Public Law 62-5.org - American Oligarchy (Home Page) Public Law 62-5 American Oligarchy Welcome to Public Law 62-5. This website is dedicated providing free information regarding Public Law 62-5, what it is and how it as radically changed,"The People's House", the House of Representatives. Public Law 62-5 is codified in the United States Code: Chapter 1, Title 2, Section 2 also listed as: 2 U.S.C. Sec. 2, passed by the United States Congress on August 8, 1911, set the number of members of the United States House of Representatives at 435, effective with the initiation of the 63rd Congress in 1913. It also included a provision for the addition of two seats; one seat for each Arizona and New Mexico when they became States, as prescribed in the Constitution.

The number of membership in the House increased temporarily to 437 when Alaska and Hawaii were admitted as States during the 86th Congress, but the 1960 census reapportioned the House under the 435 membership legislation of Public Law 62-5 and the apportionment bill of June 18, 1929 which fixed the number. Wikipedia. 437 Alaska/ Hawaii NOTE: This was the second time in US history that the membership of the House was actually reduced in the name of liberty; the first House reduction was 17 members from 240 to 223, in the 1843 apportionment follow the 6th Census in 1840. The population grew by over 30% from 12.8 million to 17 million. It took twenty years until the 8th Census in 1860 that the House membership was increased to 241 Members at that point the population was 23.1 million, a representative dilution of over 50% from the 1830 Census apportionment.

"At the expiration of twenty-five years, according to the computed rate of increase, the number of representatives will amount to two hundred, and of fifty years, to four hundred. This is a number which, I presume, will put an end to all fears arising from the smallness of the body." The Federalist Papers No. 55: February 15, 1788 The Total Number of the House of Representatives Updated March 12, 2009 ABOUT: PUBLIC LAW 62-5.com or .org This website is in the process of containing all the debates in the House and Senate regarding Public Law 62-5 from the 1911 Congressional Record and Census information regarding the missed 1920 census apportionment and the apportionment bill of June 18, 1929 which fixed the number of Representatives at 435 and the current reapportionment system of the House. I am in the process transcribing these debates from illegible microfiche to this website.

This is primary source material and I ask for minor acknowledgment for providing this free resource material and please visit for a more comprehensive analysis of how skewed our current representative democracy of 435 is and other unintended consequences, especially the Electoral College failure. The consolidated of power into a few a hands as warned by our founding fathers has lead us into a state of an American Oligarchy. I am in the process of transcribing the Congresional Record from microfisch to this website. The Congression Recond is a public record which contains the debates and other business of the Congress as perscriibe in the Constitution. "Each House shall keep a Journal of its Proceedings, and from time to time publish the same, excepting such Parts as may in their Judgment require Secrecy; and the Yeas and Nays of the Members of either House on any question shall, at the Desire of one fifth of those Present, be entered on the Journal." US Constitution Article 1, Section 5, Clause 3 Why 435 member in the House of Representatives? Ask the House and the answer is because the House said so in 1911 and that�s just the way it is. This is a ridiculous response from our government.

Update: The House now claims the Constitution in, Article 1, Section 2 , provides the number of members to the House, I don�t see it, give it a look try to find what they see. What is representatives democracy if we are not represented. Proportional representation was a topic that was never properly address by the Constitutional Convention and we are left with the ramification of an unresponsive government. This issue of representation and Gerrymandering have plagued the politics of America for decades if not the past two centuries. We are only 5 short years from being America's first (1913) century as an oligarchy. NEWS Currently, the House is in the process of debating expanding the House membership to by two seats to the Pre-1960 Census of 437. DC Voter Rights Act House bill (H.R. 1905) and Senate bill (S. 1257). Washington D. C. will receive on seat and Utah will receive the other. The reasoning behind this increase is to deal with the unrepresented federal district of Washington D. C. (Although D. C. gets three electoral votes), which is �taxed without representation�. The Utah reasoning is that D. C.

will become a strong Democratic District and Utah will be a strong Republican District, i.e. balance of power between the two major parties. The issue of legal firearm possession in D.C. is currently holding up the legislation and as small step towards a much more representative democracy. April 19, 2007, DC Gun Bill: Stop Congress From Pulling the Trigger on Democracy in DC H.R. 6691. June 13, 2007, the DC Voting Rights Act (S. 1257) passed in the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs with broad bipartisan support 9-1. September 18, 2007, although a majority of the Senate voted to move the bill to a final vote, 57-42, a minority of Senators led by Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) were able to maintain a filibuster. Source: Interlude: In the annals of the U.S. CODE there exists a peculiar law. A law, which would, during the progress era of 1913 forever change America; by consolidating the Peoples' House and thereby the power structure in Washington and further more the world.

Public law 62-5, the missed apportionment of 1923 and the solidification of the 435 fixed apportionment bill of June 18, 1929 created a legitimate oligarchic in America and is codified in U.S.Code Chapter 1, Title 2, Section 2 also listed as: 2 USC Sec. 2 Public Law 62-5 Sixty First Congress Session Three 1910 - 1911 Message from the President of the United States THE CENSUS Message from the President of the United States POPULATION OF THE UNITED STATES 321 PUBLIC BILLS, RESOLUTIONS, AND MEMORIALS. H.R. 30566 Introduced by Mr. Crumpacker 614 PUBLIC BILLS, RESOLUTIONS, AND MEMORIALS. H.R. 30877 Introduced by Mr. Reeder and H.R. 30897 Introduced by Mr. Campbell 708 PUBLIC BILLS, RESOLUTIONS, AND MEMORIALS. H.J. Res. 248 Introduced by Mr. Langley 883 H.R.

30566 - APORTIONMENT OF REPRESENTATIVE 965 - 957 The Congressional Record Debates and Proceedings The Apportionment Bill - H.R. 30566 2205 - 2231 The Congressional Record Debates and Proceedings The Apportionment Bill - H.R. 30566 4149 - 4153 Appendex to the Congressional Record The Apportionment Bill - H.R. 30566 Thursday, February 9, 1911 Appendex to the Congressional Record The Apportionment Bill - H.R. 30566 80 Appendex to the Congressional Record The Apportionment Bill - H.R. 30566 81 Appendex to the Congressional Record The Apportionment Bill - H.R. 30566 81 - 82 Appendex to the Congressional Record The Apportionment Bill - H.R. 30566 82 - 83 More debate posting to come U.S. Code Chapter 1 Title 2 Section 2, 2a, 2b, & 2c.

