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123-606: In November 2021, Congress passed the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act . Section 22214 of the law orders the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) to study the restoration of all long-distance Amtrak routes that had been discontinued , daily service on non-daily trains (the Cardinal and Sunset Limited ), and the possibility of new long-distance routes—particularly those that were discontinued upon

246-635: A $ 100 discount on tablets, laptops and desktops for them. The program ran out of funds on April 30, 2024. The law also requires the FCC to return consumer broadband labels it developed in 2016 to statute, to revise its public comment process and to issue rules and model policies for combating digital deployment discrimination, with the United States Attorney General 's cooperation, and the Government Accountability Office to deliver

369-619: A $ 547 billion plan, called the INVEST in America Act, which would address parts of the American Jobs Plan. On July 1, the House passed an amended $ 715 billion infrastructure bill focused on land transportation and water. On May 27, Republican senator Shelley Moore Capito presented a $ 928 billion plan, and on June 4, increased it by about $ 50 billion; this was quickly rejected by

492-679: A 1984 case, Davis v. Bandemer , the Supreme Court held that gerrymandered districts could be struck down based on the Equal Protection Clause , but the Court did not articulate a standard for when districts are impermissibly gerrymandered. However, the Court overruled Davis in 2004 in Vieth v. Jubelirer , and Court precedent holds gerrymandering to be a political question . According to calculations made by Burt Neuborne using criteria set forth by

615-484: A 70% higher pension than other federal employees based on the first 20 years of service. They become eligible to receive benefits after five years of service (two and one-half terms in the House). The FERS is composed of three elements: Members of Congress may retire with full benefits at age 62 after five years of service, at age 50 after 20 years of service, and at any age after 25 years of service. With an average age of 58,

738-559: A FEHBP plan upon retirement. The ACA and the final rule do not affect members' or staffers' eligibility for Medicare benefits. The ACA and the final rule also do not affect members' and staffers' eligibility for other health benefits related to federal employment, so members and staff are eligible to participate in FSAFEDS (which has three options within the program), the Federal Employees Dental and Vision Insurance Program, and

861-497: A breath-based and a touch-based sensor that stops the car if the driver is above the legal blood alcohol content , and will be open-sourced to automobile manufacturers. Under the law, the United States Department of Transportation (DOT) will be required to develop regulations for a system that can detect distracted, fatigued, or impaired drivers. The NHTSA has recommended implementing a camera-based warning system for

984-602: A broad remit over transportation research akin to DARPA , HSARPA , IARPA , ARPA-E , and ARPA-H , with the first appropriations of $ 3.22 million being made in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023 . Lastly, it broadens the powers of the Federal Permitting Improvement Steering Council, to provide faster conflict resolution among agencies, in speeding up infrastructure design approvals. An October 2021 report written by

1107-490: A candidate. Therefore, Article I, Section 5, which permits each House to be the judge of the qualifications of its own members does not permit either House to establish additional qualifications. Likewise a State could not establish additional qualifications. William C. C. Claiborne served in the House below the minimum age of 25. Disqualification: under the Fourteenth Amendment , a federal or state officer who takes

1230-423: A deal caused a late September House vote to be postponed. On October 2, Pelosi set a new deadline of October 31. By October 28, Jayapal and other progressive leaders indicated that they were willing to vote on the bill separately, but Sanders and others opposed this. On October 31, a majority of progressives signaled that they would support both bills. Votes on both bills were considered on November 5, but

1353-520: A federal statutory requirement since 1967 pursuant to the act titled An Act For the relief of Doctor Ricardo Vallejo Samala and to provide for congressional redistricting . Before that law, general ticket representation was used by some states. States typically redraw district boundaries after each census, though they may do so at other times, such as the 2003 Texas redistricting . Each state determines its own district boundaries, either through legislation or through non-partisan panels. Malapportionment

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1476-523: A four-year term, the resident commissioner's role is identical to the delegates from the other territories. The five delegates and resident commissioner may participate in debates; before 2011, they were also allowed to vote in committees and the Committee of the Whole when their votes would not be decisive. States entitled to more than one representative are divided into single-member districts . This has been

1599-583: A member requires only a simple majority, and does not remove that member from office. As a check on the regional, popular, and rapidly changing politics of the House, the Senate 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 Senate privilege. The House, however, has the exclusive power to initiate bills for raising revenue, to impeach officials, and to choose

1722-541: A more deliberative upper house, elected by the lower house, that would represent the individual states, and would be less susceptible to variations of mass sentiment. The House is commonly referred to as the lower house and the Senate the upper house , although the United States Constitution does not use that terminology. Both houses' approval is necessary for the passage of legislation . The Virginia Plan drew

1845-497: A new Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) office specializing in cybersecurity . The infrastructure law created the Wildlife Crossings Pilot Program with $ 350 million in funding over five years. This is a competitive grant program that funds planning and construction projects that prevent wildlife-vehicle collisions and improve the connectivity of animal habitats. The law also allocated $ 1 billion to create

1968-574: A new All Stations Accessibility Program (ASAP). This program is designed to improve the accessibility of rail system stations that were built before the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA). At the time of the infrastructure law's passage, over 900 transit stations were not fully ADA-compliant. The law includes $ 1 billion over five years for Reconnecting Communities planning and construction grants intended to build marginalized community-recommended projects removing or capping highways and railroads,

