how does the attorney general affect the house of representatives

How does an attorney general work?

While varying from one jurisdiction to the next due to statutory and constitutional mandates, the role of attorney general typically includes: Acting as public advocates in areas such as child support enforcement, consumer protections, antitrust and utility regulation. Representing the state and state agencies before the state and federal courts.

How does the House of Representatives affect the economy?

 · The attorney general holds the power of attorney in representing a government in all legal matters. The attorney general is nominated by the president and confirmed by the U.S. Senate. There is no designated term for the attorney general, rather the president can remove him or her from the office at any time.

Did the Senate have the authority to arrest the Attorney General?

after voting to hold attorney general bill barr in contempt of congress (a likely outcome after the house judiciary committee on wednesday approved a contempt resolution against the attorney...

What happens in the House of Representatives during a presidential election?

As per the Constitution, the U.S. House of Representatives makes and passes federal laws. The House is one of Congress’s two chambers (the other is the U.S. Senate), and part of the federal …

What is the significance of the Attorney General?

Attorneys general are the top legal officers of their state or territory. They advise and represent their legislature and state agencies and act as the “People's Lawyer” for the citizens. Most are elected, though a few are appointed by the governor. Select your state to connect to your state attorney general's website.

What powers does the US attorney general have?

As the chief officer of the Department of Justice, the attorney general enforces federal laws, provides legal counsel in federal cases, interprets the laws that govern executive departments, heads federal jails and penal institutions, and examines alleged violations of federal laws.

Does Congress have to approve the attorney general?

The attorney general is a statutory member of the Cabinet of the United States. Under the Appointments Clause of the United States Constitution, the officeholder is nominated by the president of the United States, then appointed with the advice and consent of the United States Senate.

What role does the Attorney General have in the United States quizlet?

What is the role of the Attorney General? Head of the Department of Justice, top law enforcement officer and lawyer for the United States, defends the US and the Constitution in court cases.

Who has more power governor or Attorney General?

The vast majority of state attorneys general are elected separately from the governor, which means they're free to make their own decisions about which cases to prosecute. Governors can try to influence them informally—and in most cases, their interests line up—but they have no formal power over the AGs.

Who can remove the attorney general?

the PresidentHe can be removed by the President at any time. He can quit by submitting his resignation only to the President. Since he is appointed by the President on the advice of the Council of Ministers, conventionally he is removed when the council is dissolved or replaced.

Who Appoints the us attorney general?

The PresidentThe President shall appoint, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, an Attorney General of the United States. The Attorney General is the head of the Department of Justice. (Added Pub. L.

Who investigates Congress?

The Office of Congressional Ethics (OCE) of the U.S. House of Representatives is an independent, non-partisan entity charged with reviewing allegations of misconduct against Members, officers, and staff of the U.S. House of Representatives and, when appropriate, referring matters to the House Committee on Ethics.

Do US attorneys have to be confirmed by the Senate?

U.S. attorneys are appointed by the President of the United States for a term of four years, with appointments subject to confirmation by the Senate. A U.S. attorney continues in office, beyond the appointed term, until a successor is appointed and qualified.

What does the attorney general do ap gov?

The attorney general's important roles include: Representing the United States in court cases and legal matters. Giving legal advice to the president and the Cabinet. Appearing before the Supreme Court in important legal matters involving the nation or the federal government.

What role should politics play in the selection of US attorneys?

Both the Constitution and enabling legislation give the power to appoint United States attorneys to the president, subject to the Senate's "advice and consent." In practice, the senators of the president's political party from a given state often make the initial selection of a candidate for United States attorney.

What is the role of the Solicitor General AP Gov?

The solicitor general decides what cases the government will appeal from lower courts and personally approves every case the government presents to the Supreme Court.

What does the Attorney General do?

The attorney general prosecutes cases that involve the government and gives advice to the president and heads of the executive departments when needed. As the chief officer of the Department of Justice, the attorney general enforces federal laws, provides legal counsel in federal cases, interprets the laws that govern executive departments, ...

Who is the attorney general appointed by?

Some attorneys general are elected in statewide contests, while others are appointed by the governor, legislature or supreme court. The projects that an attorney general can take on are wide ranging.

Who is the longest serving attorney general in Michigan?