-CITE- 2 USC Sec. 2 01/03/2007 -EXPCITE- TITLE 2 - THE CONGRESS CHAPTER 1 - ELECTION OF SENATORS AND REPRESENTATIVES -HEAD- Sec. 2. Omitted -COD- CODIFICATION Section, act Aug. 8, 1911, ch. 5, Secs. 1, 2, 37 Stat. 13, 14, fixed composition of House of Representatives at 435 Members, to be apportioned to the States therein enumerated. For provisions dealing with reapportionment of Representatives and manner of election, etc., see sections 2a and 2b of this title. -End- -CITE- 2 USC Sec. 2a 01/03/2007 -EXPCITE- TITLE 2 - THE CONGRESS CHAPTER 1 - ELECTION OF SENATORS AND REPRESENTATIVES -HEAD- Sec. 2a.

Reapportionment of Representatives; time and manner; existing decennial census figures as basis; statement by President; duty of clerk -STATUTE- (a) On the first day, or within one week thereafter, of the first regular session of the Eighty-second Congress and of each fifth Congress thereafter, the President shall transmit to the Congress a statement showing the whole number of persons in each State, excluding Indians not taxed, as ascertained under the seventeenth and each subsequent decennial census of the population, and the number of Representatives to which each State would be entitled under an apportionment of the then existing number of Representatives by the method known as the method of equal proportions, no State to receive less than one Member. (b) Each State shall be entitled, in the Eighty-third Congress and in each Congress thereafter until the taking effect of a reapportionment under this section or subsequent statute, to the number of Representatives shown in the statement required by subsection (a) of this section, no State to receive less than one Member.

It shall be the duty of the Clerk of the House of Representatives, within fifteen calendar days after the receipt of such statement, to send to the executive of each State a certificate of the number of Representatives to which such State is entitled under this section. In case of a vacancy in the office of Clerk, or of his absence or inability to discharge this duty, then such duty shall devolve upon the Sergeant at Arms of the House of Representatives.

(c) Until a State is redistricted in the manner provided by the law thereof after any apportionment, the Representatives to which such State is entitled under such apportionment shall be elected in the following manner: (1) If there is no change in the number of Representatives, they shall be elected from the districts then prescribed by the law of such State, and if any of them are elected from the State at large they shall continue to be so elected; (2) if there is an increase in the number of Representatives, such additional Representative or Representatives shall be elected from the State at large and the other Representatives from the districts then prescribed by the law of such State; (3) if there is a decrease in the number of Representatives but the number of districts in such State is equal to such decreased number of Representatives, they shall be elected from the districts then prescribed by the law of such State; (4) if there is a decrease in the number of Representatives but the number of districts in such State is less than such number of Representatives, the number of Representatives by which such number of districts is exceeded shall be elected from the State at large and the other Representatives from the districts then prescribed by the law of such State; or (5) if there is a

 decrease in the number of Representatives and the number of districts in such State exceeds such decreased number of Representatives, they shall be elected from the State at large.

-SOURCE- (June 18, 1929, ch. 28, Sec. 22, 46 Stat. 26; Apr. 25, 1940, ch. 152, 54 Stat. 162; Nov. 15, 1941, ch. 470, Sec. 1, 55 Stat. 761; Pub. L. 104-186, title II, Sec. 201, Aug. 20, 1996, 110 Stat. 1724.) -MISC1- AMENDMENTS 1996 - Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 104-186 struck out at end "; and in case of vacancies in the offices of both the Clerk and the Sergeant at Arms, or the absence or inability of both to act, such duty shall devolve upon the Doorkeeper of the House of Representatives". 1941 - Act Nov. 15, 1941, provided for reapportionment based on seventeenth and subsequent decennial censuses. 1940 - Act Apr.

25, 1940, provided for reapportionment based on sixteenth decennial census. TERMINATION OF REPORTING REQUIREMENTS For termination, effective May 15, 2000, of provisions of law requiring submittal to Congress of any annual, semiannual, or other regular periodic report listed in House Document No. 103-7 (in which the report required by subsec. (a) of this section is listed on page 17), see section 3003 of Pub. L. 104-66, as amended, set out as a note under section 1113 of Title 31, Money and Finance. CONSTITUTIONAL PROVISIONS Apportionment of Representatives among the several States, see Const. Art. I, Sec. 2, cl. 3, and Amend. XIV, Sec. 2. TEMPORARY INCREASE IN MEMBERSHIP Representation of States of Alaska and Hawaii in House of Representatives as not affecting basis of apportionment established by this section, see section 9 of Pub. L. 85-508, July 7, 1958, 72 Stat.

339, set out as a note preceding section 21 of Title 48, Territories and Insular Possessions, and section 8 of Pub. L. 86-3, Mar. 18, 1959, 73 Stat. 4, set out as a note preceding section 491 of Title 48. -End- Please e-mail me with any comments or suggestions at: reform at publiclaw62-5.com Updated March 12, 2009 The House Explained · House.gov House History What is a Representative? Also referred to as a congressman or congresswoman, each representative is elected to a two-year term serving the people of a specific congressional district. Among other duties, representatives introduce bills and resolutions, offer amendments and serve on committees. The number of representatives with full voting rights is 435, a number set by Public Law 62-5 on August 8, 1911, and in effect since 1913. The number of representatives per state is proportionate to population. Article 1, Section 2 of the Constitution provides for both the minimum and maximum sizes for the House of Representatives.

Currently, there are five delegates representing the District of Columbia, the Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. A resident commissioner represents Puerto Rico. The delegates and resident commissioner possess the same powers as other members of the House, except that they may not vote when the House is meeting as the House of Representatives. To be elected, a representative must be at least 25 years old, a United States citizen for at least seven years and an inhabitant of the state he or she represents. View the list of House members by state or by last name . Find Your Representative Enter your ZIP code in the banner of this page to find the representative for your congressional district. Did You Know? After extensive debate, the framers of the Constitution agreed to create the House with representation based on population and the Senate with equal representation. This agreement was part of what is referred to as The Great Compromise . Leadership House leadership includes the speaker, majority and minority leaders, assistant leaders, whips and a party caucus or conference. The speaker acts as leader of the House and combines several institutional and administrative roles. Majority and minority leaders represent their respective parties on the House floor.

