CARD 21 - Congressional Houses

Major Differences Between the Two Houses of Congress:
HOUSE SENATE
435 members serving two-year terms 100 members serving rotating six-year
Speaker's referral of bills to committee is hard to challenge Referral decisions easy to challenge.
Committees almost always consider legislation Committee consideration easily bypassed.
Rules Committee powerful; controls time of debate, admissibility of amendments. Rules Committee weak; few limits on debate or amendments.
Debate usually limited to one hour. Unlimited debate unless shortened by unanimous consent or by invoking cloture.
Non-germane amendments may not be introduced from floor. Non-germane amendments may be introduced (riders).

Qualifications for Entering Congress:
 House:
- Must be 25 years of age (when seated, not when elected).
- Must have been a citizen of the United States for 7 years.
- Must be an inhabitant of the state from which elected.
(NOTE: custom, but not the Constitution, requires that a representative live in the district that he or she represents.)
Senate:
- Must be 30 years of age (when seated, not when elected).
- Must have been a citizen of the United States for 9 years.
- Must be an inhabitant of the state from which elected.