2091-515: A reconciliation bill costing $ 3.5 trillion, breaking the stalemate and allowing the bipartisan bill to move forward. That day, the Senate voted 67–32 to advance the bill, and on July 30, voted 66–28 to proceed to its consideration. The legislation text was completed and substituted into the bill on August 1. On August 5, Schumer moved to truncate debate on the legislation, setting up a procedural vote on August 7, which passed 67–27. Fifteen or more amendments were expected to receive votes through

2214-519: A report on updating broadband thresholds by November 2022. To support safe drinking water programs, the law provides: For surface water programs, such as watershed management and pollution control , the law provides: The Act provides $ 8 billion for helping Western states deal with the Southwestern North American megadrought . Spending for many related projects is included under the category "Western Water Infrastructure". Prior to

2337-580: A result, the process to gain ballot access varies greatly from state to state, and in the case of a third party in the United States may be affected by results of previous years' elections. In 1967, Congress passed the Uniform Congressional District Act , which requires all representatives to be elected from single-member-districts. Following the Wesberry v. Sanders decision, Congress

2460-438: A single MRA that can fund any expense—even though each component is calculated individually, the franking allowance can be used to pay for personnel expenses if the member so chooses. In 2011 this allowance averaged $ 1.4 million per member, and ranged from $ 1.35 to $ 1.67 million. The Personnel allowance was $ 944,671 per member in 2010. Each member may employ no more than 18 permanent employees. Members' employees' salary

2583-547: A third of all IIJA funding, was allocated to more than 40,000 projects related to infrastructure , transport , and sustainability . By May 2024, the law's halfway mark, the numbers had increased to $ 454 billion (38 percent of the Act's funds) for more than 56,000 projects, and by the third anniversary in November 2024, they had increased to $ 568 billion (47 percent) to 68,000 projects, leaving 53 percent of IIJA funds unallocated but showing

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2706-562: A total of $ 65 billion in advancing the U.S. quest for broadband universal service . Of this $ 65 billion, the law invests $ 42.45 billion in a new infrastructure grant program by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration called the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment Program , with highest priority going to communities with Internet speeds below 25 downstream and 3 upstream Mbps . $ 2 billion will go to

2829-462: A two-year term, with no term limit. In most states, major party candidates for each district are nominated in partisan primary elections , typically held in spring to late summer. In some states, the Republican and Democratic parties choose their candidates for each district in their political conventions in spring or early summer, which often use unanimous voice votes to reflect either confidence in

2952-722: A voice in committees, and can introduce bills on the floor, but cannot vote on the ultimate passage of bills. Presently, the District of Columbia and the five inhabited U.S. territories each elect a delegate. A seventh delegate, representing the Cherokee Nation , has been formally proposed but has not yet been seated. An eighth delegate, representing the Choctaw Nation is guaranteed by treaty but has not yet been proposed. Additionally, some territories may choose to also elect shadow representatives , though these are not official members of

3075-440: Is calculated based on three components: one for personnel, one for official office expenses and one for official or franked mail. The personnel allowance is the same for all members; the office and mail allowances vary based on the members' district's distance from Washington, D.C., the cost of office space in the member's district, and the number of non-business addresses in their district. These three components are used to calculate

3198-422: Is guaranteed a minimum of $ 45 million per year from this program. At least 15% of each state's funds must be spent on off-system bridges (i.e., public bridges that are not on federal-aid highways), and 3% is set aside each year for bridges on tribal lands. Off-system and tribal bridge projects may be funded with a 100% federal share (as opposed to the standard 80% federal share). With $ 12.5 billion over five years,

3321-585: Is implemented through the Federal-State Partnership for Intercity Passenger Rail program, which will receive $ 36 billion in advance appropriations and $ 7.5 billion in fully authorized funds. The Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements program will receive $ 5 billion in advance appropriations and $ 5 billion in fully authorized funds, while programs for grade separation replacing level crossings will receive $ 3 billion in advance appropriations and $ 2.5 billion in fully authorized funds, and

3444-662: Is no charge for outpatient care if it is provided in the National Capital Region , but members are billed at full reimbursement rates (set by the Department of Defense) for inpatient care. (Outside the National Capital Region, charges are at full reimbursement rates for both inpatient and outpatient care). House members are eligible for a Member's Representational Allowance (MRA) to support them in their official and representational duties to their district. The MRA

3567-468: Is no legislation at the federal level mandating one particular system for elections to the House, systems are set at the state level. As of 2022, first-past-the-post or plurality voting is used in 46 states, electing 412 representatives, ranked-choice or instant-runoff voting in two states (Alaska and Maine), electing 3 representatives, and two-round system in two states (Georgia and Louisiana), electing 20 representatives. Elected representatives serve

3690-529: Is occasionally abbreviated as either "MOC" or "MC" (similar to MP ). However, the abbreviation "Rep." for Representative is more common, as it avoids confusion as to whether they are a member of the House or the Senate . All members of Congress are automatically enrolled in the Federal Employees Retirement System , a pension system also used for federal civil servants , except the formula for calculating Congress members' pension results in

3813-545: Is referred to as the "upper" house, and the House of Representatives as the "lower" house. Since December 2014, the annual salary of each representative is $ 174,000, the same as it is for each member of the Senate . The speaker of the House and the majority and minority leaders earn more: $ 223,500 for the speaker and $ 193,400 for their party leaders (the same as Senate leaders). A cost-of-living-adjustment (COLA) increase takes effect annually unless Congress votes not to accept it. Congress sets members' salaries; however,

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3936-593: Is the lower chamber of the United States Congress , with the Senate being the upper chamber . Together, they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States . The House is charged with the passage of federal legislation , known as bills ; those that are also passed by the Senate are sent to the president for signature or veto . The House's exclusive powers include initiating all revenue bills, impeaching federal officers, and electing