Whips assist leadership in managing their party's legislative program on the House floor. A party caucus or conference is the name given to a meeting of or organization of all party members in the House. During these meetings, party members discuss matters of concern. The majority party members and the minority party members meet in separate caucuses to select their leader. Third parties rarely have had enough members to elect their own leadership, and independents will generally join one of the larger party organizations to receive committee assignments. How many people have served as Speaker of the House? Has the Speaker ever become President? Find out! Committees The House’s 20 standing committees have different legislative jurisdictions. Each considers bills and issues and recommends measures for consideration by the House. Committees also have oversight responsibilities to monitor agencies, programs, and activities within their jurisdictions, and in some cases in areas that cut across committee jurisdictions. Current standing committees of the House: Agriculture; Appropriations; Armed Services; Budget; Commerce; Education and the Workforce; Ethics; Financial Services; Foreign Affairs; Homeland Security; House Administration; Judiciary; Natural Resources; Oversight and Government Reform; Rules; Science, Space, and Technology; Small Business; Transportation and Infrastructure; Veterans’ Affairs; and Ways and Means.

The Committee of the Whole House is a committee of the House on which all representatives serve and which meets in the House Chamber for the consideration of measures from the Union calendar. Before members are assigned to committees, each committee’s size and the proportion of Republicans to Democrats must be decided by the party leaders. The total number of committee slots allotted to each party is approximately the same as the ratio between majority party and minority party members in the full chamber. All committees have websites where they post information about the legislation they are drafting. What's a Select Committee? The House will sometimes form a special or select committee for a short time period and specific purpose, frequently an investigation. Did You Know? Each committee has a chair and a ranking member. The chair heads the full committee. The ranking member leads the minority members of the committee. Commissions Congress has created a wide variety of temporary and permanent commissions to serve as advisory bodies for investigative or policy-related issues, or to carry out administrative, interparliamentary, or commemorative tasks. Such commissions are typically created by either law or House resolution, and may be composed of House members, private citizens, or a mix of both.

In some cases, the commissions are entities of the House or Congress itself; in other cases, they are crafted as independent entities within the legislative branch. Examples of commissions Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission: a temporary, independent investigative body created by law and made up of private citizens. Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (also known as the Helsinki Commission): an independent U.S. government agency composed of nine members of the United States Senate, nine from the House of Representatives, and one member each from the Departments of State, Defense and Commerce. House Page Board: a permanent, Congressional advisory group created by law and made up of House members, Officers, and private citizens. House Commissions Representatives’ schedules are sometimes planned out in increments as short as five minutes. House Rules The Rules of the House of Representatives for the 114th Congress were established by the House with the adoption of H. Res. 5 (PDF) on January 5, 2015. A section by section analysis is also available. Rules of Conduct The Committee on Ethics has jurisdiction over the rules and statutes governing the conduct of members, officers and employees while performing their official duties. Key Concept The Rules Committee controls what bills go to the House Floor and the terms of debate.

Majority Rules The makeup of the Rules Committee has traditionally been weighted in favor of the majority party, and has been in its current configuration of 9 majority and 4 minority members since the late 1970s. Did You Know? The Rules Committee has an online Parliamentary Bootcamp that gives an overview of House Floor procedures, process and precendents. As outlined in the Constitution , the House represents citizens based on district populations, while the Senate represents citizens on an equal state basis. This agreement was part of what is called The Great Compromise which, in turn, led to the Permanent Seat of Government Act establishing the nation’s federal capital in Washington, DC. In 1789, the House assembled for the first time in New York. It moved to Philadelphia in 1790 and then to Washington, DC, in 1800. Key Concept Why Is the Constitutional Representation Ratio Ignored? Why Is the Constitutional Representation Ratio Ignored? In an article published September 8 in the Patriot Post, Duane V. Grassell reports on the principle of proportional representation devised by our Founding Fathers and included in the Constitution of 1787 and the 20th-century legislation that betrayed it.

Grassell begins by rehearsing the history of the representational ratio required by the Constitution: Because our nation was a confederation of states with each state having the freedom to govern their state within the parameters of the Constitution their legislatures ratified, but with different populations, the concept of equal representation for each state posed a problem. The solution our founders crafted and wrote into our highest law of the land was to organize the legislature into a House made up of representatives from districts, within a state, that had a uniform population and a Senate made up of two members from each state so no state or group of states with a large population can control the law making process. While the Senate was designed to protect the interests of the states, the House was meant to be the decision-making body of the people. While the Senate would always remain at two members for each state, the House was meant to grow as the new nation grew. A bit more historical context is in order before examining the effect of the departure from the Constitution’s prescribed proportional scheme of representation.

In a curious breach of protocol, the 55 or so delegates present in Philadelphia on Friday, July 13, 1787 began a “long and excited debate” on a point that had not been referred to the committee, but was reported by it, nonetheless. The question being debated that day 228 years ago was whether in the House of Representatives each state should have one vote for every 40,000 inhabitants. With population established as the measure that would determine representation, the convention had to amend a provision passed earlier that called for the number of representatives allotted to each new state to be determined by “wealth and the number of inhabitants.” The word wealth was accordingly stricken from the measure and debate on the proportion continued. Earlier in the debates, the line of cleavage was between the large and the small states regarding the question of representation in the Senate. When the same question was being worked out with regard to the House of Representatives, those blocs dissolved and the North versus South situation dominated. It was universally believed that growth in the South would outpace that of the north, and so the ratio that eventually was approved in the final version of the Constitution was one representative per 30,000 inhabitants.

This way, the South’s control of the House of Representatives would be delayed. With the compromise constitutional ratio (1:30,000) in mind and given that the U.S. Census Bureau reports that there are currently about 313.9 million inhabitants of the United States, if the Constitution were being followed, there would be approximately 10,463 members of the House of Representatives. As any junior high school civics student can attest, there are only 435 members of that body, just four percent of the constitutionally established ratio! Why, then, are Americans not represented according to the ratio set forth in the Constitution? Grassell records the reason: This ratio began to grow exponentially after Public Law 62-5, passed on August 8, 1911, which permanently set the House to its present 435. Except for the year when Alaska and Hawaii were admitted to the union and the number was temporarily raised to 437, the number of seats in the House has remained constant. With the number of House seats constant and the population growing, the ratio between the number of people to each representative has more than tripled since the law was passed.

It is no coincidence that this law, the amendment changing the process of selecting Senators to represent their state, the alleged passing of the Federal Income Tax Amendment and the Federal Reserve Act were all passed in the same time frame. Since these laws were enacted, we have slowly lost individual freedoms, faced economic uncertainty, and lost our first Amendment right to petition our government through a redress of grievances through our elected representatives. During the debate on the legislation mentioned by Grassell, Representative Ralph Lozier (D-Mo.) made the following seemingly obvious observation: "I am unalterably opposed to limiting the membership of the House to the arbitrary number of 435. Why 435? Why not 400? Why not 300? Why not 250, 450, 535, or 600? Why is this number 435 sacred? What merit is there in having a membership of 435 that we would not have if the membership were 335 or 535? There is no sanctity in the number 435....

