What is the difference between senate and representatives

Senate and serve in the U. Members of the House of Representatives serve two-year terms and are considered for reelection every even year. How many members of Congress come from each state? Each state sends two Senators to represent their state in the U. For example, smaller states like Vermont and Delaware have one representative while large states like California have 53 representatives. Currently, the Michigan Congressional Delegation is composed of 14 representatives in the House and two Senators in the U.

How many people do congressmen and senators represent? Members of the U. House of Representatives each represent a portion of their state known as a Congressional District, which averages , people.

Senators however, represent the entire state. How do the House and Senate chambers differ? In the House of Representatives, the majority party holds significant power to draft chamber rules and schedule bills to reach the floor for debate and voting.

In most cases, House rules will limit debate so that important legislation can be passed during one legislative business day. In the Senate however, the majority has the power to schedule when various bills come to the floor for voting but a single Senator can slow legislation from coming to the floor for a vote.

Since debate in the Senate is not concluded until 60 senators vote for a cloture motion to approve a bill for consideration, the majority must also coordinate with the minority part to set the rules for debate on legislation. The House was always intended to be the chamber that was closest to the people , meanwhile Senators are not expected to be as influenced by the changing tides of popular opinion.

With four times more members than the Senate, the functioning of the House, by necessity, is far more controlled and formal. For instance before legislation comes before the House, more often than not it will be considered before a committee but in the Senate this step is easily bypassed.

The House usually also limits its debate times to one hour but in the Senate discussion is unlimited. Senators may speak on issues other than the bill under consideration during their speeches, and any amendment can be introduced. Party leaders and committees function differently in the House and Senate.

The Speaker, currently Nancy Pelosi, is in charge of which bills are debated and when. She also influences the House Rules Committee in deciding which legislation will be considered. The Senate does not have a position with similar control to the House Speaker. In the Senate, the majority and minority leaders generally work together in consultation with all members to determine the schedule.

Both chambers are reliant upon the other when it comes to passing laws, they are intertwined in this way. If the bill gets approval by committee it then gets reported to the floor of the House or Senate and the relevant chamber gets to decide when to schedule the session for consideration, if at all. Then if it passes the first consideration, it needs to also pass in whichever happens to be the second chamber in order to be signed into law by the president. So if a bill is first considered in the House, it later goes to the Senate to be passed and vice versa.

Power is currently split in Congress with Republicans controlling the Senate for now though this could change pending Georgia Senate runoff elections in January and the Democrats who took control of the House in the midterms. Given the above system, this makes it extremely difficult to pass laws. Thank you, Georgia!

Now on to the next fight, when we take back the Senate on Jan 5. The Senate has unique powers compared to the House and for this reason is often considered more prestigious. The Senate also has the power to approve treaties with foreign countries. Chairman of the Conference. Committee on Committees. Assists the leader, rounds up votes, heads large group of deputy and assistant whips. Steering and Policy Committee. Assists the leader, rounds up votes, heads large forum of deputy and assistant whips.

The following is a brief summary: To levy and collect taxes, duties, imposts, and excises. To borrow money. To regulate commerce with foreign nations, among the states, and with Indian tribes. To establish rules for naturalization that is, becoming a citizen and bankruptcy. To coin money, set its value, and punish counterfeiting. To fix the standard of weights and measures. To establish a post office and post roads. To issue patents and copyrights to inventors and authors.

To create courts inferior to that is, below the Supreme Court. To define and punish piracies, felonies on the high seas, and crimes against the law of nations. To declare war. To raise and support an army and navy and make rules for their governance. To provide for a militia reserving to the states the right to appoint militia officers and to train the militia under congressional rule. To exercise exclusive legislative powers over the seat of government that is, the District of Columbia and over places purchased to be federal facilities forts, arsenals, dockyards, and "other needful buildings.