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Supreme Congress of the Confederate Union


Supreme Congress of the Confederate Union

The Great Seal of the All-Union Supreme Congress


The Confederate Union Capitol Complex in Capitoline Square, the central apparatus of Hannock, G.D.H.

OVERVIEW
The Supreme Congress of the Confederate Union, also known as the All-Union Supreme Congress (shortened to Supreme Congress or simply Congress), is the tricameral legislative body of the federal government of the Union of Confederative Democratic Republican States, and consists of three distinct chambers: the upper Congress of the States (States Congress), the intermediary Congress of the Nationalities (Nationalities Congress/Auditory College), and the lower Congress of the Union (Union Congress). The Supreme Congress meets in the Confederate Union Capitol in Hannock, G.D.H., which doubles as the Legislative and Judiciary Capital under the direct governance of the body. Both senators and representatives are chosen through direct election, though vacancies in the Congress of the States may be filled by a gubernatorial appointment. Deputies of the Congress of Nationalities are separately appointed by States’ respective legislatures. The Supreme Congress is de jure the collective head of state of the Confederate Union, though this function is traditionally and nominally accorded to the President.

The members of the Congress of the Union, CU Representatives, serve two-year terms representing the people of a single constituency, known as a district. Representatives can be re-elected for twelve terms. Congressional districts are apportioned to states by population using the Confederate Union Census results, provided that each state has at least one congressional representative. Each state, regardless of population or size, has ten senators in the Congress of the States, each serving six-year terms. CU Deputies, much like Representatives, serve two-year terms, their their term limits are constrained to only six. CU Senators can be re-elected for four terms. Article One of the Confederate Union Constitution requires that members of Supreme Congress must be at least 25 years old (Union Congress and Auditory College) or 30 years old (States Congress), have been a citizen of the Confederate Union for seven (Union Congress and Auditory College) or nine (States Congress) years, and be an inhabitant of the state which they represent.

The Confederate Union Supreme Congress dates back to its earliest iteration, the Gadsden Congress (the Golgotha Convention of 1604), during the early 1600s of the Sixth Era. The Convention was the first instance of representative delegates from the largely autonomous Hesperican colonies to assemble, for the purposes of discussing relations with native Hesperican tribal and indigenous nations. It was succeeded by the Press Act Congress (the Continental Congress of 1615) in response to the imposition of taxes on printed materials, culminating into the First Continental Congress (1624 6E) and Second Continental Congresses (1625 6E) encompassing the Hesperican Revolutionary War period (1625-1627 6E). Through the Declaration of Independence, the Second Continental Congress presided over the governance of the newly-established Federation of United Hesperican Colonies. The Congress of the Confederation (also known as the Confederation Congress or the United Free States of Hesperica in General Congress Assembled) was created and first met in 1628 6E through the organ of the Chartered Articles of Federation (Constitution of 1628)—replacing in its legislative function the previous Continental Congress of the United Colonies—at the conclusion of the Revolutionary War. It was reorganized with the ratification of the new National Protocols of Confederation and Perpetual Union (the Constitution of 1636), only eight years after the promulgation of the Confederacy of Free Hesperican States, with the establishment of the Third Confederacy. It was once again reorganized through the Confederacy’s newest governing document, the Confederate Union Constitution on 1645 6E, coinciding with the birth of the modern Confederate Union.


Article One of the C.U. Constitution states, "All legislative Powers herein granted shall be vested in an all-encompassing Supreme Congress of these Confederative States, which shall consist of a Congress for the States, a Congress of the Nationalities, and a Congress for the Union.". The Union, Nationalities, and States Congresses are equal partners in the legislative process—legislation cannot be enacted without the consent of both chambers. However, the Constitution grants each chamber some unique powers. The States Congress ratifies treaties and approves presidential appointments while the Union Congress initiates revenue-raising bills. The Union Congress initiates impeachment cases, while the States Congress decides impeachment cases. A two-thirds vote of the States Congress is required before an impeached person can be removed from office.

The term Congress can also refer to a particular meeting of the legislature. A Congress presides over two years, with two of these sessions coinciding with a Presidential term. Since the adoption of the Twentieth Amendment to the Confederate Union Constitution, the Congress has started and ended at noon on the third day of Pluvius (January 3rd) of every odd-numbered year. Members of the Congress of the States are referred to as Senators; members of the Congress of the Nationalities are referred to as deputies; and members of the Congress of the Union are referred to as representatives, congresswomen, or congressmen. Multilaterally, both chambers are referred to as “members of Congress.”