There is absolutely no reason, philosophy, or common sense in arbitrarily fixing the membership of the House at 435 or at any other number." Crunching the numbers reveals that for nearly 90 years, Americans have been the least represented population among all representative governments since the ratification of the Constitution (and the 1:30,000 representation ratio) in 1789. In 2015, each member of the House represents, on average, 721,609 Americans! For a bit of context, in 1913, two years after the bill setting the magic number of representatives at 435 was passed, each congressman represented only 200,000 Americans — still unconstitutional, but much closer to the correct constitutional proportion. Obviously, the immense imbalance in the House of Representatives has many ill effects. First, the influence of lobbyists is increased. The larger the pool of potential donors per each representative, the more money special interests are able to raise, thus decreasing proportionally the influence of individual voters.

Additionally, the Founders’ concerns about a lack of representation are borne out when a representative is expected to know the opinions of over 700,000 people. James Madison expressed the need for constituents to feel connected to their representatives to the national legislature. In The Federalist, No. 57, he wrote, The house of representatives ... can make no law which will not have its full operation on themselves and their friends, as well as the great mass of society. This has always been deemed one of the strongest bonds by which human policy can connect the rulers and the people together. It creates between them that communion of interest, and sympathy of sentiments, of which few governments have furnished examples; but without which every government degenerates into tyranny. And in another Federalist letter: The members of the legislative department ... are numerous. They are distributed and dwell among the people at large. Their connections of blood, of friendship, and of acquaintance embrace a great proportion of the most influential part of the society.... They are more immediately the confidential guardians of their rights and liberties. This issue should be front and center in 2016 as the day of election of state and federal representatives approaches.

Nearly every candidate appealing to constitutionalists has committed to eliminating the influence of special interest. Repealing the Reapportionment Act of 1929 would do more to accomplish that worthwhile aim than most other proposals. Not to mention the fact that such a solution would have the added benefit of being a return to strict constitutional principles. The concept of subtraction by addition is a difficult one to comprehend, perhaps. That is to say, no one who flies the flag of the Constitution advocates an increase in the size of government. However, there is a possibility that by removing the 435-member ceiling and requiring representatives to reduce staff and take a significant pay cut (so as not to increase by one cent the amount of money spent on congressional salaries and staff), a lifetime spent in Congress might not be so enticing, and the increased turnover rate will please Americans of a Jeffersonian bent who long for a “revolution” every couple of decades. By following the constitutionally mandated representative ratio, such a "revolution" could occur every two years, using ballots rather than bullets as the tools of displacing tyrants. Please review our Comment Policy before posting a comment Thank you for joining the discussion at The New American.

We value our readers and encourage their participation, but in order to ensure a positive experience for our readership, we have a few guidelines for commenting on articles. If your post does not follow our policy, it will be deleted. No profanity, racial slurs, direct threats, or threatening language. No product advertisements. Please post comments in English. Please keep your comments on topic with the article. If you wish to comment on another subject, you may search for a relevant article and join or start a discussion there. The Apportionment Act of 1911 | As Maine Goes The Apportionment Act of 1911 Last seen: 1 year 6 months ago Joined: 05/10/2012 - 11:40am The Apportionment Act of 1911 "The Apportionment Act of 1911, also known as Public Law 62-5, was passed by the United States Congress on August 8, 1911.

The law set the number of members of the United States House of Representatives at 435, effective with the 63rd Congress on March 3, 1913." Log in to post comments Fri, 09/27/2013 - 1:30pm Last seen: 2 years 11 months ago Joined: 04/30/2005 - 12:01am Log in to post comments Fri, 09/27/2013 - 3:07pm Last seen: 1 year 6 months ago Joined: 05/10/2012 - 11:40am Log in to post comments Fri, 09/27/2013 - 8:38pm Last seen: 4 months 5 days ago Joined: 04/19/2000 - 12:01am Intended by whom? The Intended by whom? The Constitution provided for adjusting the apportionment, not growing the number of representatives.

It didn't say that every 30,000-40,000 citizens were intended to have a representative, which would mean today on the order of 10,000 in the House of Representatives (and all the annexes it would require). Log in to post comments Fri, 09/27/2013 - 10:54pm Last seen: 1 year 6 months ago Joined: 05/10/2012 - 11:40am The Constitution does say The Constitution does say "The Number of Representatives shall not exceed one for every thirty Thousand." No limit is explicitly placed on the other side. However my reading suggested that number of representatives were regularly adjusted within the range I suggested. Looking at the early history of this is interesting to me, as it does at least suggest how the founders interpreted this. It turns out they disagreed about it right away.

This Wikipedia article states that, as well as detailing the political controversy over this very early in the nation's history: " Randolph and Jefferson both said, as the bill established the total number of representatives, 120, by dividing the aggregate of the federal census by 30,000, it was unconstitutional. The Constitution required, they argued, the choice of a common divisor and the division of the population residing in each state by that number to establish the size of the United States House of Representatives." So at least Jefferson's opinion seems clear - the size of the House was meant to grow with the population. I'll bet it would be hard to bribe 10,000 legislators or use any of the other various arm-twisting tactics routinely used to "get people in line". Duane V. Grassell: The U.S. House of Representatives: The People's House, Part I — The Patriot Post Tweet Historic Background During the drafting of our Constitution, our framers designed a legislature from which all laws would be written. Upon much research for their time, the founders decided upon a bicameral legislature where majority votes in both chambers would be required to send a bill to the execute branch.

Because our nation was a confederation of states with each state having the freedom to govern their state within the parameters of the Constitution their legislatures ratified, but with different populations, the concept of equal representation for each state posed a problem. The solution our founders crafted and wrote into our highest law of the land was to organize the legislature into a House made up of representatives from districts, within a state, that had a uniform population and a Senate made up of two members from each state so no state or group of states with a large population can control the law making process. While the Senate was designed to protect the interests of the states, the House was meant to be the decision-making body of the people. While the Senate would always remain at two members for each state, the House was meant to grow as the new nation grew. In this article, we will examine the history of the US House from its early days to the present and project what the House would look like today if the letter and spirit of the Constitution were still enforced today.

