News18 Explains | What is the Role of a US Senator, a US House Member and the Governor of a State

The US Midterms which saw elections for the US House of Representatives, US Senate and Governors of US states led many to think why does the US hold these elections simultaneously almost every two years.

In a given election year, every member of the House of Representatives and about one-third of the Senate is up for reelection.

Members of the US House of Representatives and the Members of the US Senate have different roles compared to the governors of the US states. This also goes on to show that the US has a system of government which is representative of the people at all levels.

The US is a democracy and is a constitutional federal republic, and for the holders of the office the American Constitution is the supreme law of the land.

The federal structure of the US is composed of three distinct branches: legislative, executive, and judicial. The federal elections are held every two years.

All of these officials have different roles to fulfill. Here is a look at what each member of the House and the Governor does:

The US House of Representatives and role of a Representative

The US House of Representatives is the lower chamber of the US Congress with the US House of Senate being the upper chamber, both of them together form the national bicameral legislature of the United States or the US Congress.

The US House of Representatives and the US Senate does not differ much in function except that all bills for raising revenue shall originate in the House of Representatives but that the Senate may propose, or concur with, amendments, according to US Congress’ website.

They represent the people of their constituencies but it is not a Constitutional Duty but they can help explain issues to the federal government if a particular law or development is affecting the lives of the electorate or constituency.

The House of Representatives also plays a major role in the Presidential Elections in case no candidate receives a majority of the total electoral votes. Each state delegation will have one vote to choose the President from among the top candidates with the largest number of electoral votes.

The House of Representatives also plays an important role when it comes to removing Presidents or other federal officials if the need arises, the impeachment proceedings are initiated by the US House of Representatives.

The party which has a large number of representatives will form the Majority and the ones with less number of representatives will form the Minority. The majority party holds key positions like the US House Speaker, which currently is Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat but after the midterms it is likely that Republican Kevin McCarthy will be the new House Speaker.

When a party has numbers in the US House, the passage of legislation is easier. This is different from the Senate.

In the US Senate, a single senator, either from the majority or the minority, can force a vote or stop a bill in its tracks.

The Speaker of the House is elected by the members of the House. The Speaker chairs certain committees or nominates committee chairs and also appoints members of various committees and House staff. The Speaker is also second in line after the Vice President of the United States.

Some of the main House Committees are: The House Committee on Ways and Means, The House Committee on Appropriations, and The House Committee on Foreign Affairs, among others.

The US Senate

There are two Senators from each state that serve in the US Congress. This means there are 100 Senators in total compared to the 435 Representatives.

A senator must be at least 30 years old, a citizen of the US for at least nine years, and a resident of the state they represent and serve six-year terms, which explains why when the midterm election season comes at least one-third of the Senate’s members face reelection.

A senator has more power than a House member because the senator represents a state compared to a House member who represents a particular Congressional district.

The senators can propose legislation, draft and amend bills, delay and block legislation via filibuster – which is to delay or block legislation via prolonged debate, check oversight of the federal budget.

The senators can approve or reject presidential appointees for agencies. It also approves treaties with foreign nations which were negotiated by the Executive branch.

The Senate acts as a jury during an impeachment trial. The senators have the power to convict an executive or judicial official and will need two-thirds vote during such a trial to impeach an official.

The US Vice President is the president of the Senate but cannot vote in the Senate except for a tie-breaker situation. Like the US House, it has committees and the US Senate has 20 committees.

The senators are also tasked with appointing ambassadors, other public ministers and consuls, US Supreme Court judges and all other Officers of the United States.

When a President is being impeached the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court presides over the Senate proceedings and in the case of officials below the level of the President then the Vice President will oversee the proceedings. If two-thirds of the Senate finds the official guilty, that official is removed from office.

Senate Committees like the US House Committees mentioned above study legislation in-depth and there are three types of committees – the standing committees, the special/select committees and the joint committees. There are 16 standing committees, 4 special/select committees, and 4 joint committees.

The Governor of the States

The Governor is the CEO of a particular state. The governor is responsible for state laws and also oversees the operation of the state executive branch.

All the 50 states have their own mini version of federal executive, legislative, and judicial bodies which are called the State Senate and the State House. Nebraska is the only state that does not have a bicameral legislature.

Arizona, Maine, New Hampshire, Oregon, and Wyoming do not have lieutenant governors and the states of Tennessee and West Virginia appoint a State Senator as the lieutenant governor. The lieutenant governor acts as a deputy in the event of a governor being unable to do their duty.

Members of the State Senate often represent more people than members of the State House. These members help the governor advance and enforce state laws.

The Governor is also the commander in chief of the state’s National Guard and the state’s defense force.

They have considerable powers within the state as they can veto state bills, appoint judges and in some states they also have the power to pardon a criminal sentence.

The governors can also overrule municipal laws passed by a mayor of a particular city in their state. The Department of Health or the state police also report to the governor.

The Governors stay in regular contact with the federal government via the state’s representatives in the US House of Representatives and US Senate.

The governors serve four-year terms barring Vermont and New Hampshire where they are elected every two years.

Several states in the US have a legal requirement where a gubernatorial aspirant is required to be a resident of the state at the time of their election and impose minimum age requirements.

The executive branch of the state is headed by the governor and the executive branch of state government can include a secretary of state, a state attorney general and others.

The State Legislatures and the US Congress have the power to overturn a governor’s or the US President’s veto, respectively, with a two-thirds majority vote if they want to turn a bill into law.

(with inputs from US Congress website, PolicyAS, Masterclass and National Governors Association)

Read all the Latest Explainers here