Who leads the Senate in the absence of the official leader?

Under the Constitution, the vice president serves as the president of the Senate and presides over the Senate’s daily proceedings. In the absence of the vice president, the Senate’s president pro tempore (and others designated by them) presides.

Where does the speaker of the House sit during the State of the Union?

Both the speaker and the vice president sit at the speaker’s desk, behind the President for the duration of the speech.

What happens in the Senate on opening day?

The day begins with the opening prayer and recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance, followed by the swearing-in of senators-elect (and sometimes appointed senators), the establishment of a quorum, notifications to the House of Representatives and the president, and often the election of a president pro tempore and other …

What is one difference between the House of Representatives and the Senate?

Senators represent their entire states, but members of the House represent individual districts. The number of districts in each state is determined by a state’s population. Each state has a minimum of one representative in Congress.

Who is the most powerful position in the Senate?

The majority leader serves as the chief representative of their party in the Senate, and is considered the most powerful member of the Senate.

What happens when President dies in office?

If the President dies, resigns or is removed from office, the Vice President becomes President for the rest of the term. If the Vice President is unable to serve, Speaker of the House acts as President.

Which president started the State of the Union address?

Presidents George Washington and John Adams delivered their messages in person, but in 1801 Thomas Jefferson chose to send his in writing. That precedent held until Woodrow Wilson decided to deliver his message in person in 1913, a tradition that continues today.

What was the shortest State of the Union address?

With their speaker were on his left…”. His demeanor gave the event the respect and importance that it has been given since his first speech. For all the importance that his speech has it is the shortest State of the Union Address that has been given to this day with only 1,089 words.

Who has the authority to work out differences between House and Senate?

After both chambers accept the bill, joint committees work out the differences between the two versions. Both houses then vote on the exact same bill. If the bill passes, it’s sent to the president for approval.

Does the Speaker of the House sit on committees?

The Speaker of the House acts as the leader of the U.S. House of Representatives. Every two years, the Members of the U.S. House of Representatives vote on the first day of each new Congress. Traditionally, unlike other Members, the Speaker does not serve on committees or participate in floor debate.

Why do senators have longer terms than representatives?

To guarantee senators’ independence from short-term political pressures, the framers designed a six-year Senate term, three times as long as that of popularly elected members of the House of Representatives. Madison reasoned that longer terms would provide stability.

What’s in a State of the Union speech?

In that first speech, presidents lay out the goals for their administrations. The House of Representatives also has some interesting notes on the State of the Union — here are some of them:

Is the State of the Union address the same as the message?

Sometimes, they did both. The message hasn’t always gone by the name “State of the Union,” the House of Representatives notes. From 1790 to 1946 it was called the “Annual Message,” and then from 1942 to 1946 it became known informally called the “state of the Union.” And since 1947, it’s been officially known as the State of the Union Address.

How many people watched Trump’s first State of the Union Address?

An estimated 48 million people watched President Trump’s first address to a joint session of Congress in February 2017, considered the first-term equivalent of the State of the Union. In its mandate that the president inform Congress about the state of the union, the Constitution doesn’t mention the judicial branch of government.

Who gave the first modern State of the Union Address?

That December, Wilson returned before Congress to give the first modern State of the Union address (though it wouldn’t officially be called that until Franklin D. Roosevelt’s presidency).