Each state receives representation in the House in proportion to its population there is a minimum of one Representative per state. Rhode Island currently has 2 representatives, David Cicilline and myself. Below are answers to some common questions about Congress and links to additional information related to the legislative process. Click on the questions to jump to the answers. How are laws made? How many members of Congress are there? What does a member of Congress do?
How can I tell what is currently happening on the House floor? How can I watch the proceedings on the House floor? How does a Representative introduce a bill? How do I find out the status of a particular bill in the House of Representatives or the Senate? What is the Congressional Record? What is a roll call vote?
What is a Congressional recess? The Greeks are often credited with pioneering a democratic government that went on to influence the structure of the United States. Read this article that describes how elements of ancient Greek democracy heavily influenced the figures that designed the United States government.
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Encyclopedic Entry Vocabulary. House of Representatives. Media Credits The audio, illustrations, photos, and videos are credited beneath the media asset, except for promotional images, which generally link to another page that contains the media credit. Media If a media asset is downloadable, a download button appears in the corner of the media viewer. Text Text on this page is printable and can be used according to our Terms of Service. Interactives Any interactives on this page can only be played while you are visiting our website.
Related Resources. Voting Process. View Collection. The Electoral College. View Map. Executive Branch. View Article. Congress is divided into two institutions: the House of Representatives and the Senate. The two houses of Congress have equal but unique roles in the federal government.
While they share legislative responsibilities, each house also has special constitutional duties and powers. To balance the interests of both the small and large states, the Framers of the Constitution divided the power of Congress between the two houses. To qualify for election as a Senator, you also have to be a natural-born Filipino citizen, a registered voter, a resident of the Philippines for at least two 2 years before the day of the election and at least thirty-five 35 years old.
Our Constitution provides that our Congress convenes for its regular session every year beginning on the 4th Monday of July. A regular session can last until thirty days before the opening of its next regular session in the succeeding year. The President may, however, call special sessions which are usually held between regular sessions to handle emergencies or urgent matters. A majority of all the Members of the House elects the Speaker.
Those who voted for the Speaker belong to the Majority while those who voted for the Speaker's opponent belong to the Minority. The other officers of the House of Representatives are the thirty-two 32 Deputy Speakers , the Secretary-General and the Sergeant-at-Arms who are also elected by a majority of all the Representatives. Committees, or small groups of Representatives, headed by committee chairpersons, study proposed laws called bills, and other measures relating to issues and concerns affecting our lives, our communities and our society.
They conduct hearings that give us, citizens, opportunities to express our views on proposed laws or measures. Employees of the House constituting Committee Secretariats provide the committees with legislative support services such as research, report preparation, policy studies and the like. When you visit the House of Representatives, you may see your Representatives in action during sessions or committee hearings.
If you wish to speak with any one of them during sessions or hearings, the Pages who assist and run errands for our representatives in the Session Hall and in our conference rooms, can bring your notes and messages to the Representative you wish to speak with.
You may also send an email to your Representatives, attend or testify at committee hearings, or ask for information about the legislative process or a specific bill.
Your Representatives will appreciate hearing from you because they know how important your views are in making good laws that effectively address the welfare of our people. This bicameral legislature was inaugurated in October, In , the Jones Law changed the legislative system.
The Philippine Commission was abolished, and a new bicameral Philippine Legislature consisting of a House of Representatives and a Senate was established. The legislative system was changed again in The Constitution established a unicameral National Assembly.
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