What it Was Regarding the size of the House, the Constitution states, “The Number of Representatives shall not exceed one for every thirty Thousand, but each State should have at Least one Representative;…” In the early days of our nation, the lawful ratio was observed closely. The Constitution mandates that the US House size and apportionment be determined after each census given at the beginning of each decade. The following table shows how the ratio of representation has changed over the years. What it is Now As you can see, the ratio of the number of people represented grew each decade. This ratio began to grow exponentially after Public Law 62-5, passed on August 8, 1911, which permanently set the House to its present 435. Except for the year when Alaska and Hawaii were admitted to the union and the number was temporarily raised to 437, the number of seats in the House has remained constant. With the number of House seats constant and the population growing, the ratio between the number of people to each representative has more than tripled since the law was passed.

It is no coincidence that this law, the amendment changing the process of selecting Senators to represent their state, the alleged passing of the Federal Income Tax Amendment and the Federal Reserve Act were all passed in the same time frame. Since these laws were enacted, we have slowly lost individual freedoms, faced economic uncertainty, and lost our first Amendment right to petition our government through a redress of grievances through our elected representatives. This 435 seat limit has also caused a disparate ratio of representation among the states. Presently the states of Rhode Island, Wyoming and West Virginia enjoy the lowest ratios of population to representative with ratios of 527,624:1, 568,300:1 & 619,938:1 respectively. The unfortunate states to have the highest ratios are Montana, Delaware and South Dakota with ratios of 994,416:1, 900,877:1 & 819,761:1 respectively. This type of division is not what our founders intended.

In Federalist Paper #55, James Madison, using the pseudonym, Publius, wrote against limiting the number of House members because, “first, that so small a number of representatives will be an unsafe depositary of the public interests; secondly, that they will not possess a proper knowledge of the local circumstances of their numerous constituents; thirdly, that they will be taken from that class of citizens which will sympathize least with the feelings of the mass of the people, and be most likely to aim at a permanent elevation of the few on the depression of the many; fourthly, that defective as the number will be in the first instance, it will be more and more disproportionate, by the increase of the people, and the obstacles which will prevent a correspondent increase of the representatives.” What Madison described in the 1780s has proven prophetic in regard to today’s House. In Federalist Paper #56, Madison, as Publius, describes the disproportionate representation in the British legislative system of that time and concludes that the best ratio for the House of Representatives is one representative for every 30,000 citizens which became enshrined in our Constitution.

In short, our Founders intended the House to grow as the nation grew while the Senate would remain at two members per state as it still operates today. I will give you one example of a Congressional district that is not being fairly represented in Congress. In 2008, I ran for a US House seat in my district. At this time, I lived in Ohio’s 17th House district. Between 2002 and 2010, the district elected the same Democrat who won with an average of 80% of the vote. In 2006, I went to vote in the Republican primary and found no candidate for this House seat. The area GOP ran a write in candidate who made no effort in the general election. In 2008, I called all the county GOP offices in the district and learned they had the same plan. I then procured the necessary petitions, got on the primary ballot, and eventually moved on to the general election where I got no support from the national party who wrote off the district every election cycle.

The district was about 50 miles wide and 30 miles north to south and included the midsize cities of Akron, Warren and Youngstown that each had significant populations living on the misapplied term known as welfare. It also included Akron University, Kent State University and Youngstown State University which are noted to have far left faculties and where the Democrat party has no problem recruiting student activists. In between these cities and universities lie many suburbs, villages and farming communities that do not share their same interests and values. In the small village I live in, I can drive 10 miles in three directions and wind up surrounded by a corn field. In the fourth direction I would be in downtown Akron. If the 30,000:1 ratio were applied, three or four congressional districts could be created among the smaller communities and they would not have to share their district with a city, a university town or a mass of people living on the public dole. The Democrat who held the seat in the district never made appearances in the small towns but kept himself to the cities and friendly venues. One flaw in the Constitution is that the 30,000:1 ratio is given as a minimum and no maximum ratio has ever been proscribed.

If the law limiting the House to 435 is ever repealed, an ideal law to replace it should have a range of the constitutionally mandated 30,000:1 to no more than 40,000 or 50,000 to 1. I leave this thought to be debated. Office of the Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives - Member FAQs Member FAQs Contract All | Expand All 1. Who is a Member of Congress? A Member of Congress is a U.S. Representative, who serves in the House of Representatives, or a U.S. Senator, who serves in the Senate. A Member of the House also is called a Congresswoman or Congressman. (Delegates and the Resident Commissioner are nonvoting members of the House.) For lists of current Members of the House, visit the Member Information page . For lists of current Senators, visit the U.S. Senate website . 2. What are Delegates and the Resident Commissioner? How long do they serve, and what do they do? The office of Delegate was established by ordinance of the Continental Congress (1774–1789) and confirmed by a law of the U.S. Congress.

From the beginning of the Republic, the U.S. House of Representatives has admitted Delegates from territories or districts organized by law. There are currently five Delegates, including one from the District of Columbia, and one from each of the following territories: American Samoa The Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands The Virgin Islands. Congress created the post of Resident Commissioner in 1900 to apply to Puerto Rico. Congress granted a Resident Commissioner to the Philippines several years later. Since 1946, when the Philippines became independent, only Puerto Rico has had a Resident Commissioner. Delegates and Representatives serve a two-year term, and the Resident Commissioner serves a four-year term. In most respects, Delegates and the Resident Commissioner have most of the authority that Members have. On the House Floor, they can speak, introduce bills, and offer amendments. They can serve on House Committees and possess most of the authority that other Committee members have. Delegates and the Resident Commissioner also may offer amendments while the House is conducting business as the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union. However, unlike Members, they may not vote while the House is conducting business as the Committee of the Whole or vote on the final passage of legislation when the House is meeting.

For current lists of the Members, Delegates, and Resident Commissioner, visit the Member Information page . 3. Do Members take an Oath of Office when they enter the House? Article VI of the U.S. Constitution requires that Members of the U.S. Congress be bound by oath or affirmation to support the Constitution. Members-elect of the U.S. House of Representatives typically take the Oath of Office on the House Floor on the first day of a new Congress, immediately after the Speaker of the House has been elected and sworn in. The Speaker administers this oath: “I, (name of Member), do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter. So help me God” (5 U.S.C. §3331).

If elected in special elections during the course of a Congress, Representatives, Delegates, and the Resident Commissioner generally take the Oath on the Floor, once the Clerk of the House has received a certificate of election from the appropriate election commission. On rare occasions, because of illness or other such circumstances, a Member-elect has been authorized to take the Oath at a location other than the House, and the Speakerâs designee administers the Oath. For information on Members who have taken the Oath of Office, visit the Member Information page . 4. What are the requirements for becoming a Member of the House? Article I, Section 2 of the U.S. Constitution states: "No Person shall be a Representative who shall not have attained to the Age of twenty five Years, and been seven Years a Citizen of the United States, and who shall not, when elected, be an Inhabitant of that State in which he shall be chosen." These requirements cannot be changed without a constitutional amendment. 5. When are House elections held? General elections for the U.S. House of Representatives are held on the Tuesday after the first Monday in November, in even-numbered years. For election results and resources, visit the Election Information page. 6.

