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by Modo992000 on December 17th, 2005

Modo992000

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What is the function of the U.S. Senate?

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  • by Archaeologist on January 16th, 2006

    Archaeologist

    The U.S. Senate is the senior legislative body of the United States.
    Bills may originate in the U.S. Senate, and if they do so, they must be passed by the U.S. House of Representatives as well to enter law. However, so too must every House of Representatives legislative act be approved by a Senate vote.

    The Constitution clearly enumerates further powers for the Senate, however, powers which the House of Representatives does not share.
    In a nutshell, the most important of these are listed below:

    1. Only the Senate may validate and/or approve the signature/rejection of treaties.

    2. The Senate is responsible for Impeachment Trials, once a bill of Impeachment is passed by the House.

    3. The Senate must also give its consent in order for the country to legally declare war (ie: the House alone can't do it).

    4. The Senate must confirm all Cabinet, Supreme Court, and Federal Court appointments, as well as all Ambassadorships. Andrew Johnson's placement of a cabinet-member who had been rejected by the Senate, at the time, was the direct cause of his own impeachment.

    Originally, the Senate didn't originate a great deal of legislation (it was seen as being a body which passed/wrote legislation only in the most 'important' of matters). Senators were appointed by state governors. However, with the Seventeenth Amendment, Senators have been elected in the same manner as Representatives to the House (ie: popularly), and the Senate has been far more active in legislating, since the passage of that amendment in the early twentieth century.

    In truth, the Senate was created as a compromise, a body where "all states would be equal", and was heavily endorsed by the smaller of the original 13 states. It has remained largely clear of the power of "large state voting blocs" which have occasionally derailed important legislation in the House.

    Comments

    • comprehensive; excellent summary of the impetus for the creation of the senate

      LynfromNM

      by LynfromNM on February 1st, 2006

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