4059-504: Is to have one party govern and the other party watch." The leadership structure of the House also developed during approximately the same period, with the positions of majority leader and minority leader being created in 1899. While the minority leader was the head of the minority party, the majority leader remained subordinate to the speaker. The speakership reached its zenith during the term of Republican Joseph Gurney Cannon , from 1903 to 1911. The speaker's powers included chairmanship of

4182-571: Is unconstitutional and districts must be approximately equal in population (see Wesberry v. Sanders ). Additionally, Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 prohibits redistricting plans that are intended to, or have the effect of, discriminating against racial or language minority voters. Aside from malapportionment and discrimination against racial or language minorities, federal courts have allowed state legislatures to engage in gerrymandering to benefit political parties or incumbents. In

4305-414: Is unique in that it holds an all-party primary election on the general Election Day with a subsequent runoff election between the top two finishers (regardless of party) if no candidate received a majority in the primary. The states of Washington and California use a similar (though not identical) system to that used by Louisiana. Seats vacated during a term are filled through special elections , unless

4428-544: The American Political Science Association , only about 40 seats, less than 10% of the House membership, are chosen through a genuinely contested electoral process, given partisan gerrymandering. Article I, Section 2 of the Constitution sets three qualifications for representatives. Each representative must: (1) be at least twenty-five (25) years old; (2) have been a citizen of the United States for

4551-790: The District of Columbia and the U.S. territories of Guam , the U.S. Virgin Islands , the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands , and American Samoa . A non-voting Resident Commissioner, serving a four-year term, represents the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico . As of the 2020 census , the largest delegation was California , with 52 representatives. Six states have only one representative apiece : Alaska , Delaware , North Dakota , South Dakota , Vermont , and Wyoming . The House meets in

4674-702: The Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP), an employer-sponsored health insurance program, and were eligible to participate in other programs, such as the Federal Flexible Spending Account Program (FSAFEDS). However, Section 1312(d)(3)(D) of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) provided that the only health plans that the federal government can make available to members of Congress and certain congressional staff are those created under

4797-640: The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to develop a safety mechanism to prevent drunk driving , which causes about 10,000 deaths each year in the United States as of 2021, which will be rolled out in phases for retroactive fitting, and will become mandatory for all new vehicles in 2027. The technology, which is being developed by NHTSA in cooperation with the Automotive Coalition for Traffic Safety and Swedish automobile safety company Autoliv , consists of

4920-629: The Twenty-seventh Amendment to the United States Constitution prohibits a change in salary (but not COLA ) from taking effect until after the next election of the whole House. Representatives are eligible for retirement benefits after serving for five years. Outside pay is limited to 15% of congressional pay, and certain types of income involving a fiduciary responsibility or personal endorsement are prohibited. Salaries are not for life, only during active term. Representatives use

5043-677: The USDA $ 5.5 billion of the $ 65 billion total to deliver broadband to rural communities smaller than 20,000 people, $ 5 million of which is obligated to utility cooperatives . The law invests $ 14.2 billion of the total in the Federal Communications Commission 's Affordable Connectivity Program , the successor to the American Rescue Plan's broadband subsidies. It gives a $ 30 monthly discount on internet services to qualifying low-income families ($ 75 on tribal lands), and provides

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5166-450: The Uniform Congressional District Act , sit in single member congressional districts allocated to each state on the basis of population as measured by the United States census , with each district having at least a single representative, provided that that state is entitled to them. Since its inception in 1789, all representatives have been directly elected. Although suffrage was initially limited, it gradually widened, particularly after

5289-676: The president if a presidential candidate fails to get a majority of the Electoral College votes. Both House and Senate confirmation is now required to fill a vacancy if the vice presidency is vacant, according to the provisions of the Twenty-fifth Amendment . The Senate and House are further differentiated by term lengths and the number of districts represented: the Senate has longer terms of six years, fewer members (currently one hundred, two for each state), and (in all but seven delegations) larger constituencies per member. The Senate

5412-556: The size of the House states: "The Number of Representatives shall not exceed one for every thirty Thousand, but each State shall have at Least one Representative." Congress regularly increased the size of the House to account for population growth until it fixed the number of voting House members at 435 in 1911. In 1959, upon the admission of Alaska and Hawaii , the number was temporarily increased to 437 (seating one representative from each of those states without changing existing apportionment), and returned to 435 four years later, after

5535-500: The 1971 creation of Amtrak (which under the law will receive $ 22 billion in advance appropriations and $ 19 billion in fully authorized funds). It directly appropriated $ 66 billion for rail over a five-year period (including the Amtrak appropriations), of which at least $ 18 billion is designated for expanding passenger rail service to new corridors, and it authorized an additional $ 36 billion. Most of this funding for new passenger rail lines

5658-591: The ACA or offered through a health care exchange . The Office of Personnel Management promulgated a final rule to comply with Section 1312(d)(3)(D). Under the rule, effective January 1, 2014, members and designated staff are no longer able to purchase FEHBP plans as active employees. However, if members enroll in a health plan offered through a Small Business Health Options Program (SHOP) exchange, they remain eligible for an employer contribution toward coverage, and members and designated staff eligible for retirement may enroll in

5781-480: The BIP is a competitive grant program to replace, rehabilitate, preserve, or make resiliency improvements to bridges. Half of the funding is reserved for large bridge projects, which are defined as projects that cost over $ 100 million. Large projects are funded at a maximum 50% federal share, while other projects are funded at a maximum 80% federal share. The infrastructure law is the largest investment in passenger rail since