How are Representatives, Delegates, and the Resident Commissioner nominated and elected? In most states, territories, and the District of Columbia, candidates for the U.S. House of Representatives who are members of major political parties are nominated in a primary election. Some states also provide for a party convention to nominate candidates or to endorse candidates before a primary. In many states, no primary election is held for a particular office if a candidate is unopposed. Minor-party candidates are nominated according to individual party rules and procedures, while Independent candidates are nominated by self-declaration. States automatically place major-party candidates on the primary ballot. Minor-party and Independent candidates must meet state-specific requirementsâsuch as submitting a petition with the signatures of registered votersâto be placed on the ballot. House Members are elected by plurality vote (the largest number of votes received) in the congressional district in which they are candidates. Special cases include: Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, and Texas, which require that a candidate receive a majority (more than half) of popular votes to be nominated. In these states, a runoff primary election between the top two candidates is held if no candidate receives a majority in the first primary.

Louisiana, which requires that all candidates compete in an “open primary,” an all-party primary election. The candidate who wins the majority (more than half) of the votes is declared elected. The election is held on general election day (the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November). If necessary, a runoff election between the top two finishers will follow several weeks later. For election results and resources, visit the Election Information page . 7. What is the size of the House Membership, and how is it determined? The current size of the U.S. House–435 Representatives–was established by Public Law 62-5 on August 8, 1911, and the law took effect in 1913. Article I, Section 2 of the U.S. Constitution stipulates the minimum and maximum numbers of Members in the House. Learn More about Congressional Apportionment and view a chart of apportionment by state. . Additional information on apportionment is available on the website of the U.S. Census Bureau, on the Congressional Affairs Office page or on the Congressional Apportionment page . 8. How many Representatives does each state have in the House?

Under Article I, Section 2 of the U.S. Constitution , each state, territory, or district is entitled to at least one representative. Additional seats are apportioned based on population. The U.S. Congress fixes the size of the U.S. House of Representatives and the procedure of apportioning the number of Representatives among the states. State legislatures pass laws that determine the physical boundaries of congressional districts, within certain constraints established by Congress and the U.S. Supreme Court (through reapportionment and redistricting rulings). The number of Members for each state is apportioned according to the results of the decennial census conducted by the U.S. Department of Commerce’s U.S. Census Bureau. For more information on current congressional districts, visit the Congressional District Profiles page on the U.S. Census Bureau's website. 9. Where are the Members’, Delegates’, and Resident Commissioner’s offices? Member offices are located in Washington, DC, in the Cannon, Longworth, and Rayburn House office buildings south of the U.S. Capitol, along Independence Avenue. In addition, House Committee offices and support services are located in the buildings and the Ford House Office Building.

House leadership offices are located in the House wing of the Capitol. Visit the Architect of the Capitol website for more information on the location and history of the House office buildings. For specific Member contact information, visit the Member Information page . Members, Delegates, and the Resident Commissioner also maintain offices in their states, territories, and districts. For a list of district office websites, visit the House website . For information on historic room assignments in House office buildings, visit the History, Art & Archives website . 10. Do Members of the House have assigned seating in the House Chamber? Assigned seating for Members was abolished during the 63rd Congress, in 1913. Today, Members may sit where they please. Generally, Democrats occupy the east side of the Chamber to the right of the Speaker of the House, and Republicans sit across the aisle on the Speaker's left. The tables on either side of the aisle are reserved for party leaders and for Committee leaders during debate on bills their Committees bring to the House Floor. For information on the locations of historic desks in the Old House Chamber, visit the History, Art & Archives website . 11.

How is a vacancy filled in the event of a House Memberâs death, resignation, declination (refusal to serve), or expulsion? View the list of current congressional vacancies and vacancies listed in overviews of previous Congresses . 12. What is meant by “Member at Large”? A Member at Large is a Representative, Delegate, or Resident Commissioner of the U.S. House of Representatives who has been elected by the voters of a state, district, or territoryânot by the voters from a specific congressional district. The U.S. Congress enacted a law in 1967 that prohibits states with more than one Representative from holding Member at Large elections (2 U.S.C. §2c). For information on current Members’ “at Large” and district designations, view the following official lists on the Member Information page : “Official Alphabetical List of Members” “Official List of Members by State” “Official Member Telephone Directory.” 13. What is the proper way to address a letter to a Member of the House? Acceptable forms of address for Members of the U.S. House of Representatives include “the Honorable” and “Representative.” Address correspondence according to the following samples: The Honorable J.Q.

Smith For information on how to contact Members, visit the Member Information page . 14. How much are House Members paid? For current and historical information on Members’ salaries, visit the Congressional Research Service website . 15. How many women are serving in Congress? For the number of women currently serving in the U.S. Congress–and other information about women in Congress–visit the History, Art & Archives website 16. How many Members of the House are in each party? For data on the party divisions in the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate, visit the Congressional Profile page . House Leadership & Officers 1. What is the role of the Speaker of the House? Who has served as Speaker? The Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives customarily has the following roles: Institutional, as presiding officer and administrative head of the House Representative, as an elected Member of the House Party leader, as leader of the majority party in the House. By statute, the Speaker is second in line, after the Vice President of the United States, to succeed the President (3 U.S.C. §19). For more information on the current Speaker, visit the Speaker’s website . 2. How is the Speaker of the House elected?

For more information on the current Speaker, visit the Speaker’s website . 3. What are the duties of the Speaker of the House? The Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives: Presides over the House Administers the Oath of Office to House Members Communicates with the President of the United States and the U.S. Senate Leads his or her party conference or caucus Chairs his or her party’s steering committee, which is involved in the selection of party members for standing committees Nominates chairs and members of the Committee on Rules and the Committee on House Administration. The Speaker also appoints: Speakers pro tempore The chair who presides over the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union Members to House-Senate conference committees A Member to the Committee on the Budget Select committees Certain House staff The Speaker recognizes Members to speak on the House Floor or make motions during Floor proceedings. The Speaker makes many important rulings and decisions in the House. The Speaker may debate or vote, but typically only occasionally does so. The Speaker also serves as an ex officio member of the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. For more information on the current Speaker, visit the Speaker’s website . 4. What are the duties of the House Majority Leader and Minority Leader?