The longest serving state attorney general was Frank J. Kelley who served for 37 years. He served from 1961 to 1998. At the time of his election at the age of 36, he was the youngest in his state's history. By the end of his term at the age of 74, he was the oldest ever to serve. He earned the moniker "Eternal General" [source: Michigan Bar ].

What is the role of an attorney?

While attorneys are responsible for prosecuting offenses against the United States and prosecuting or defending in proceedings in which the United States requires representation, marshals issue orders and processes under the authority of the United States.

Can the President remove the Attorney General?

There is no designated term for the attorney general, rather the president can remove him or her from the office at any time. Additionally, the attorney general can be impeached and tried by Congress if deemed necessary.

What is the job of the Attorney General?

The attorney general serves as the principal advisor to the president of the United Stateson all legal matters. The attorney general is a statutory member of the Cabinet of the United States.

What was the purpose of the Attorney General's Office?

The original duties of this officer were "to prosecute and conduct all suits in the Supreme Court in which the United States shall be concerned, and to give his advice and opinion upon questions of law when required by the president of the United States, or when requested by the heads of any of the departments". Some of these duties have since been transferred to the United States solicitor general and the White House counsel .

Who was the acting attorney general of the United States in 2017?

For example, upon the inauguration of President Donald Trump on January 20, 2017, then-Attorney General Loretta Lynch left her position, so then-Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates, who had also tendered her resignation, was asked to stay on to serve as the acting attorney general until the confirmation of the new attorney general Jeff Sessions, who had been nominated for the office in November 2016 by then- President-elect Donald Trump.

When does the Attorney General have to resign?

Presidential transition[edit] It is the practice for the attorney general, along with the other Cabinet secretaries and high-level political appointees of the President, to tender a resignation with effect on the Inauguration Day(January 20) of a new president.

How much does an attorney general make in 2021?

Attorney General is a Level I position in the Executive Schedule, thus earning a salary of US$ 221,400, as of January 2021.

Who was the attorney general nominee for Clinton?

Gerson was fourth in the line of succession at the Justice Department, but other senior DOJ officials had already resigned.[14] Janet Reno, President Clinton's nominee for attorney general, was confirmed on March 12,[15]and he resigned the same day.

How many members are in the House of Representatives?

Senate), and part of the federal government’s legislative branch. The number of voting representatives in the House is fixed by law at no more than 435, proportionally representing the population of the 50 states.

What was the agreement between the House and Senate?

This agreement was part of what is referred to as The Great Compromise

What is the role of a ranking member in a congressional committee?

The ranking member leads the minority members of the committee. Commissions. Congress has created a wide variety of temporary and permanent commissions to serve as advisory bodies for investigative or policy-related issues, or to carry out administrative, interparliamentary, or commemorative tasks.

Who leads the committee?

Each committee has a chair and a ranking member. The chair heads the full committee. The ranking member leads the minority members of the committee.

What is the purpose of the Committee of the Whole House?

The Committee of the Whole House is a committee of the House on which all representatives serve and which meets in the House Chamber for the consideration of measures from the Union calendar.

How many committees are there in the House?

The House’s 20 standing committees have different legislative jurisdictions. Each considers bills and issues and recommends measures for consideration by the House. Committees also have oversight responsibilities to monitor agencies, programs, and activities within their jurisdictions, and in some cases in areas that cut across committee jurisdictions.

What happens when the majority party and minority party meet?

The majority party members and the minority party members meet in separate caucuses to select their leader. Third parties rarely have had enough members to elect their own leadership, and independents will generally join one of the larger party organizations to receive committee assignments.

What happens to the House of Representatives during the presidential election?

Finally, during a presidential election, the House of Representatives steps in if no candidate receives a majority of the total electoral votes. Each state delegation has one vote to choose the President from among the top three candidates with the largest number of electoral votes.

What is the House of Representatives?

In fact, the House is the only institution that has been directly elected by American voters since its formation in 1789.

How often do members of the House of Representatives stand for election?

Members of the House of Representatives “must stand for election every two years, after which it convenes for a new session and essentially reconstitutes itself – electing a Speaker, swearing-in the Members-elect, and approving a slate of officers to administer the institution.”.

How are House seats apportioned?

