"Capitol Hill  on the eastern edge of the National Mall. Both the Senate and House of Representatives meet in separate, large chambers on the second floor of the Capitol Building. The House Chamber is located in the south wing, while the Senate Chamber is in the north wing. Congressional leaders, like the Speaker of the House and leaders of the political parties, have offices in the Capitol Building. The Capitol Building also displays an impressive collection of art related to the American and congressional history. When Does It Meet? The Constitution mandates that Congress convene at least once a year. Each Congress usually has two sessions, since members of the House of Representatives serve two-year terms. The congressional calendar refers to measures that are eligible for consideration on the floor of Congress, although eligibility doesnt necessarily mean that a measure will be debated. The congressional schedule, meanwhile, keeps track of measures that Congress intends to discuss on a particular day. Different Types of Sessions for Different Reasons There are different types of sessions, during which either one or both chambers of Congress meet. The Constitution requires a quorum, or majority, to be present in order for the chambers to conduct business. Regular sessions are when the House and Senate are in normal operation during the course of the year.Closed sessions of the House or Senate are just that; only legislators are present to discuss the weightiest of matters, including impeachment of the president, national security concerns, and other sensitive information.Joint sessions of Congress - with both houses present - occur when the president gives his State of the Union address or otherwise appears before Congress. They are also held to conduct formal business or to count electoral college votes in a presidential election.Pro forma  Ã¢â‚¬â€ from a Latin term meaning â€Å"as a matter of form† or â€Å"for the sake of form† —  sessions are brief meetings of the chamber during which no legislative business may be conducted. More often held in the Senate than the House, pro forma sessions are typically used only to satisfy the constitutional obligation that neither chamber can adjourn for more than thre e days without the consent of the other chamber.Pro forma sessions can also be used to prevent the President of the United States from making recess appointments, pocket-vetoing bills, or calling the Congress into a special session. For example, during a 2007 recess, Senate Majority Leader, Harry Reid, planned to keep the Senate in pro forma session in order to prevent further controversial appointments made by the Bush Administration. â€Å"I am keeping the Senate in pro forma to prevent recess appointments until we get this process on track,† said Sen. Reid.  Lame duck sessions occur after the November elections and before the January inauguration when some representatives are set to leave office, whether by choice or after failing to win re-election.Special sessions of Congress may be called in extraordinary circumstances. For example, a special session of Congress was called on March 20, 2005, to intervene in the case of Terri Schiavo, a woman in a persistent vegetative state whose family and husband found themselves at odds over whether to disconnect her feeding tube. Duration of a Congress Each Congress lasts two years and is comprised of two sessions. The dates of Congress sessions have changed over the years, but since 1934, the first session convenes on Jan. 3 of odd-numbered years and adjourns on Jan. 3 of the following year, while the second session runs from Jan. 3 to Jan. 2 of even-numbered years. Of course, everyone needs a vacation, and Congress vacation traditionally comes in August, when representatives adjourn for month-long summer break. Congress also adjourns for national holidays. 4 Types of Adjournments There are four types of adjournments. The most common form of adjournment ends the day, following a motion to do so. Adjournments for three days or less also require the adoption of a motion to adjourn. These are limited to each chamber; the House may adjourn while the Senate remains in session or vice-versa. Adjournments for a period longer than three days require the consent of the other chamber and the adoption of a concurrent resolution in both bodies. Finally, legislators may adjourn sine die to end a session of Congress, which requires the consent of both chambers and follows the adoption of a concurrent resolution in both chambers.

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