Wednesday May 16, 2012





Legislative

Legislative Branch

The Legislative Branch consists of the House of Representatives and the Senate, which collectively form the United States Congress. The Constitution grants Congress the sole authority to enact legislation and declare war, the right to confirm or reject Presidential appointments, and substantial investigative powers.

The House of Representatives is composed of 435 elected members from the 50 states in proportion to their total population. There are also 6 non-voting members who represent the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and four other American territories.

The Senate is made up of 100 Senators, with two senators from each state. Until the ratification of the 17th Amendment in 1913. The Vice President serves as the President of the Senate and provides the decisive vote in the event of a tie.

Together, the House of Representatives and the Senate are the lawmakers of the nation. Any piece of legislation must pass through both houses of Congress before it is either vetoed or signed into law by the President.

It is vitally important that Americans pray for wisdom and understanding on behalf of the lawmakers of their nation.

Featured Member of the Legislative Branch for Prayer

PrayFocusLegislativeJon Tester, United States Senator from Montana

Jon Tester was born in August 1956 in Havre, Montana. He graduated from the University of Great Falls with a B.S. in music.

Tester worked for two years as a music teacher in the Big Sandy School District before returning to his family’s farm and custom butcher shop. The later changed over from conventional to organic farming, raising wheat, barley, lentils, peas, millet, buckwheat and alfalfa.

Tester served five years as chairman of the Big Sandy School Board of Trustees and served on the Big Sandy Soil Conservation Service Committee and Chouteau County Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service Committee.

He was first elected to the Montana State Senate, and later became the presiding officer of the Montana Legislature’s upper chamber. He was elected to the United States Senate in 2006 and is currently running for a second term.

He is married to Sandra Bitz, whom he met in college. She comes from an agricultural family as well. The couple has two children. He is a member of the Church of God.

IN THE NEWS: The latest ad from Senator Jon Tester praises his crack down on lobbyists and for posting his schedule online. He first ran for the Senate six years ago on an outsider platform, saying he planned to crack down on corruption and the influence of special interests in Washington. He has also launched a website on ethics reform in Washington. “You’ve got to have teeth with any ethics policy,” he said. So far the Tester campaign has spent about $50,000 to air the ad on broadcast and cable throughout Montana, sources say. His opponent, Representative Denny Rehberg has gone after Tester for accepting more than $200,000 in campaign donations from lobbyists. Tester has replied he neither grants lobbyists special access nor accepts their gifts.





US Congress

Legislative Branch Prayer Needs

PRAY FOR OUR CONGRESSIONAL LEADERS

Speaker John Boehner (Ohio) said the House will vote before the November elections to extend all of the current tax rates that are set to expire at the end of the year, hoping to avoid a “lame duck train wreck” of legislation.

The House Budget Committee approved a plan to replace across-the-board spending cuts slated to begin next year, laying down a marker in the election year on rolling back the sequester of funds.

Pray for our legislators as they deal with matters impacting the national economy.

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