Congress project

Congress Project

Nichole Fort

Courtnei Johnson

Hannah Kettles

Demographics

Age0%

4%15%

33%34%

14% 20-2930-3940-4950-5960-69<70

Gender

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

450

Male Female

Marital Status

050

100150200250300350400450500

Divorced DomesticPartners

Engaged Married Single Widowed

Party

218

2

316

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

Number in party

Type of Party

RepublicanIndependentDemocrat

Religion

45%

16%

15%

12%

12%

CatholicBaptistMethodistPresbyterianJewish

Ethnicity

38

42 25

458

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

450

500

Caucasian AfricanAmerican

Hispanic Asian Others

Congress Members from Texas

SenatorJohn Cornyn

• Year elected- 2002• Number of terms- two• Year of re-election- 2008• Political Work- Co-founded

and became co-chairmen of the U.S. Senate India Caucus, served in San Antonio for six years as a district judge.

• Home State- Texas• Extra Info- Ranked as

seventeenth most conservative United States Senator in 2008 by the National Journal.

SenatorKay Bailey Hutchison

• Year elected- 1993

• Number of Terms- three

• Year of Re-election- 2006

• Political Work- Senate Committee, and Chairmen of the Republican Policy Committee

• Home State- Texas

• Extra Info- recently published her most recent best seller: Leading Ladies: American Trailblazers

RepresentativeJoe Barton

• 6th District• Number of Representatives- 35• Year elected- 1984• Number of terms- five• Year of re-election- 2009• Political Work- Assisted V.P.

aide to Energy Secretary James B. Edward, Natural Gas Consultant to Congress

• Home State- Texas• Extra Info- Primary House author

of the Energy Policy Act of 2005, co-founded the Congressional Privacy Caucus, and co-sponsor of the Anti-Spy ware SPY ACT.

Senate Leaders

President of the SenateJoe Biden


• Number of terms- six

• Year of re-election- 2009

• Political Work- – Chairmen of Foreign Relations

Committee

– Chairmen of the Senate Judiciary Committee, dealing with issues of drug policy, crime prevention, and civil liberties

– Led creation of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act and Violence Against Women Act.

President of the SenateJoe Biden

• Home State- Delaware

• Extra Info- – Became one of the youngest

people ever elected to U.S. Senate

– Chairmen of the administration’s Middle Class Task Force, a White House initiative targeted at raising the living standards of Middle Class families in America.

President Pro TemporeRobert C. Byrd


• Number of terms- nine

• Year of re-election- 2007

• Political Work- – Dean of the Senate since 2003

– Senate Conference Secretary

– Majority Whip, Minority Leader, and twice elected Majority Leader

• Home State- West Virginia

• Extra Info- Used to be an Attorney

Majority LeaderHarry Reid

• Year elected- 1986• Number of terms- five• Year of re-election- 2004• Political Work-

– Represented Nevada’s 1st congressional district from 1983 to 1987

• Home State- Nevada• Extra Info-

– Graduate of Utah State University and George Washington University Law School.

– Served as a City Attorney of Henderson

– Lieutenant Governor of Nevada

Minority LeaderMitch McConnell

• Year elected- 1984• Number of terms- five• Year of re-election- 2008• Political Work-

– Introduced the Project America Act of 2007, which allowed National Security Agency to listen in on phone calls of suspected terrorists inside and outside the U.S. without obtaining a warrant

– Writer of the Gas Price Reduction Act, which calls for more offshore and domestic oil exploration to try to curb rising gas prices

Minority LeaderMitch McConnell

• Home State- Kentucky

• Extra Info- – Intern at Capitol Hill under

Senator John Sherman Cooper

– Has his B.A. in political science

– An advocate of principles, receiving a perfect score from the American Conservative Union in 2006

Majority WhipRichard J. Durbin

• Year elected- 1996• Number of terms- three• Year of re-election- 2008• Political Work-

– Serves as chairmen of the Judiciary Subcommittee on Human Rights and the Law and the Appropriations Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government

– Co-sponsored the Darfur Peace and Accountability Act

– Introduced the African Health Capacity Investment Act

– Co-sponsor of the Early Treatment for HIV Act of 2007

Majority WhipRichard J. Durbin

• Home State- Illinois

• Extra Info- – Time magazine identified him as

one of “America’s top 10 senators”

– He is also a trial lawyer, and was told by Harry Reid that he is the “best debater” in the U.S. senate.

Minority WhipJon L. Kyl

• Year elected- 1994• Number of terms- three• Year of re-election- 2006• Political Work-

– Co-authored the Crime Victim’s Rights Act

– Supporter of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Act of 2006

– Served as Policy Committee Chairmen from 2003-2007

– Served as Conference Chairmen in 2007

• Home State- Arizona• Extra Info-

– First Arizonan to hold such a high position in the senate as Minority Whip

– Before politics, Kyl was a lawyer and a lobbyist

House Leaders

Speak of the HouseNancy Pelosi


• Number of terms- two

• Year re-elected- 2009

• Political Work-– Represented the 8th Congressional

District of California

– Served on Appropriations and Intelligence Committees

• Home State- California

• Extra Info-– First female Speaker of the House

– Highest ranking female politician in American History

Minority LeaderJohn A. Boehner

• Year elected- 2007• Number of terms- two• Year of re-election- 2009• Political Work-

– Represented Ohio’s 8th Congressional District

– Championed the Freedom to Farm Act

– House Republican Conference Chairmen from 1995-1999

– Authored the Pension Protection Act reform

• Home State- Ohio• Extra Info-

– Major force in the No Child Left Behind program

Minority WhipEric I. Cantor


• Number of terms- one

• Year of re-election- None

• Political Work-– Raised of $30 million for the

National Republican Congressional Committee

– Wrote for the National Review in 2007

• Home State- Virginia

• Extra Info- – Supporter of free trade

Majority LeaderSteny H. Hoyer


– Served on the Democratic Caucus– Chief candidate recruiter for the

House Democrats from 1995-2000

• Home State- Maryland• Extra Info-

– Highest ranking member of Congress in Maryland history

– First Marylander to become Majority Leader

– Interned for Senator Daniel Brewster along with Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi

Majority WhipJames E. Clyburn


– Elected Vice-Chairmen of the House Democratic Caucus in 2003

– Introduced the Access for All American Act, which provides money to community Health Centers for low-income citizens

• Home State- South Carolina• Extra Info-

– Considered to be the most important African-American political leader in his home state

– Second African-American and first South Carolinian to hold this position

Current Events

HealthCare Bill

• Since the HealthCare Bill was signed into law, there are high risk insurance plans– The government has to create

insurance pools for people who cannot get coverage because of pre-existing health conditions

– Health and Human Services has to sync the new plan by June 1st of the year

– And they have to make sure that there will be enough funding to cover new people enrolling for Health insurance

PETA

• People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals are outside the White House almost every day protesting for animal rights

– Such as no testing cosmetics on animals

– PETA has filled out more protest permit applications with the local police than any other group during the months of January and February

– They even wore monkey masks and put themselves in dog cages to show animal cruelty

Congress project

Documents

Transcript of Congress project