The Supreme Congress of the Confederate Union serves three distinct purposes: local representation to the federal government of a congressional district by representatives, a state's at-large representation to the federal government by senators, and the investigation and auditing of government efficiency and administration through equal representation of ethnic and cultural groups.

Most incumbents seek re-election, and their historical likelihood of winning subsequent elections exceeds 90 percent.

The historical records of the Congress of the Union and the Congress of the States are maintained by the Center for Legislative Archives, which is a part of the National Archives and Records Administration.

Congress is directly responsible for the governing of the Greater District of Hesperica, encompassing the cities of Swatara and Hannock which are the joint or “co-equal” seats of the federal government.


132nd Supreme Congress of the Confederate Union

Members of Congress Seats:
— 343 voting seats
—— 40 senators
—— 303 representatives (including Swatara, Hannock and C.U. Territories)


Congress of the States political groups:
Social Populist Party (SPP) (18)
Federal Centrist Party (FCP) (6)
National Patriotic Party (NPP) (6)
Republican-Democratic Party (R-D) (4/1)
Hesperican Progressive Party (HPP) (4)
Other political parties (1)

THE CONGRESS OF THE STATES IS CONTROLLED BY:
Social Populist Party (SPP) (SPP-HPP Coalition: 23)


Congress of the Union political groups:
Social Populist Party (SPP) (112)
Federal Centrist Party (FCP) (31)
National Patriotic Party (NPP) (25)
Republican-Democratic Party (R-D) (73/16)
Hesperican Progressive Party (HPP) (39)
Other political parties (7)

THE CONGRESS OF THE UNION IS CONTROLLED BY:
Social Populist Party (SPP) (SPP-HPP Coalition: 151)

Congressional Sessions (Presidency of Zacharias DeWitt
131st Supreme Congress: 3rd day of the First Décade, Pluvius, 1889 6E → 3rd day of the First Décade, Pluvius, 1891 6E (January 3, 1889 → January 3, 1891)
132nd Supreme Congress: 3rd day of the First Décade, Pluvius, 1891 6E → 3rd day of the First Décade, Pluvius, 1893 6E (January 3, 1891 → January 3, 1893)

Congress is split into three chambers – Union Congress, Nationalities Congress, and States Congress – and manages the task of writing national legislation by dividing work into separate committees which specialize in different areas. Some members of Congress are elected by their peers to be officers of these committees. Further, Congress has ancillary organizations such as the Government Accountability Office and the Library of Congress to help provide it with information, and members of Congress have staff and offices to assist them as well. In addition, a vast industry of lobbyists helps members write legislation on behalf of diverse corporate, cultural, and labor interests.

COMMITTEES
A congressional committee is a legislative sub-organization in the Confederate Union Supreme Congress that handles a specific duty (rather than the general duties of Congress). Committee membership enables members to develop specialized knowledge of the matters under their jurisdiction. As "little legislatures", the committees monitor ongoing governmental operations, identify issues suitable for legislative review, gather and evaluate information, and recommend courses of action to their parent body.

Congress divides its legislative, oversight, and internal administrative tasks among approximately 200 committees and subcommittees. Within assigned areas, these functional subunits gather information; compare and evaluate legislative alternatives; identify policy problems and propose solutions; select, determine, and report measures for full chamber consideration; monitor executive branch performance (oversight); and investigate allegations of wrongdoing. The investigatory functions have always been a key role. In the tabling and wording of new law, procedures such as the Union Congress discharge petition process (the process of bringing a bill onto the floor without a committee report or mandatory consent from its leadership) are so laborious and technical that committees, today, dominate the draftsmanship and honing of the detail of many bills laid before Congress.

Types of Committees
There are three main types of committees—standing, select or special, and joint.