5904-843: The Biden administration announced it would award $ 450 million from the Act to projects that built solar farms on abandoned coal mines. Further support for coal communities followed. In November 2023 the IIJA's Office of Manufacturing and Energy Supply Chains announced $ 275 million in grants would go to seven projects in coal communities, creating 1,500 jobs and leveraging $ 600 million in private investment. The next October it announced $ 428 million in grants for 14 projects in coal communities, creating 1,900 jobs and leveraging $ 500 million in private investments. United States House of Representatives Minority (213) Vacant (2) [REDACTED] [REDACTED] The United States House of Representatives

6027-444: The Biden administration. On June 8, the administration shifted its focus to a bipartisan group of 20 senators, which had been working on a package tentatively priced around $ 900 billion. On June 10, a bipartisan group of 10 senators reached a deal costing $ 974 billion over five years; or about $ 1.2 trillion if stretched over eight years. On June 16, the plan was endorsed by a bipartisan group of 21 senators. On June 24,

6150-549: The Confederation Congress's sanction to "amend the Articles of Confederation". All states except Rhode Island agreed to send delegates. Congress's structure was a contentious issue among the founders during the convention. Edmund Randolph 's Virginia Plan called for a bicameral Congress: the lower house would be "of the people", elected directly by the people of the United States and representing public opinion , and

6273-590: The Contract did not pass Congress, were vetoed by President Bill Clinton , or were substantially altered in negotiations with Clinton. However, after Republicans held control in the 1996 election , Clinton and the Gingrich-led House agreed on the first balanced federal budget in decades, along with a substantial tax cut. The Republicans held on to the House until 2006 , when the Democrats won control and Nancy Pelosi

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6396-653: The Corridor. To help plan and guide the expansion of passenger rail service beyond the Northeast Corridor , the infrastructure law also created a $ 1.8 billion Corridor Identification and Development Program . The law also expands eligibility for a potential $ 23 billion in transit funding to these corridors and changes the allocation methods for state government-supported passenger rail shorter than 750 miles, to encourage states to implement more such service. The law established and authorized $ 1.75 billion over five years for

6519-675: The Federal Long Term Care Insurance Program. The Office of the Attending Physician at the U.S. Capitol provides members with health care for an annual fee. The attending physician provides routine exams, consultations, and certain diagnostics, and may write prescriptions (although the office does not dispense them). The office does not provide vision or dental care. Members (but not their dependents, and not former members) may also receive medical and emergency dental care at military treatment facilities. There

6642-406: The House and are separate individuals from their official delegates. Representatives and delegates serve for two-year terms, while a resident commissioner (a kind of delegate) serves for four years. A term starts on January 3 following the election in November. The U.S. Constitution requires that vacancies in the House be filled with a special election. The term of the replacement member expires on

6765-409: The House would have women-only spaces following the election of Sarah McBride . Under Article I, Section 2 of the Constitution , seats in the House of Representatives are apportioned among the states by population, as determined by the census conducted every ten years. Each state is entitled to at least one representative, however small its population. The only constitutional rule relating to

6888-463: The House would not vote on the physical infrastructure bill until the larger bill passes in the Senate, despite the fact that reconciliation overrides much of the obstructive power of the filibuster . White House officials stated on July 7 that legislative text was nearing completion. On July 14, the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee advanced an energy bill expected to be included in

7011-689: The IIJA invests $ 45 billion in innovation and industrial policy for key emerging technologies in energy; $ 430 million –$ 21 billion in new demonstration projects at the DOE; and nearly $ 24 billion in onshoring, supply chain resilience , and bolstering U.S.-held competitive advantages in energy; the latter amount will be divided into an $ 8.6 billion investment in carbon capture and storage , $ 3 billion in battery material reprocessing, $ 3 billion in battery recycling , $ 1 billion in rare-earth minerals stockpiling, and $ 8 billion in new research hubs for green hydrogen . The DOE has imposed grant requirements on $ 7 billion of

7134-446: The IIJA's battery and transportation spending, which are meant to promote community benefits agreements , social justice , and formation of trade unions . It created the $ 225 million Resilient and Efficient Codes Implementation program for cities, tribes and counties to revise building codes for electrical and heating work. Finally, the law gives $ 4.7 billion to cap orphan wells abandoned by oil and gas companies. The law invests

7257-440: The IIJA, CaSA, and IRA together catalyzed over $ 988 billion in private investment (including $ 446 billion in electronics and semiconductors, $ 180 billion in electric vehicles and batteries, $ 184 billion in clean power, $ 84 billion in clean energy tech manufacturing and infrastructure, and $ 48 billion in heavy industry) and over $ 696.3 billion in public infrastructure spending (including $ 96.8 billion in energy aside from tax credits in

7380-495: The IRA). In September 2023, White House data revealed that 60 percent of the Act's energy and transmission funding (up to that point, totaling $ 12.31 billion) had been awarded to states that voted majority Republican in the 2020 election cycle. Of the Act's top ten recipients, seven states had voted majority Republican, with Wyoming ($ 1.95 billion) and Texas ($ 1.71 billion) in the lead. The largest single energy project to receive Act funds

7503-524: The IRS portion of the funding had reportedly been scrapped. Biden stipulated that a separate "human infrastructure" bill (notably child care , home care , and climate change ) – later known as the Build Back Better Act  – must also pass, whether through bipartisanship or reconciliation , but later walked back this position. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi similarly stated that