Who has served in these positions? The Majority Leader helps plan daily, weekly, and annual legislative agendas for the U.S. House of Representatives and customarily schedules legislative business on the House Floor. The Majority Leader works closely with the Speaker of the House, and communicates and consults with House Members to advance the majority party’s legislative goals. The Minority Leader leads and serves as a spokesperson for the minority party. The Minority Leader chairs the party’s steering committee, which is involved in the selection of party members for standing committees, and nominates or appoints the party’s members to certain standing committees. The Minority Leader also serves as an ex officio member of the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. The Minority Leader directs the party’s legislative strategies and operations, in consultation with party colleagues. The Majority Leader and Minority Leaderâalso called party Floor leadersâare selected by the party conference and the party caucus. For more information on the current leaders, visit the Majority Leader’s website and the Minority Leader’s website . 5. How are the House Majority Leader and Minority Leader selected? Every two years, before the U.S.

House of Representatives convenes for the first time at the start of a new Congress, the members of the House Republican Conference and House Democratic Caucus separately meet and elect their respective Floor leader. Visit the House Republican Conference’s website and House Democratic Caucus website . 6. What are House whips? Who has served as a whip? In addition to the Majority Leader and Minority Leader, each party in the U.S. House of Representatives elects a whip. Other whip positions vary by party and can include one or more chief deputy whips as well as deputy whips, assistant whips, regional whips, and other whips. The Whips are elected or appointed at organizational meetings before the start of a two-year Congress. Whips maintain communication between party leadership and party members, build the members’ support for the leadershipâs priorities, and inform and mobilize members on voting on key legislation. Visit the current Majority Whip’s website and Minority Whip’s website . 7. What are House party conferences and party caucuses? A party conference or party caucus is an organizational body of all of a party’s members in the U.S. House of Representatives.

The terms “conference” or “caucus” also can refer to some Congressional Member Organizations , or refer to a meeting that includes all of a party’s members in the House. House Republicans call their organization the House Republican Conference; House Democrats call their organization the House Democratic Caucus. The House Republican Conference and House Democratic Caucus officially elect the parties’ leaders. The organizations elect their chairs before the start of a new Congress. Typically, each establishes a steering committee or steering and policy committee, which approves assignments of party members to standing committees, as well as establishes task forces. View the list of House Republican Conference Chairmen, 1863–present and the list of House Democratic Caucus Chairmen, 1849–present . 8. What is a Congressional Member Organization? Congressional Member Organizations (CMOs) in the U.S. House of Representatives are voluntary informal groups of House Members that register with the Committee on House Administration (CHA). Each CMO pursues legislative objectives shared by a group of Members, and many CMOs meet regularly to exchange information. View the list of current and past Congressional Member Organizations on the CHA website. 9. Who are the House Officers, and what are their duties?

Glossary of Terms - National Down Syndrome Society The leading human rights organization for all individuals with Down syndrome. National Down Syndrome Society 8 E 41st Street, 8th Floor New York New York 10017 800-221-4602 Glossary of Terms ADVOCACY A political process by an individual or a group which aims to influence public policy and resource allocation decisions. Although advocacy often takes place on Capitol Hill and in state legislatures, it can also be done every day throughout daily activities such as interacting with friends, family and coworkers. Social media has become a powerful advocacy tool. ACT A bill that has passed both chambers, the House and the Senate, and has been signed by the President to become law. Often, a bill may have the word "Act" in its title when it is introduced and this does not always indicate that it has been passed. AMENDMENT A change to a bill or motion, sometimes replacing the entire bill (called a "substitution"). An amendment is debated and voted on in the same manner as a bill. APPROPRIATIONS BILL A legislative bill approved by Congress which authorizes the federal government to spend money and allocates a budget for specific spending.

AUTHORIZATION Legislation that formally establishes a program or activity and sets a funding limit for that program or activity. BILL A proposed law that is introduced in the legislature by a Member of Congress. A bill is recognized as "HR" in the US House of Representatives and "S" in the US Senate. CHAMBER A place where the legislative body meets to conduct business. In the US Congress, we have two chambers, one for the House and one for the Senate. COMMITTEE A group of legislators in the House or Senate that prepares legislation for action for the officiating chamber. Committees often schedule public hearings to discuss legislative issues. Most action takes place at the subcommittee level. CONCURRENT RESOLUTION Legislation adopted by both the House and Senate to express the position of Congress. As such a resolution does not have the signature of the President and does not have the force of law. CONGRESSIONAL RECORD The official transcript of House and Senate proceedings. CONFEREES / CONFERENCE COMMITTEE The House and Senate appoint conferees to a conference committee to resolve differences between House and Senate passed versions of the same legislation. The Senate Majority Leader and the House Majority Leader appoint conferees.

CONSTITUENT A person who lives and votes in a particular area or district. CONTINUING RESOLUTION Legislation passed by both the House and the Senate permitting specific Executive Branch agencies to continue operating even though funds have yet to be appropriated for the following fiscal year. COSPONSOR When a member of the House or Senate supports a pending bill, but is not the primary sponsor, they sign their name onto the bill as a cosponsor to illustrate their support. DISTRICT The geographic area from which a US House member or state legislator is elected. State legislators also have districts. ELECTORAL ADVOCACY Efforts to educate voters (such as legislative scorecards), or to register or encourage them to vote. These activities cannot include efforts specifically designed to influence the outcome of an election. EXECUTIVE ORDER An action by the President or a Governor that has the legal authority of a law, often dealing with regulations or the workings of agencies. FILIBUSTER Delaying tactic, often a long speech, associated with the Senate and used by the Minority in an effort to prevent the passage of a bill or amendment. Usually threatened but not executed.

The House cannot filibuster as all debate is governed by strict rules crafted by the Rules Committee setting the parameters for discussion and approved by the entire body for each separate piece of legislation. The Senate does not employ a rulemaking process. GRASSROOTS ADVOCACY Stating a position on a specific legislative proposal to the public, then asking the public to urge their legislator to support that stated position. HEARING A meeting in which evidence to support particular points of view can be brought forth to the sponsoring committee. HOUSE The lower body of the US Congress, and most state legislatures. House members are elected to represent a geographic district. The US House (with 435 voting members and five nonvoting delegates) is much larger than the Senate (with 100 voting members), as is the case in most states. JOINT COMMITTEE Members of both chambers are appointed to consider matters of common interest. Such committees can speed up the legislative process by consolidating the time for hearings. LEGISLATIVE ADVOCACY Efforts to change policy through the legislative branch. May include formal lobbying in support or opposition to a bill, the crafting of new legislative language, writing amendments to existing bills or encouraging others to contact their legislators.