-- Standing committees: Standing committees are permanent panels identified as such in chamber rules. Because they have legislative jurisdiction, standing committees consider bills and issues and recommend measures for consideration by their respective chambers. They also have oversight responsibility to monitor agencies, programs, and activities within their jurisdictions, and in some cases in areas that cut across committee jurisdictions. Most standing committees recommend funding levels—authorizations—for government operations and for new and existing programs.
-- Select or special committees: Select or special committees are established generally by a separate resolution of the chamber, sometimes to conduct investigations and studies, and, on other occasions, also to consider measures. Often, select committees examine emerging issues that do not fit clearly within existing standing committee jurisdictions, or that cut across jurisdictional boundaries. A select committee may be permanent or temporary (all current select committees in the Union Congress and States Congress are considered permanent committees). Instead of select, the States Congress sometimes uses the term special committee.
-- Joint committees: Joint committees are permanent panels that include members from both chambers, which generally conduct studies or perform housekeeping tasks rather than consider measures. A conference committee is an ad hoc joint committee formed to resolve differences between similar but competing Union Congress and States Congress versions of a bill. Conference committees draft compromises between the positions of the two chambers, which are then submitted to the full Union Congress and States Congress for approval.

Apart from conference committees, most joint committees are permanent.
-- Other
---- Subcommittees: are formed by most committees to share specific tasks within the jurisdiction of the full committee. Subcommittees are responsible to, and work within the guidelines established by, their parent committees. In particular, standing committees usually create subcommittees with legislative jurisdiction to consider and report bills. They may assign their subcommittees such specific tasks as the initial consideration of measures and oversight of laws and programs in the subcommittees' areas.
---- Committee of the Whole: used by the Congress of the Union, but not the modern Congress of the States.

Current Committees

-- Congress of the States Committees
---- Aging (Special)
---- Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry
---- Appropriations
---- Armed Services
---- Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs
---- Budget
---- Commerce, Science and Transportation
---- Energy and Natural Resources
---- Ethics (Select)
---- Environment and Public Works
---- Finance
---- Foreign Relations
---- Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
---- Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
---- Aboriginal Affairs
---- Intelligence (Select)
---- Judiciary
---- Rules and Administration
---- Small Business and Entrepreneurship
---- Veterans' Affairs

-- Congress of the Nationalities Committees
-- Standing Committees:
---- Domestic and Ethnic Affairs
---- Foreign and Overseas Hesperican Affairs
---- National Defense and Intelligence Affairs
---- Finance and Economic Affairs
---- Education and Cultural Affairs
---- Transportation and Procurement Affairs
---- Judicial and Prison Administration Affairs
-- Special Committees:
---- Statutory Studies
---- Consultation
---- Discipline for Deputies
---- Anti-Corruption

-- Congress of the Union Committees
---- Agriculture
---- Appropriations
---- Armed Services
---- Budget
---- Education and Labor
---- Energy and Commerce
---- Ethics
---- Financial Services
---- Foreign Affairs
---- Homeland Security
---- Union Congress Administration
---- Intelligence (Permanent Select)
---- Judiciary
---- Natural Resources
---- Oversight and Government Reform
---- Rules
---- Science and Technology
---- Small Business
---- Transportation and Infrastructure
---- Veterans' Affairs
---- Ways and Means
---- Committee of the Whole

-- Joint Committees
---- Congressional Conference Committee (ad hoc, resolves disagreement to a bill)
---- Economic
---- Library
---- Printing
---- Taxation

Specializations and Power
The committee structure permits members of Congress to study a particular subject intensely. It is neither expected nor possible that a member be an expert on all subject areas before Congress. As time goes by, members develop expertise in particular subjects and their legal aspects. Committees investigate specialized subjects and advise the entire Congress about choices and trade-offs. The choice of specialty may be influenced by the member's constituency, important regional issues, prior background and experience. Senators often choose a different specialty from that of the other senator from their state to prevent overlap. Some committees specialize in running the business of other committees and exert a powerful influence over all legislation.

Committees write legislation. While procedures, such as the Union Congress discharge petition process, can introduce bills to the Union Congress floor and effectively bypass committee input, they are exceedingly difficult to implement without committee action. Committees have power and have been called independent fiefdoms. Legislative, oversight, and internal administrative tasks are divided among about two hundred committees and subcommittees which gather information, evaluate alternatives, and identify problems. They propose solutions for consideration by the full chamber. In addition, they perform the function of oversight by monitoring the executive branch and investigating wrongdoing.