Specifically, seats in the House “are apportioned based on state population according to the constitutionally mandated Census.” The Census, which occurs every ten years and is overseen by the Bureau of the Census, part of the U.S. Department of Commerce. Tying representation to Census data allows the number of each state’s representatives to increase or decrease along with fluctuations in state population. The Census data is then used to determine congressional districts, areas in the state from which representatives are elected to the House. This process is called redistricting. For more on redistricting and the Census, see The Policy Circle’s Decennial Census Brief.

How many representatives are there in the House of Representatives?

There are 435 representatives in the House, and have been since the number was fixed by law in 1911. Each House representative is elected to a two-year term serving the people of a specific congressional district in a state.

What is the legislative branch?

The legislative branch is made up of the House of Representatives and the Senate, known collectively as the Congress. Among other powers, the legislative branch “makes all laws, declares war, regulates interstate and foreign commerce and controls taxing and spending policies.”. CrashCourse U.S. Government and Politics, ...

What branch of government is the House of Representatives?

This brief focuses on the Legislative branch of the U.S. government, in particular the House of Representatives, including the nuts and bolts of how its inner workings, and how everyday citizens can influence the legislative process. For a brief on the U.S. Senate, click here. Save Save.

How does the House of Representatives affect the economy?

In addition to the budgetary process, the House of Representatives affects the economy by submitting bills that will please the voters in their Congressional District.

What is the role of the House of Representatives in the federal budget process?

The House aids in determining fiscal policy. Like the Senate, it guides federal spending and taxation. It kicks off the federal budget process for Congress. 8 All legislation concerning fiscal policy, such as the budget, appropriations, and taxes, must originate with it. 9

How to find out who your representative is?

To find out who your Representative is, go to the U.S. House of Representatives and enter your zip code. This site will also tell you what bills are being considered this week. You can research past bills, and view videos of past House floor proceedings. Most important, it will tell you how your Representative voted on any legislation.

When did the House of Representatives move to Philadelphia?

In 1789 , the House assembled for the first time in New York. In 1790, it moved to Philadelphia. The Permanent Seat of Government Act established the nation’s federal capital in Washington, DC. Congress moved there in 1800. The House moved into the south side of the Capitol in 1807. The wing was fully completed four years later. 11

How do leaders of investigations gain power?

Leaders of investigations also gain power by holding hearings that grab media attention. In 2001 and 2002, House Committees on Education and the Workforce, on Energy and Commerce, and on Financial Services, and their subcommittees, held 18 hearings on the Enron Corporation.

What does the House do?

The House does all its work in committees. Committees determine which bills will go to the floor of the full House for a vote. They draft legislation. They also have access to expert information that provides an advantage when debating bills on the floor. Committee chairs have the most power.

What are joint committees?

Joint committees are composed of members of the House and Senate. They share oversight responsibilities, but do not have legislative jurisdiction. They are the Joint Committees on Printing, on Taxation, and on the Library, and the Joint Economic Committee.

What is the role of the House of Representatives?

The House of Representatives shares equal responsibility for lawmaking with the U.S. Senate. As conceived by the framers of the Constitution, the House was to represent the popular will, and its members were to be directly elected by the people. In contrast, members of the Senate were appointed by the states until the ratification of the Seventeenth Amendment (1913), which mandated the direct election of senators.

How many members are in the House of Representatives?

The House of Representatives originally comprised 59 members. The number rose following the ratification of the Constitution by North Carolina and Rhode Island in 1790; the first Congress (1789–91) adjourned with 65 representatives. By 1912 membership had reached 435. Two additional representatives were added temporarily after the admission of Alaska and Hawaii as states in 1959, but at the next legislative apportionment, membership returned to 435, the number authorized by a law enacted in 1941.

What is the role of the Speaker of the House?

This individual, who is chosen by the majority party, presides over debate, appoints members of select and conference committees, and performs other important duties; speakers are second in the line of presidential succession (following the vice president).

Why are committees important?

The committees also play an important role in the control exercised by Congress over governmental agencies. Cabinet officers and other officials are frequently summoned before the committees to explain policy. The Constitution (Article I, section 6) prohibits members of Congress from holding offices in the executive branch of government—a chief distinction between parliamentary and congressional forms of government.

What are the standing committees?

Among important standing committees are those on appropriations, on ways and means (which handles matters related to finance), and on rules.

How many committees are there in the House?

There are approximately 20 standing (permanent) committees, organized mainly around major policy areas, each having staffs, budgets, and subcommittees.