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7626-631: The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. The Georgetown Climate Center tried to estimate how the $ 599 billion investment for surface transportation in the law can impact emissions from transportation. It created two scenarios: "high emissions" and "low emissions". In the first scenario, from the money dedicated to highways, more money will go to building new highways, while in the second, more will go to repairing existing highways. The other spending areas characteristics are not so different. The first scenario sees increased cumulative emissions over

7749-662: The Long-Distance Service Study began in September 2022. In April 2023, the FRA released information that they had successfully held a series of six working group meetings during the previous February where they met with stakeholders and worked to review the study's requirements and to evaluate discontinued services. Included in the regional reports was information about current LD routes trip origin-destinatinaion pairs, as well as similar information for proposed routes. Materials from

7872-462: The NTIA's Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program, $ 1 billion to a new middle mile infrastructure program, $ 1.44 billion in formula grants to state and territorial digital equity plan implementation, $ 60 million in formula grants to new digital equity plan development, and $ 1.25 billion in discretionary grants to "specific types of political subdivisions to implement digital equity projects". The law gives

7995-513: The National Culvert Removal, Replacement, and Restoration Grant program to improve the passage of anadromous fish such as salmon . Biden's infrastructure advisor and the staffer in charge of implementing the law has been identified as Mitch Landrieu . Biden's National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan has been identified as the staffer in charge of ensuring the law does not conflict with American foreign policy interests. To support

8118-741: The REPEAT Project, a partnership between the Evolved Energy Research firm and Princeton University 's ZERO Lab, said the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act alone will make only a small reduction in emissions, but as they say: We lack modeling capabilities to reflect the net effect of surface transportation investments in highways (which tend to increase on-road vehicle and freight miles traveled) and rail and public transit (which tend to reduce on-road vehicle and freight miles traveled). These significant programs are therefore not modeled in this analysis, an important limitation of our assessment of

8241-487: The Restoration and Enhancement Grant program intended to revive discontinued passenger rail services will receive $ 250 million in advance appropriations and $ 250 million in fully authorized funds. Per the law's requirements, at least $ 12 billion is available and $ 3.4–4.1 billion authorized for expanding service outside of the Northeast Corridor , and $ 24 billion is available and $ 3.4–4.1 billion authorized to partially rebuild

8364-630: The Senate did not hold the balance of power between North and South during the war. The years of Reconstruction that followed witnessed large majorities for the Republican Party , which many Americans associated with the Union's victory in the Civil War and the ending of slavery. The Reconstruction period ended in about 1877; the ensuing era, known as the Gilded Age , was marked by sharp political divisions in

8487-425: The Squad ") in supporting the legislation. The six Democrats who voted 'No' stated that their opposition was because the legislation had been decoupled from the social-safety net provisions of the Build Back Better bill. Biden signed the bill into law at a signing ceremony on November 15. The following is the bill summary authorized by the Congressional Research Service (CRS) for the INVEST in America Act,

8610-414: The US House of Representatives is older than comparable chambers in Russia and the other G7 nations. Members of Congress are permitted to deduct up to $ 3,000 of living expenses per year incurred while living away from their district or home state. Before 2014, members of Congress and their staff had access to essentially the same health benefits as federal civil servants; they could voluntarily enroll in

8733-542: The ability of a small number of senior members to obstruct legislation they did not favor. There was also a shift from the 1990s to greater control of the legislative program by the majority party; the power of party leaders (especially the speaker) grew considerably. According to historian Julian E. Zelizer , the majority Democrats minimized the number of staff positions available to the minority Republicans, kept them out of decision-making, and gerrymandered their home districts. Republican Newt Gingrich argued American democracy

8856-703: The administration had been accelerating funding approvals. Public attention has remained relatively low, due in part to slow implementation of projects. The White House offers a "Map of Progress" which tracks all spending that resulted from the act. According to the New Democrat -linked think tank Center for American Progress , the IIJA, the CHIPS and Science Act , and the Inflation Reduction Act have together catalyzed over 35,000 public and private investments. Economists Noah Smith and Joseph Politano credited

8979-401: The bipartisan group met with the president and reached a compromise deal costing $ 1.2 trillion over eight years, which focuses on physical infrastructure (notably roads, bridges, railways, water, sewage, broadband, electric vehicles). This was planned to be paid for through reinforced Internal Revenue Service (IRS) collection, unspent COVID-19 relief funds, and other sources. By July 2021,

9102-488: The bipartisan package. On July 21, Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer put forward a "shell bill" for a vote to kick off debate in the Senate, intending to add the bipartisan text via an amendment. On July 25, Republican senator Rob Portman stated that an agreement was "about 90%" complete, with mass transit being one remaining point of contention. On July 30, Portman stated that this had been resolved. On July 28, Senator Kyrsten Sinema stated that she did not support

9225-511: The competitive portion would award $ 8.8 million to 12 communities on October 12, 2023, with the next award applications due in April (later changed to October) 2024. By June 28, 2024, the seventh tranche of funding had been awarded from the EECBG program, totaling about $ 150 million for 175 communities, with that date's instance seeing $ 18.5 million awarded to four states and 20 communities. In April 2023,

9348-518: The date that the original member's would have expired. The Constitution permits the House to expel a member with a two-thirds vote. In the history of the United States, only six members have been expelled from the House; in 1861, three were removed for supporting the Confederate states' secession: Democrats John Bullock Clark of Missouri, John William Reid of Missouri, and Henry Cornelius Burnett of Kentucky. Democrat Michael Myers of Pennsylvania