POWERS OF CONGRESS

Overview of Congressional Power
Article One of the Constitution creates and sets forth the structure and most of the powers of Congress. Sections One through Six describe how Congress is elected and gives each chamber the power to create its own structure. Section Seven lays out the process for creating laws, and Section Eight enumerates numerous powers. Section Nine is a list of powers Congress does not have, and Section Ten enumerates powers of the state, some of which may only be granted by Congress. Constitutional amendments have granted Congress additional powers. Congress also has implied powers derived from the Constitution's Necessary and Proper Clause.

Congress has authority over financial and budgetary policy through the enumerated power to "lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises, to pay the Debts and provide for the common Defence and general Welfare of the Confederate Union". There is vast authority over budgets, although analysts suggest that much of Congress's power to manage the budget has been lost when the welfare state expanded since entitlements were institutionally detached from Congress's ordinary legislative routine and rhythm. Another factor leading to less control over the budget was a belief that balanced budgets were unnecessary.

The Forty-first Amendment extended congressional power of taxation to include income taxes without apportionment among the several States, and without regard to any census or enumeration. The Constitution also grants Congress the exclusive power to appropriate funds, and this power of the purse is one of Congress's primary checks on the executive branch. Congress can borrow money on the credit of the Confederate Union, regulate commerce with foreign nations and among the states, and coin money. Generally, both the Congress of the States and the Congress of the Union have equal legislative authority, although only the Union Congress may originate revenue and appropriation bills.

Congress has an important role in national defense, including the exclusive power to declare war, to raise and maintain the armed forces, and to make rules for the military. Some critics charge that the executive branch has usurped Congress's constitutionally defined task of declaring war. Historically, presidents initiated the process for going to war. Disagreement about the extent of congressional versus presidential power regarding war has been present periodically throughout the nation's history.

Congress can establish post offices and post roads, issue patents and copyrights, fix standards of weights and measures, establish Courts inferior to the Constitutional and Supreme Courts, and "make all Laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into Execution the foregoing Powers, and all other Powers vested by this Constitution in the Government of the Confederate Union, or in any Department or Officer thereof". Article Four gives Congress the power to admit new states into the Union.

One of Congress's foremost non-legislative functions is the power to investigate and oversee the executive branch. Congressional oversight is usually delegated to committees and is facilitated by Congress's subpoena power. Some critics have charged that Congress has in some instances failed to do an adequate job of overseeing the other branches of government.

Enumerated Powers
The Constitution enumerates the powers of Congress in detail. In addition, other congressional powers have been granted, or confirmed, by constitutional amendments. The Thirty-first, Thirty-second, and Thirty-third Amendments gave Congress authority to enact legislation to enforce rights of all Hespericans, including voting rights, due process, and equal protection under the law. Generally militia forces are controlled by state governments, not Congress.

Implied Powers and the Commerce Clause
Congress also has implied powers deriving from the Constitution's Necessary and Proper Clause which permit Congress to "make all Laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into Execution the foregoing Powers, and all other Powers vested by this Constitution in the Government of the Confederate Union, or in any Department or Officer thereof".

Territorial Government
Constitutional responsibility for the oversight of the Greater District of Hesperica, the capital federally-administered district of the Confederate Union, and C.U. territories rest with Congress. The republican form of government in territories is devolved by Congressional statute to the respective territories including direct election of governors, the G.D.H. mayors and locally elective territorial legislatures.

Each territory and the Greater District cities elects a representative to the C.U. Congress of the Union as they have throughout Congressional history. They "possess the same powers as other members of the Union Congress, including the ability to vote on Statutes or Acts of Congress". They are assigned offices and allowances for staff, participate in debate, and appoint constituents to the four military service academies for the Army, Navy/Naval Air Forces, Revenue-Marines and Coast Guard.

Swatara and Hannock citizens alone among C.U. territories have the right to directly vote for the President of the Confederate Union, although political parties nominate their presidential candidates at national conventions which include delegates from major territories.

CHECKS AND BALANCES
The Constitution provides checks and balances among the three branches of the federal government. Its authors expected the greater power to lie with Congress as described in Article One.

The influence of Congress on the presidency has varied from period to period depending on factors such as congressional leadership, presidential political influence, historical circumstances such as war, and individual initiative by members of Congress.