LEGISLATIVE STAFF Chief of Staff: The Chief of Staff reports directly to the member of Congress, and usually is responsible for evaluating the political outcome of various legislative proposals and constituent requests. S/he is also usually in charge of overall office operations, including the assignment of work and the supervision of key staff. The President has a Chief of Staff and some state legislators. Legislative Director: The Legislative Director is usually the staff person who monitors the legislative schedule and makes recommendations regarding the pros and cons of particular issues. In most congressional offices there are several Legislative Assistants whose responsibilities are assigned based on particular expertise in specific areas. For example, depending on the responsibilities and interests of the member, an office may include a different Legislative Assistant for health issues, senior issues, appropriations, etc. Legislative Correspondent: Legislative Correspondents are junior staffers, typically not directly responsible for specific issue areas, who support Legislative Assistants/Aides and have responsibility for constituent communications. Scheduler or Appointment/Personal Secretary: The Scheduler is usually responsible for allocating time for a Member of Congress among the many demands that arise from congressional responsibilities, staff requirements and constituent requests. S/he may also be responsible for making necessary travel arrangements, arranging speaking dates, coordinating visits to the district, etc.

LEGISLATOR OR LAWMAKER A person who writes and passes laws, especially someone who is a member of a legislature. Legislators are usually elected by constituents. Representatives and Senators are sometimes referred to as legislators. LOBBYING Direct communication with elected officials or their staff expressing an opinion on a particular issue or piece of legislation. MARK UP The process of amending a legislative proposal. Held by the committee of jurisdiction, committee members can offer amendments, which if successful, changes the legislative language of a particular bill. If the bill is changed drastically the committee might reintroduce the legislation under a new bill. MAJORITY LEADER The leader of the majority party in the Senate, elected by his/her peers. In the House, the Majority Leader is the second in command in the House after the Speaker of the House and is also elected to that post by his/her peers. MAJORITY PARTY The party numbering the most members in legislative body. MEMBER OF CONGRESS Individuals serving in the US House of Representatives or US Senate. MINORITY LEADER Leader of the minority party in the House and Senate. MINORITY PARTY A party numbering less than a majority of members in a legislative body.

MOTION A proposal that the Senate or House take a certain action. PUBLIC LAW After a bill passes both the House and the Senate and is signed by the US President, it becomes a public law. REAUTHORIZATION This term refers to the process by which US Congress periodically reviews and prescribes changes, additions and deletions to existing statutes. The intent of this process is to adjust current programs to meet the nation’s changing needs. RECESS Adjournment by the House or Senate for at least three days, with a set time for reconvening. RIDER An amendment to an appropriations bill, which may not actually deal with the allocation of government funds. ROLL CALL A formal vote on a bill or amendment taken by each legislator announcing "yea", "no" or "present" as their name is read by the clerk. SENATE The upper body of the US Congress, and most state legislatures. Each state has two US Senators, elected at-large, to serve six-year terms, with one-third of the seats up for re-election every two years. In state legislatures, Senators usually represent larger geographic areas than House members.

SINE DIE A legislative body adjourns sine die when it adjourns without appointing a day on which to appear or assemble again. Often the last day of a legislative session and the deadline for passing most bills introduced in the session. SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE Elected by the majority party, the Speaker presides over the House of Representatives during the two-year legislative session. STATE ADVOCACY There are many issues, policies and programs that are at the discretion of individual states. In this case, the state legislature, composed of a Senate and a House, debate and decide whether to grant funding and to recreate and amend policies that solely pertain to the issues of the individual state. SUBCOMMITTEE A part of a committee that deals with a specific issue within the committee's jurisdiction (such as the Veterans Benefits subcommittee of the Veterans' Affairs committee). Most legislation is first developed and voted on at this level, as a full committee will usually not consider legislation until it has passed its subcommittee. SYSTEMS CHANGE Systems change is the development of new policies, programs, use of resources and service delivery by a community or governmental unit (school district, local, state or federal government, etc.).

Effective systems change is built on broad stakeholder involvement in such improvement and typically involves a variety of agencies, organizations and advocates. US REPRESENTATIVE Also referred to as a Congressman or Congresswoman, each US Representative is elected to a two-year term serving the people of a specific congressional district. Among other duties, US Representatives introduce bills and resolutions, offer amendments and serve on committees. The number of US Representatives with full voting rights is 435, a number set by Public Law 62-5 on August 8, 1911, and in effect since 1913. The number of US Representatives per state is proportionate to the state's population. US SENATOR The Constitution requires that a US Senator be at least 30 years old, a citizen of the United States for at least nine years and an inhabitant of the state from which he or she is elected. A person elected or appointed to the Senate and duly sworn in is a Senator and has a six-year term. WHIP A Senator or Representative who serves as an internal lobbyist for the Republican or Democratic party to persuade legislators to support their party position, and who counts votes for the leadership in advance of floor action.

Related Terms PREFERRED OR PEOPLE FIRST LANGUAGE It is important to never label people based on their disability. Instead, they are always people first, and when addressing them in reference to their disability, they should be addressed as “people with Down syndrome”. For example, it is demeaning to refer to a child with Down syndrome as a "Down syndrome child" or a "Down's". The individual may have Down syndrome, but that does not define who they are: they are a sister, a brother, a daughter, a son, a family member, a friend, a student, an athlete, and most importantly they are themselves. More information can be found here . SELF-DETERMINATION The idea that individuals determine their own goals, aspirations and ultimately take charge of their future independently. For all individuals, self-determination is an important concept in the pursuit of living a goal-oriented life. But, for individuals with Down syndrome, the concept is especially important because it often gets unintentionally lost throughout the individual’s early education and extracurricular activities as the individual is told what to do and when to do it. SELF-ADVOCACY A step in developing self-determination skills is learning how to advocate for one’s self.

Once an individual understands his or her strengths and weaknesses, he or she can advocate for accommodations, the capitalization of his or her strengths and the rights that he or she has. SELF-ADVOCATES Individuals that advocate on behalf of themselves. Self-advocates seek policy change in regards to issues that directly affect their lives. NDSS self-advocates are individuals with Down syndrome that speak out for and against policies that influence their education, recreational activities, independence and financial lives. A variety of sources were used to compile this information including the following:

Question: Public Law 62-5, which was passed on August 8, 1911 set the membership of the House of Representatives to what number?
Answer: 435