9471-432: The electorate. The Democratic Party and Republican Party each held majorities in the House at various times. The late 19th and early 20th centuries also saw a dramatic increase in the power of the speaker of the House . The rise of the speaker's influence began in the 1890s, during the tenure of Republican Thomas Brackett Reed . "Czar Reed", as he was nicknamed, attempted to put into effect his view that "The best system

9594-493: The enactment of the infrastructure law in 2021, no dedicated federal bridge funding had existed since fiscal year 2013. The law created two new programs specifically to fund bridge projects: With $ 27.5 billion over five years, the BFP distributes funds to every state, the District of Columbia , and Puerto Rico based on a formula that accounts for each state's cost to replace or rehabilitate its poor or fair condition bridges. Each state

9717-494: The energy policy of the United States. The Boston Consulting Group projects $ 41 billion of the Act will be germane to climate action in energy. $ 11 billion of the $ 73 billion amount will be invested in the electrical grid 's adjustment to renewable energy , with some of the money going to new loans for electric power transmission lines and required studies for future transmission needs. $ 6 billion of that $ 73 billion will go to domestic nuclear power . Also of that $ 73 billion,

9840-723: The final bill, de-emphasized these incentives. The final version restores the Superfund excise tax on certain chemicals which expired in 1995. According to NPR , the version which passed the Senate on July 28 was set to include: The law would also make the Minority Business Development Agency a permanent agency. It authorizes the DOT to create an organization called the Advanced Research Projects Agency–Infrastructure (ARPA–I), with

9963-474: The final set of actions are recommended to Congress in spring 2024. Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act ( IIJA ), also known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law ( BIL ), ( H.R. 3684 ) is a United States federal statute enacted by the 117th United States Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden on November 15, 2021. It

10086-841: The first $ 185 million of which were awarded to 45 projects on February 28, 2023. The program was later combined with the Neighborhood Equity and Access program from the Inflation Reduction Act for efficiency reasons, before the next 132 projects were given $ 3.3 billion in awards on March 13, 2024. The Act creates the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) program within the Department of Energy. It provides funding of up to $ 4.155 billion to state governments for up to 80 percent of eligible project costs, to add substantial open-access electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure along major highway corridors. The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act requires

10209-479: The first Tuesday after the first Monday in November. Pursuant to the Uniform Congressional District Act , representatives must be elected from single-member districts . After a census is taken (in a year ending in 0), the year ending in 2 is the first year in which elections for U.S. House districts are based on that census (with the Congress based on those districts starting its term on the following January 3). As there

10332-444: The formation of Amtrak. The criteria for new routes under consideration is that they "link and serve large and small communities as part of a regional rail network", "advance the economic and social well-being of rural areas of the United States", "provide enhanced connectivity for the national long-distance passenger rail system", and "reflect public engagement and local and regional support for restored passenger rail service". Work on

10455-742: The former, similar to a technology mandated by the European Union in July 2022. The law also requires the NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program to test collision avoidance systems in preparation for new federal regulations; new DOT reporting requirements for statistical data on crashes involving motorized scooters and electric bicycles ; new federal regulations on headlamps; research directives on technology to protect pedestrians and cyclists, advanced driver-assistance systems , federal hood and bumper regulations, smart city infrastructure, and self-driving cars ; and

10578-615: The hesitation of several moderates to pass the reconciliation bill before it could be scored by the Congressional Budget Office made passing the bipartisan bill unlikely. Negotiations between centrist and progressive Democrats concluded with the centrists committing to passing the Build Back Better Act. The bill ultimately went to a vote, as did a rule to vote on the larger bill once it was scored, passing 228–206; 13 Republicans joined all but six Democrats (members of "

10701-404: The implementation of the Act, Biden issued Executive Order 14052, which establishes a task force comprising most of his Cabinet. Biden appointed Landrieu and then- United States National Economic Council chief Brian Deese as the task force co-chairs. In May 2022, the Biden administration published a manual on the use of the law, aimed mainly at local authorities. The manual briefly describes

10824-539: The incumbent or the result of bargaining in earlier private discussions. Exceptions can result in so-called floor fights—convention votes by delegates, with outcomes that can be hard to predict. Especially if a convention is closely divided, a losing candidate may contend further by meeting the conditions for a primary election. The courts generally do not consider ballot access rules for independent and third party candidates to be additional qualifications for holding office and no federal statutes regulate ballot access. As

10947-439: The influential Rules Committee and the ability to appoint members of other House committees. However, these powers were curtailed in the "Revolution of 1910" because of the efforts of Democrats and dissatisfied Republicans who opposed Cannon's heavy-handed tactics. The Democratic Party dominated the House of Representatives during the administration of President Franklin D. Roosevelt (1933–1945), often winning over two-thirds of

11070-564: The land gained during the Mexican–American War . Conflict over slavery and other issues persisted until the Civil War (1861–1865), which began soon after several southern states attempted to secede from the Union. The war culminated in the South's defeat and in the abolition of slavery. All southern senators except Andrew Johnson resigned their seats at the beginning of the war, and therefore

11193-830: The largest federal investment in public transit in history. The law includes spending figures of $ 105 billion in public transport. It also spends $ 110 billion on fixing roads and bridges and includes measures for climate change mitigation and improving access for cyclists and pedestrians . Increasing use of public transport and related transit-oriented development can reduce transportation emissions in human settlements by 78% and overall US emissions by 15%. The law includes spending: New or improved, affordable transportation options to increase safe mobility and connectivity for all, including for people with disabilities, through lower-carbon travel like walking, cycling, rolling, and transit that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and promote active travel. $ 73 billion will be spent on overhauling