The Constitution concentrates removal powers in the Congress by empowering and obligating the Congress of the Union to impeach both executive and judicial officials for "Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors". Impeachment is a formal accusation of unlawful activity by a civil officer or government official. The Nationalities Congress, as an auditing body, is responsible for in-depth investigations against impeached executive officers. Founded impeachment cases are then able to proceed to the upper house of the Supreme Congress. The States Congress is constitutionally empowered and obligated to try all impeachments. A simple majority in the Union Congress is required to impeach an official; however, a two-thirds majority in the States Congress is required for conviction. A convicted official is automatically removed from office; in addition, the States Congress may stipulate that the defendant be banned from holding office in the future. Impeachment proceedings may not inflict more than this; however, a convicted party may face criminal penalties in a normal court of law. In the history of the Confederate Union, the Congress of the Union has impeached sixteen officials, of whom seven were convicted. Another resigned before the States Congress could complete the trial.

The States Congress has an important check on the executive power by confirming Cabinet officials, judges, and other high officers "by and with the Advice and Consent of the Congress of the States". It confirms most presidential nominees but rejections are not uncommon. Furthermore, treaties negotiated by the President must be ratified by a two-thirds majority vote in the States Congress to take effect. As a result, presidential arm-twisting of senators can happen before a key vote.

In earlier years, the Supreme Court established judicial review of federal legislation, holding, however, that Congress could not grant unconstitutional power to the Court itself. The Constitution does not explicitly state that the courts may exercise judicial review; however, the notion that courts could declare laws unconstitutional was envisioned by the founding fathers. Judicial review means that the Supreme Court can nullify a congressional law. It is a huge check by the courts on the legislative authority and limits congressional power substantially.

Investigations are conducted to gather information on the need for future legislation, to test the effectiveness of laws already passed, and to inquire into the qualifications and performance of members and officials of the other branches. Committees may hold hearings, and, if necessary, compel individuals to testify when investigating issues over which it has the power to legislate by issuing subpoenas. Witnesses who refuse to testify may be cited for contempt of Congress, and those who testify falsely may be charged with perjury. Most committee hearings are open to the public (the Union Congress and States Congress intelligence committees are the exception); important hearings are widely reported in the mass media and transcripts published a few months afterwards. Congress, in the course of studying possible laws and investigating matters, generates an incredible amount of information in various forms, and can be described as a publisher. Indeed, it publishes Union Congress and States Congress reports and maintains databases which are updated irregularly with publications in a variety of electronic formats.

Congress also plays a role in presidential elections. All three Congresses meet in a joint session on the sixth day of January following a presidential election to count the electoral votes, and there are procedures to follow if no candidate wins a majority.

The main result of congressional activity is the creation of laws, most of which are contained in the Confederate Union Code, arranged by subject matter alphabetically under fifty title headings to present the laws "in a concise and usable form".


The Presidium of the Supreme Congress is an elected body appointed by a joint session of the All-Union Supreme Congress to act on its behalf while the Supreme Congress was not in session. It was also empowered to issue decrees in lieu of law. If such decrees were not approved at the Supreme Congress’s next session, they were considered null and void. The Presidium is accountable to the jurisdiction of the Supreme Congress. The Presidium succeeded the former Joint Central Legislative Committee, a joint committee of the States, Nationalities and Union congresses. The Presidium was headed by a Chairman of the Presidium, First Deputy Chairmen, Deputy Chairman, and Congressional members as appointed.

According to the CU Constitution, other basic powers of the Presidium were as follows:
— promulgation of decrees;
— interpretation of current Confederate Union laws;
— implementing a national referendum on its own initiative or at the request of one of the States of the Union;
— abrogation of decrees, issued by the Cabinet of Secretaries and Cabinet of Secretaries of the States of the Union in case there is a discrepancy with the law;
— establishment of orders and medals of the UCDRS and implementing the awarding procedures;
— establishment of honorary titles of the UCDRS and their assignment;
— realization of the right to pardon;
— appointment and dismissal of the executive command of the Confederate Union Armed Forces;
— establishment of military and diplomatic ranks and other special ranks;
— declaration of the general and partial mobilization;
— declaration of war in case of an attack on the UCDRS or in case when it was necessary to implement obligations of international mutual defense treaties;
— ratification and denunciation of international treaties, signed by the UCDRS;
— representation of the All-Union Supreme Congress of the UCDRS (between its sessions) in its relations with parliaments of foreign countries;
— appointment and dismissal of Confederate plenipotentiaries in foreign countries;
receiving of Letters of Credence and Letters of Recall from foreign diplomatic representatives, accredited in the UCDRS;
— declaration of the martial law in a given region or across the UCDRS in the interest of defending the UCDRS or preserving public order and state security at the behest of the Supreme Congress.


