House of Delegates (Aumarea)
House of Delegates | |
|---|---|
| 1st Congress | |
| Type | |
| Type | of the Congress of Aumarea |
Term limits | None |
| History | |
| Founded | 3 March 2023 |
| Leadership | |
Vacant | |
Majority Leader | Vacant |
Minority Leader | Vacant |
| Structure | |
Length of term | 6 Years |
| Elections | |
| Direct Election | |
| Meeting place | |
| House Chamber Palace of Congress Kosa Federal District | |
| Constitution | |
| Constitution of Aumarea | |
The United Federation House of Delegates is the lower chamber of the United Federation Congress with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they comprise the bicameral legislature of the United Federation of Aumarea.
The House's composition was established by Article I of the United Federation Constitution. The House is composed of delegates who sit in single member congressional districts allocated to each state on the basis of population as measured by the United Federation census, with each district having one representative, provided that each state is entitled to at least one. All representatives have been directly election.
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 consideration. The House also has exclusive powers: it initiates all revenue bills, impeaches federal officers, and elects the president if no candidate receives a majority of votes in the Electoral College.
History
The house was de facto established on 3 March 2023 but was de jure established on 12 March 2023 by the constitution.
Membership
Apportionments
Under Article I Section II of the constitution, seats in the House of Delegates are apportioned among the states by population as determined by the census every ten years. Each state is guaranteed at least one representative regardless of the size of its population.
Elections
Elections for representatives are held in every even-numbered year. Members of the house are elected to single member districts.
As there is no legislation at the federal level mandating one particular system for elections to the House, systems are set at the state level.
In each state major party candidates for each district are nominated in partisan primary elections.
Terms
Delegates serve for terms of six-years. House elections are staggered with approximately 1/3 of all delegates are elected alongside the president. The Aumarean Constitution requires that vacancies in the House be filled with a special election. The term of the replacement member expires on the date that the original member's would have expired.
The Constitution permits the House to expel a member with a two-thirds vote.
Comparison to Senate
The Senate has a number of distinct powers. For example, the senate has powers of the advice and consent to the president which the house does not have. The House, however, has the exclusive power to initiate bills for raising revenue, to impeach officials, and to choose the president if a presidential candidate fails to get a majority of the Electoral College votes. The Senate and House also serve for different terms and have different officers. Bosh chambers also represent different constituencies.
Benefits
Titles
Members of the house are referred to as a Delegate, Congressman or Congresswoman. Members of the house can also elect to use the post nominals "MC" (Member of Congress).
Officers
Member Officials
The party with the majority of seats in the house is known as the Majority Party. The next biggest party is known as the Minority Party.
The constitution permits the house to elect their own speaker as presiding officer. By convention, the speaker has to be a delegate. The House Speaker is second in line of presidential succession, after the vice president. The house speaker is usually a member of the house's largest party and seen as the head of their party in the house.
Each party elects a floor leader, who is known as the majority leader or minority leader. The minority leader heads their party in the House, and the majority leader is their party's second-highest-ranking official, behind the speaker. Party leaders decide what legislation members of their party should either support or oppose.
Legislative Functions
Most bills may be introduced in either House of Congress. However, the Constitution states, "All Bills for raising Revenue shall originate in the House of Delegates." Because of the Origination Clause, the Senate cannot initiate bills imposing taxes.
The approval of the Senate and the House of Delegates is required for a bill to become law. Both Houses must pass the same version of the bill.
The president may veto a bill passed by the House and Senate. If they do, the bill does not become law unless each House, by a two-thirds vote, votes to override the veto.
Checks and Balances
The Constitution provides that the Senate's "advice and consent" is necessary for the president to make appointments and to ratify treaties. Thus, with its potential to frustrate presidential appointments, the Senate is more powerful than the House.
The Constitution empowers the House of Delegates to impeach federal officials for "Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors" and empowers the Senate to try such impeachments. The House may approve "articles of impeachment" by a simple majority vote; however, a two-thirds vote is required for conviction in the Senate. A convicted official is automatically removed from office and may be disqualified from holding future office under the United Federation. No further punishment is permitted during the impeachment proceedings - however, the party may face criminal penalties in a normal court of law.