11316-485: The meetings indicated that the FRA was studying 18 discontinued long-distance Amtrak routes , as well as four that were discontinued on Amtrak's creation in 1971: the City of Miami , George Washington , Pan-American , and San Francisco Chief . In August 2023, the FRA released their second round of meeting materials. In November 2023, the FRA released their interim report to congress describing their current progress in

11439-650: The most voting members. Under the Articles of Confederation , the Congress of the Confederation was a unicameral body with equal representation for each state, any of which could veto most actions. After eight years of a more limited confederal government under the Articles, numerous political leaders such as James Madison and Alexander Hamilton initiated the Constitutional Convention in 1787, which received

11562-413: The nation's economy". The detailed plan aimed to create millions of jobs, bolster labor unions , expand labor protections, and address climate change . In mid-April 2021, Republican lawmakers offered a $ 568 billion counterproposal to the American Jobs Plan. On May 9, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said it should cost no more than $ 800 billion. On May 21, the administration reduced

11685-685: The original version which passed the House on July 1, 2021: The specific amounts in surface transportation spending were $ 343 billion for roads, highways, bridges and motor safety, $ 109 billion for transit, and $ 95 billion for rail. Provisions of the bill incentivized prioritizing maintenance and repair spending over spending on new infrastructure, holistically planning for all modes of transport when considering how to connect job centers to housing (including collecting data on reductions in vehicle miles traveled through transit-oriented development ), and lowering speed limits to increase road safety and encourage building complete streets . The Senate version, and

11808-521: The other (the Senate) would provide equal representation amongst the states. The Constitution was ratified by the requisite number of states (nine out of the 13) in 1788, but its implementation was set for March 4, 1789. The House began work on April 1, 1789, when it achieved a quorum for the first time. During the first half of the 19th century, the House was frequently in conflict with the Senate over regionally divisive issues, including slavery . The North

11931-453: The over 350 programs included in the law. Each description includes the aim of the program, its funding and possible recipients, its period of availability, and more. The programs are grouped into four categories: "Transportation", "Climate, Energy and the Environment", "Broadband", and "Other Programs". By the law's second anniversary in November 2023, around $ 400 billion from the law, about

12054-427: The past seven years; and (3) be (at the time of the election) an inhabitant of the state they represent. Members are not required to live in the districts they represent, but they traditionally do. The age and citizenship qualifications for representatives are less than those for senators . The constitutional requirements of Article I, Section 2 for election to Congress are the maximum requirements that can be imposed on

12177-622: The prefix " The Honorable " before their names. A member of the House is referred to as a representative , congressman , or congresswoman . Representatives are usually identified in the media and other sources by party and state, and sometimes by congressional district, or a major city or community within their district. For example, Democratic representative Nancy Pelosi , who represents California's 11th congressional district within San Francisco , may be identified as "D–California", "D–California–11" or "D–San Francisco". "Member of congress"

12300-494: The president if no candidate receives a majority of votes in the Electoral College . Members of the House serve a fixed term of two years, with each seat up for election before the start of the next Congress. Special elections also occur when a seat is vacated early enough. The House's composition was established by Article One of the United States Constitution . The House is composed of representatives who, pursuant to

12423-472: The price tag to $ 1.7 trillion, which was quickly rejected by Republicans. A day later, a bipartisan group within the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee announced that they had reached a deal for $ 304 billion in U.S. highway funding. This was approved unanimously by the committee on May 26. On June 4, House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chair Peter DeFazio announced

12546-574: The ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment and the civil rights movement . Since 1913, the number of voting representatives has been at 435 pursuant to the Apportionment Act of 1911 . The Reapportionment Act of 1929 capped the size of the House at 435. However, the number was temporarily increased from 1959 until 1963 to 437 following the admissions of Alaska and Hawaii to the Union. In addition, five non-voting delegates represent

12669-500: The reapportionment consequent to the 1960 census . The Constitution does not provide for the representation of the District of Columbia or of territories . The District of Columbia and the territories of Puerto Rico , American Samoa , Guam , the Northern Mariana Islands , and the U.S. Virgin Islands are each represented by one non-voting delegate . Puerto Rico elects a resident commissioner , but other than having

12792-460: The reconciliation resolution until there was a vote on the bipartisan infrastructure bill. While both Biden and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi had reversed earlier positions to support passing the bipartisan bill separately, progressives including Congressional Progressive Caucus chairwoman Pramila Jayapal and Senator Bernie Sanders maintained that it be utilized as leverage to pass the most expensive reconciliation bill possible. The lack of

12915-526: The requisite oath to support the Constitution, but later engages in rebellion or aids the enemies of the United States, is disqualified from becoming a representative. This post–Civil War provision was intended to prevent those who sided with the Confederacy from serving. However, disqualified individuals may serve if they gain the consent of two-thirds of both houses of Congress. Elections for representatives are held in every even-numbered year, on Election Day

13038-431: The seats. Both Democrats and Republicans were in power at various times during the next decade. The Democratic Party maintained control of the House from 1955 until 1995. In the mid-1970s, members passed major reforms that strengthened the power of sub-committees at the expense of committee chairs and allowed party leaders to nominate committee chairs. These actions were taken to undermine the seniority system , and to reduce

13161-633: The south wing of the United States Capitol . The rules of the House generally address a two-party system, with a majority party in government, and a minority party in opposition. The presiding officer is the Speaker of the House , who is elected by the members thereof. Other floor leaders are chosen by the Democratic Caucus or the Republican Conference , depending on whichever party has