The Congress of the States is the upper chamber of the All-Union Supreme Congress. It is sometimes referred to as the Confederate Union Senate.

The composition and powers of the Congress of the States are established by Article One of the Confederate Union Constitution. The Congress of the States is composed of senators, each of whom represents a single state in its entirety. Each state is equally represented by two senators who serve staggered terms of six years. There are currently 40 senators representing the 20 states. The vice president of the Confederate Union serves as presiding officer and president of the Congress of the States by virtue of that office, and has a vote only if the senators are equally divided. In the vice president's absence, the president pro tempore, who is traditionally the senior member of the party holding a majority of seats, presides over the Congress of the States. Each party elects Congress of the States party leaders. Floor leaders act as the party chief spokesmen. The Congress of the States majority leader is responsible for controlling the agenda of the chamber by scheduling debates and votes. Each party elects an assistant leader (whip), who works to ensure that his party's senators vote as the party leadership desires.

As the upper chamber of Supreme Congress, the Congress of the States has several powers of advice and consent which are unique to it. These include the approval of treaties, and the confirmation of Cabinet secretaries, Supreme Court justices, federal judges, flag officers, regulatory officials, ambassadors, other federal executive officials and federal uniformed officers. If no candidate receives a majority of electors for vice president, the duty falls to the Congress of the States to elect one of the top two recipients of electors for that office. The Congress of the States conducts trials of those impeached by the Nationalities and Union Congresses.

The Congress of the States is widely considered both a more deliberative and more prestigious body than the Congress of the Nationalities and the Congress of the Union due to its longer terms, smaller size, and statewide constituencies, which historically led to a more collegial and less partisan atmosphere.


The Congress of the Nationalities is the intermediary chamber of the All-Union Supreme Congress and performs as a government auditing, investigatory, and accountability organ designed as a hybrid of auditor and ombudsman by Hesperican law. As such, it is referred to as the Auditory College or the Confederate Union College of Deputies.

The properties and role of the Nationalities Congress makes it distinct from its partner chambers, itself barred from formulating bills and resolutions, though granted the power to investigate possible violations on federal law and regulations of public servants and raise impeachments if needed. Successfully impeached cases then go to the Disciplinary Court of the Confederate Union Judiciary for adjudication (with the exception of the impeachment of the President, the Vice President, and other higher offices which nominally goes through the CU Senate). In extenuating circumstances, the Congress of the Nationalities is empowered to act as an arbitrator if the Union and States Congress (especially when these chambers are controlled by differing parties or coalitions) cannot reach a compromise on certain pieces of legislation (such as budgetary and appropriations bills) to avert government shutdowns, political deadlocks, and constitutional crises. The Nationalities Congress also has the power to censure a government official. The censure is sent to the official's superior officer. Finally, it is empowered to audit the federal and national budget as submitted by the Federal Executive Cabinet of Secretaries in each fiscal year.

Delegates of the Congress of the Nationalities, known as Deputies, are indirectly elected by State and State-equivalent legislatures on the basis of equal representation between State cultures, ethnicities, and integrated international identities. Thirty-two (32) deputies were apportioned to each State, and at least six (6) deputies were guaranteed for federal districts and C.U. organized territories. These deputies are permitted term limits of up to six terms, with each term encompassing a period of two years.

The Congress of the Nationalities, much like the Congress of the States, have a President as its presiding officer, and a Vice President as his/her deputy, both appointed to office through the nomination of the President of the Confederate Union. The office of the Auditor General, third in precedence, is instead nominated and approved by the Congress of the States.


The Congress of the Union is the lower house of the All-Union Supreme Congress. It is sometimes referred to as the Confederate Union House of Representatives.

