Legislative Branch Web Exercise Name______

  1. Go to This website shows you the workings of Congress. The website is named in honor of what historical figure? ______

(You know this without looking!!)

  1. The 1st Congress met from 1789-1791. The 2nd Congress met from 1791-1793. The newest Congress met for the first time in January, 2013. Click on the link House of Representatives (along the left panel). Now look up top to find the following. Currently we’re in the ______session of the ______Congress.
  1. Read the page to figure out how to find out who represents YOU in the House of Representatives. (Your zip code will guide your way!)

Click on his name to look at some of the bills he has sponsored. These are ideas he’s trying to put into law. What are the following three bills about? HR1411______

HR2735______HR3326______

  1. Go back to the House of Reps’ page and in the search box type:Party Division. After clicking on Party Divisions/U.S. House of Representatives: History Arts and Archives,read the first paragraph. Scroll down to the chart to answer these questions.
  • Go to the top of the page. Click on Institution to find the Congressional Apportionment link. Then click on Apportionment by State. (It’s near the bottom.)
  • Go back to the previous page that’s titled History, Art and Archives. From the People heading, find the Speakers of the House link.
  • This person is the leader of the House and is a member of the majority party in the House. Read the paragraph that starts with Article I section 2 to answer the first question. If you don’t know the person’s party affiliation, click on the link for the current Speaker.

5. Find your way back to your original site ( Look at some current legislation that’s

going on. Search by Bill Number. Be sure to put the H.R. in front of the number. An example has been

done for you. (Try clicking on title or summary to understand what it’s about.)

H.R. # / Sponsor / Description of bill
H.R.
21 / James Moran
from Virginia / Promoting background check for firearm sales
H.R.3212
H.R. 1425
H.R.
3509

6. Go back again to the Thomas home page and look at some information regarding the Senate. (It’s along the left panel.) Along the top banner, click on Senators. Who are your senators and to what party does each belong? (Take a quick look at their websites.)

7. Return to the Senate page and look at the ART AND HISTORY link. Find the

HISTORICAL STATISTICS on the right side panel. After clicking on Senators, search the

various links (women, minorities, longest serving, salaries) to answer the

questions in the box on the next page. For statistics about # of Democrats and Republicans, go

back to Historical Statistics. Click on the link Political Parties and Leadership > Party

Division 1789-present. * To look at salaries, go to Art and History>Historical

Statistics>Senators>Salaries.

9. In 1796, when Washington stepped down from office, he sent to the Senate his Farewell

Address, in which gave advice to the country. Now the Senate reads this letter every year to

honor his birthday. Find a description of the addressby following the links Thomas Home page

Senate Art and HistoryHistorical Statistics>Senators. Scroll down to find Washington’s

Farewell Address under Honors and Accomplishments. Read the first four paragraphs.

If you couldn’t understand what you read online, look in the textbook, A More Perfect Union, page 661. In the introductory paragraph about Washington’s Farewell Address, the textbook authors say in simple language what Washington cautioned.

  • IN YOUR NOTEBOOK, title a page Legislative Branch Web Research. The information in the boldly lined boxes should be cut out and glued into your notebook. Please download a smallphoto of Dianne Feinstein, Barbara Boxer, and Jared Huffman. Put these small portraits next to information about them. There should be 8 boxes. You don’t need to cut out the box describing different bills.
  • The messy skeleton of papers that are left should be recycled.