13284-505: The study. In February 2024, the FRA released its third round of meeting materials which included a preferred draft network of fifteen new long-distance routes. The plan would increase the coverage of the long-distance Amtrak network by 23,200 route miles, reaching an additional 45 million population, 61 metropolitan statistical areas, 24 congressional districts, twelve National Park Service sites , and two states ( Wyoming and South Dakota ). Another round of public input will take place before

13407-698: The support of delegates from large states such as Virginia , Massachusetts , and Pennsylvania , as it called for representation based on population. The smaller states, however, favored the New Jersey Plan , which called for a unicameral Congress with equal representation for the states. Eventually, the Convention reached the Connecticut Compromise or Great Compromise, under which one house of Congress (the House of Representatives) would provide representation proportional to each state's population, whereas

13530-615: The system was, in Gingrich's words, "morally, intellectually and spiritually corrupt". Gingrich followed Wright's successor, Democrat Tom Foley , as speaker after the Republican Revolution of 1994 gave his party control of the House. Gingrich attempted to pass a major legislative program, the Contract with America and made major reforms of the House, notably reducing the tenure of committee chairs to three two-year terms. Many elements of

13653-427: The three acts together for spurring booms in factory construction and utility jobs, as well as limiting geographic concentrations of key industries to ensure more dispersed job creation nationwide, though they raised issues of whether the three would serve to limit project delays and significantly increase labor productivity in the long term. The Biden administration itself claimed that as of November 15, 2024 ,

13776-410: The vacancy occurs closer to the next general election date than a pre-established deadline. The term of a member chosen in a special election usually begins the next day, or as soon as the results are certified. Historically, many territories have sent non-voting delegates to the House. While their role has fluctuated over the years, today they have many of the same privileges as voting members, have

13899-437: The weekend. On August 10, the bill was passed by the Senate 69–30. It sets aside $ 550 billion in new spending. A procedural vote on a House rule concerning passing both bills passed along party lines on August 24. In early August, nine moderate Democrats called for an immediate House vote on the bill, citing a desire not to lose the momentum from the Senate passage of the bill. They committed to voting against taking up

14022-550: The years 2022–2040 by more than 200 million tons, while the second decreases them by around 250 million tons. In August 2022, the Boston Consulting Group analyzed the Act and found $ 41 billion of it would be spent on energy projects germane to climate action, $ 18 billion on similarly germane transportation projects, $ 18 billion on "clean tech" intended to cut hard-to-abate emissions, $ 0 on manufacturing, and $ 34 billion on other climate action provisions. The law includes

14145-573: Was a Generation IV reactor in Kemmerer, Wyoming by the nuclear fission startup TerraPower . In November 2022, the Biden administration announced it would furnish $ 550 million for the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant program for clean energy generators for low-income and minority communities, the first such appropriation since the Recovery Act in 2009. The administration announced

14268-435: Was amended and renamed the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to add funding for broadband access , clean water and electric grid renewal in addition to the transportation and road proposals of the original House bill. This amended version included approximately $ 1.2 trillion in spending, with $ 550 billion newly authorized spending on top of what Congress was planning to authorize regularly. The amended bill

14391-467: Was being ruined by the Democrats' tactics and that the GOP had to destroy the system before it could be saved. Cooperation in governance, says Zelizer, would have to be put aside until they deposed Speaker Wright and regained power. Gingrich brought an ethics complaint which led to Wright's resignation in 1989. Gingrich gained support from the media and good government forces in his crusade to persuade Americans that

14514-435: Was expelled after his criminal conviction for accepting bribes in 1980, Democrat James Traficant of Ohio was expelled in 2002 following his conviction for corruption, and Republican George Santos was expelled in 2023 after he was implicated in fraud by both a federal indictment and a House Ethics Committee investigation. The House also has the power to formally censure or reprimand its members; censure or reprimand of

14637-583: Was introduced in the House as the INVEST in America Act and nicknamed the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill. The act was initially a $ 547–715 billion infrastructure package that included provisions related to federal highway aid, transit, highway safety , motor carrier, research, hazardous materials and rail programs of the Department of Transportation . After congressional negotiations, it

14760-479: Was motivated by fears that courts would impose at-large plurality districts on states that did not redistrict to comply with the new mandates for districts roughly equal in population, and Congress also sought to prevent attempts by southern states to use such voting systems to dilute the vote of racial minorities. Several states have used multi-member districts in the past, although only two states (Hawaii and New Mexico) used multi-member districts in 1967. Louisiana

14883-565: Was much more populous than the South , and therefore dominated the House of Representatives. However, the North held no such advantage in the Senate, where the equal representation of states prevailed. Regional conflict was most pronounced over the issue of slavery. One example of a provision repeatedly supported by the House but blocked by the Senate was the Wilmot Proviso , which sought to ban slavery in

15006-544: Was passed 69–30 by the Senate on August 10, 2021. On November 5, it was passed 228–206 by the House , and ten days later was signed into law by President Biden. On March 31, 2021, President Joe Biden unveiled his $ 2.3 trillion American Jobs Plan (which, when combined with the American Families Plan , amounted to $ 4 trillion in infrastructure spending), pitched by him as "a transformative effort to overhaul

15129-443: Was subsequently elected by the House as the first female speaker. The Republicans retook the House in 2011 , with the largest shift of power since the 1930s. However, the Democrats retook the house in 2019 , which became the largest shift of power to the Democrats since the 1970s. In the 2022 elections, Republicans took back control of the House, winning a slim majority. In November 2024, House Speaker Mike Johnson announced that

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