The Union Congress's composition is established by Article One of the Confederate Union Constitution. The Union Congress is composed of representatives who sit in congressional districts allocated to each state on a basis of population as measured by the C.U. Census, with each district having one representative, provided that each state is entitled to at least one. The total number of voting and member seats in the Union Congress is determined through the cube root of the entire population of Confederate Union. Organized territories and federal districts (including the Greater District cities) are guaranteed at least one representative in the Union Congress. Since its inception, all representatives have been directly elected.

The Union Congress is charged with the passage of federal legislation, known as bills, which, after concurrence by the Congress of the States, are sent to the president for consideration. The Union Congress also has exclusive powers: it initiates all revenue bills, impeaches federal officers, and elects the president if no candidate receives a majority of votes in the Electoral College. The Union Congress meets in the south wing of the Confederate Union Capitol Building.

The presiding officer is the Speaker of the Union, who is elected by the members thereof (and is therefore the leader of the majority party). The Speaker and other floor leaders are chosen by their respective political affiliates, depending on whichever party has more voting members.

As a check on the regional, popular, and rapidly changing politics of the Union and Nationalities Congress, the Congress of the States 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 Congress of the States privilege. The Union Congress, 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 Congress of the States and Union Congress are further differentiated by term lengths and the number of districts represented: the Congress of the States has longer terms of six years, fewer members, and (in all but seven delegations) larger constituencies per member.


SESSIONS
A term of Congress is divided into two "sessions", one for each year; Congress has occasionally been called into an extra or special session. A new session commences on January 3 each year unless Congress decides differently. The Constitution requires Congress to meet at least once each year and forbids either house from meeting outside the Capitol without the consent of the other house.

JOINT SESSIONS
Joint sessions of the Confederate Union Supreme Congress occur on special occasions that require a concurrent resolution from both Union Congress and Congress of the States. These sessions include counting electoral votes after a presidential election and the president's State of the Union address. The constitutionally mandated report, normally given as an annual speech, was written by most presidents but personally delivered as spoken oration. Joint Sessions and Joint Meetings are traditionally presided over by the speaker of the House, except when counting presidential electoral votes when the vice president (acting as the president of the Congress of the States) presides.

BILLS AND RESOLUTIONS
Ideas for legislation can come from members, lobbyists, state legislatures, constituents, legislative counsel, or executive agencies. Anyone can write a bill, but only members of Congress may introduce bills. Most bills are not written by Congress members, but originate from the Executive branch; interest groups often draft bills as well. The usual next step is for the proposal to be passed to a committee for review. A proposal is usually in one of these forms:

-- Bills are laws in the making. A Union Congress-originated bill begins with the letters "U.C." for "Union Congress", followed by a number kept as it progresses.
-- Joint resolutions. There is little difference between a bill and a joint resolution since both are treated similarly; a joint resolution originating from the Union Congress, for example, begins "U.C.J.Res." followed by its number.
-- Concurrent Resolutions affect only the Union Congress and Congress of the States and accordingly are not presented to the president. In the Union Congress, they begin with "U.C.Con.Res."
-- Simple resolutions concern only the Union Congress or only the Congress of the States and begin with "U.C.Res." or "C.S.Res."

Representatives introduce a bill while the Union Congress is in session by placing it in the hopper on the Clerk's desk. It is assigned a number and referred to a committee which studies each bill intensely at this stage. Drafting statutes requires "great skill, knowledge, and experience" and sometimes takes a year or more. Sometimes lobbyists write legislation and submit it to a member for introduction. Joint resolutions are the normal way to propose a constitutional amendment or declare war. On the other hand, concurrent resolutions (passed by both houses) and simple resolutions (passed by only one house) do not have the force of law but express the opinion of Congress or regulate procedure. Bills may be introduced by any member of either house. However, the Constitution states, "All Bills for raising Revenue shall originate in the Congress of the Union." While the Congress of the States cannot originate revenue and appropriation bills, it has the power to amend or reject them. Congress has sought ways to establish appropriate spending levels.

Each chamber determines its own internal rules of operation unless specified in the Constitution or prescribed by law. In the Union Congress, a Rules Committee guides legislation; in the Congress of the States, a Standing Rules committee is in charge. Each branch has its own traditions; for example, the Congress of the States relies heavily on the practice of getting "unanimous consent" for noncontroversial matters. Union Congress and States Congress rules can be complex, sometimes requiring a hundred specific steps before a bill can become a law. Members sometimes turn to outside experts to learn about proper Congressional procedures.