How are the House committees organized?

A further dominating element of House organization is the committee system, under which the membership is divided into specialized groups for purposes such as holding hearings, preparing bills for the consideration of the entire House, and regulating House procedure. Each committee is chaired by a member of the majority party. Almost all bills are first referred to a committee, and ordinarily the full House cannot act on a bill until the committee has “reported” it for floor action. There are approximately 20 standing (permanent) committees, organized mainly around major policy areas, each having staffs, budgets, and subcommittees. They may hold hearings on questions of public interest, propose legislation that has not been formally introduced as a bill or resolution, and conduct investigations. Among important standing committees are those on appropriations, on ways and means (which handles matters related to finance), and on rules. There are also select and special committees, which are usually appointed for a specific project and for a limited period.

How are House of Representatives seats determined?

Under Article I, Section 2 of the Constitution, seats in the House of Representatives are apportioned among the states by population, as determined by the census conducted every ten years. Each state is entitled to at least one representative, however small its population.

What is the lower house of the United States Congress?

Other countries. v. t. e. The United States House of Representatives is the lower house of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper house. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States . The House's composition is established by Article One of the United States Constitution.

What happens when a debate concludes?

When debate concludes, the motion is put to a vote. In many cases, the House votes by voice vote; the presiding officer puts the question, and members respond either "yea" or "aye" (in favor of the motion) or "nay" or "no" (against the motion). The presiding officer then announces the result of the voice vote.

When was the Mace of the House of Representatives used?

In an American tradition adopted from English custom in 1789 by the first speaker of the House, Frederick Muhlenberg of Pennsylvania, the Mace of the United States House of Representatives is used to open all sessions of the House. It is also used during the inaugural ceremonies for all presidents of the United States.

What is the majority party?

The party with a majority of seats in the House is known as the majority party. The next-largest party is the minority party. The speaker, committee chairs, and some other officials are generally from the majority party; they have counterparts (for instance, the "ranking members" of committees) in the minority party .

What powers does the Senate have?

As a check on the regional, popular, and rapidly changing politics of the House, the Senate has several distinct powers. For example, the " advice and consent " powers (such as the power to approve treaties and confirm members of the Cabinet) are a sole Senate privilege. The House, however, has the exclusive power to initiate bills for raising revenue, to impeach officials, and to choose the president if a presidential candidate fails to get a majority of the Electoral College votes. The Senate and House are further differentiated by term lengths and the number of districts represented: the Senate has longer terms of six years, fewer members (currently one hundred, two for each state), and (in all but seven delegations) larger constituencies per member. The Senate is referred to as the "upper" house, and the House of Representatives as the "lower" house.

What are the requirements for a representative?

Each representative must: (1) be at least twenty-five years old; (2) have been a citizen of the United States for the past seven years; and (3) be (at the time of the election) an inhabitant of the state they represent. Members are not required to live in the districts they represent, but they traditionally do. The age and citizenship qualifications for representatives are less than those for senators. The constitutional requirements of Article I, Section 2 for election to Congress are the maximum requirements that can be imposed on a candidate. Therefore, Article I, Section 5, which permits each House to be the judge of the qualifications of its own members does not permit either House to establish additional qualifications. Likewise a State could not establish additional qualifications. William C. C. Claiborne served in the House below the minimum age of 25.

How to introduce a bill in the House of Representatives?

Any member in the House of Representatives may introduce a bill at any time while the House is in session by simply placing it in the “hopper” at the side of the Clerk's desk in the House Chamber. The sponsor's signature must appear on the bill. A public bill may have an unlimited number of co-sponsoring members. The bill is assigned its legislative number by the Clerk and referred to the appropriate committee by the Speaker, with the assistance of the Parliamentarian. The bill is then printed in its introduced form, which you can read in Bill Text#N#(link is external)#N#.

What is the most important phase of the legislative process?

An important phase of the legislative process is the action taken by committees. It is during committee action that the most intense consideration is given to the proposed measures; this is also the time when the people are given the opportunity to be heard.

How many members can a bill have?

The sponsor's signature must appear on the bill. A public bill may have an unlimited number of co-sponsoring members . The bill is assigned its legislative number by the Clerk and referred to the appropriate committee by the Speaker, with the assistance of the Parliamentarian.