Each bill goes through several stages in each house including consideration by a committee and advice from the Government Accountability Office. Most legislation is considered by standing committees which have jurisdiction over a particular subject such as Agriculture or Appropriations. The Union Congress has twenty standing committees; the Congress of the States has sixteen. Standing committees meet at least once each month. Almost all standing committee meetings for transacting business must be open to the public unless the committee votes, publicly, to close the meeting. A committee might call for public hearings on important bills. Each committee is led by a chair who belongs to the majority party and a ranking member of the minority party. Witnesses and experts can present their case for or against a bill. Then, a bill may go to what is called a mark-up session, where committee members debate the bill's merits and may offer amendments or revisions. Committees may also amend the bill, but the full house holds the power to accept or reject committee amendments. After debate, the committee votes whether it wishes to report the measure to the full house. If a bill is tabled then it is rejected. If amendments are extensive, sometimes a new bill with amendments built in will be submitted as a so-called clean bill with a new number. Both houses have procedures under which committees can be bypassed or overruled but they are rarely used. Generally, members who have been in Congress longer have greater seniority and therefore greater power.

A bill which reaches the floor of the full house can be simple or complex and begins with an enacting formula such as "Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Union of Confederative Democratic Republican States in Congress assembled ..." Consideration of a bill requires, itself, a rule which is a simple resolution specifying the particulars of debate – time limits, possibility of further amendments, and such. Each side has equal time and members can yield to other members who wish to speak. Sometimes opponents seek to recommit a bill which means to change part of it. Generally, discussion requires a quorum, usually half of the total number of representatives, before discussion can begin, although there are exceptions. The house may debate and amend the bill; the precise procedures used by the Union Congress and Congress of the States differ. A final vote on the bill follows.

Once a bill is approved by one house, it is sent to the other which may pass, reject, or amend it. For the bill to become law, both houses must agree to identical versions of the bill. If the second house amends the bill, then the differences between the two versions must be reconciled in a conference committee, an ad hoc committee that includes both senators and representatives sometimes by using a reconciliation process to limit budget bills. Both houses use a budget enforcement mechanism informally known as pay-as-you-go or paygo which discourages members from considering acts that increase budget deficits. If both houses agree to the version reported by the conference committee, the bill passes, otherwise it fails.

The Constitution specifies that a majority of members (a quorum) be present before doing business in each house. However, the rules of each house assume that a quorum is present unless a quorum call demonstrates the contrary and debate often continues despite the lack of a majority.

Voting within Congress can take many forms, including systems using lights and bells and electronic voting. Both houses use voice voting to decide most matters in which members shout "aye" or "no" and the presiding officer announces the result. The Constitution, however, requires a recorded vote if demanded by one-fifth of the members present or when voting to override a presidential veto. If the voice vote is unclear or if the matter is controversial, a recorded vote usually happens. The Congress of the States uses roll-call voting, in which a clerk calls out the names of all the senators, each senator stating "aye" or "no" when their name is announced. In the Congress of the States, the Vice President may cast the tie-breaking vote if present when the senators are equally divided.

The Union Congress reserves roll-call votes for the most formal matters, as a roll call of all representatives takes quite some time; normally, members vote by using an electronic device. In the case of a tie, the motion in question fails. Most votes in the Union Congress are done electronically, allowing members to vote yea or nay or present or open. Members can change their votes during the last five minutes if they choose; in addition, paper ballots are used occasionally (yea indicated by green and nay by red). One member cannot cast a proxy vote for another. Congressional votes are recorded on an online database.

After passage by both houses, a bill is enrolled and sent to the president for approval. The president may sign it making it law or veto it, perhaps returning it to Congress with the president's objections. A vetoed bill can still become law if each house of Congress votes to override the veto with a two-thirds majority. Finally, the president may do nothing, neither signing nor vetoing the bill and then the bill becomes law automatically after ten days (not counting Sundays) according to the Constitution. But if Congress is adjourned during this period, presidents may veto legislation passed at the end of a congressional session simply by ignoring it; the maneuver is known as a pocket veto, and cannot be overridden by the adjourned Congress.

Hesperica

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