U.S. Citizenship and English Practice

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The Senate and The Supreme Court

Posted on Author teacherericPosted in Civics and Reading A, Fall 2021

Congress has two parts: the House and the Senate. The Senate is smaller, but has more power and respect.

For example, the Senate has the power to approve or deny the president’s choices for the cabinet and the courts. The Senate decides to impeach presidents or other federal positions, too.

Each state has only two senators. Each senator works for all the people in the state.

In Oregon, your senators represent you if you live in Portland.

Your U.S. senators represent you if you live in Beaverton or Washington county.

Your U.S. senators represent you if you live in Salem.

Your U.S. senators represent you if you live in Klamath Falls, Ontario, or Burns.

Your U.S. senators represent all the people of the state.

Who does a U.S. Senator represent? –> All people of the state

Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley

Do you remember the senators from your state? In Oregon, they are Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley.

We we elect a U.S. senator for six years. The citizens of the state elect the senators. Oregon citizens elected Ron Wyden in 2022 and Jeff Merkley in 2020.

Who elects U.S. senators? –> The citizens of the state

Every state has two senators, and we have 50 states. So, we have 100 senators in total. In Washington, the senators are Maria Cantwell and Patty Murray.

How many U.S. Senators are there? –> 100

The Senate has 100 senators because we have two senators from fifty states. California has two senators. Idaho has two senators. Puerto Rico has… no senators (because it is a territory).

How many senators does each state have? –> 2

Every state is the same in the senate because they have only two senators. The goal is to have equal representation of all the states. They are all equal because they have two senators giving them representation.

Why does each state have two senators? –> Equal representation

Senators have a lot of respect. For example, we elect representatives for only 2 years. We elect the president for only 4 years. But we elect US senators for 6 years!

We elect a U.S. Senator for how many years? –> six

Now, let’s learn about another part or branch of the government: the courts, or judicial branch. Judges review laws and interpret them so we can understand them.

Also, if congress or the president do something against the law of the constitution, the courts can hold them responsible. This is an example of checks and balances.

What does the judicial branch do? –> Reviews laws / interprets laws

The Old Royal Exchange building in New York City

Every county in every state in the U.S. has a court. There are courts above those courts. And every state has a supreme court, too. We also have federal courts for every state, and courts above those courts.

The highest court in the U.S. is The Supreme Court.

What is one part of the judicial branch? –> The Supreme Court / federal courts

What is the highest court in the United States? –> The Supreme Court

Formal group photograph of the Supreme Court as it was been comprised on June 30, 2022 after Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson joined the Court. The Justices are posed in front of red velvet drapes and arranged by seniority, with five seated and four standing…Seated from left are Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Clarence Thomas, Chief Justice John G. Roberts, Jr., and Justices Samuel A. Alito and Elena Kagan. .Standing from left are Justices Amy Coney Barrett, Neil M. Gorsuch, Brett M. Kavanaugh, and Ketanji Brown Jackson…Credit: Fred Schilling, Collection of the Supreme Court of the United States.

The judges on the supreme court are special, and are called justices. When one retires or dies, the president can choose a new judge. But, the Senate has to approve the new justice.

Justice Stephen G. Breyer (Retired) administers the Judicial Oath to Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson in the West Conference Room, Supreme Court Building. Dr. Patrick Jackson holds the Bible. Credit: Fred Schilling, Collection of the Supreme Court of the United States.

In February 2022, Justice Stephen Breyer made a plan to retire from the Supreme Court, and President Biden chose Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to join the Supreme Court.

After Biden nominated Jackson, the Senate interviewed her and discussed her nomination. On April 7, 2022, the Senate confirmed her to the Supreme Court. She is the first African-American woman on the U.S. Supreme Court.

Right now, there are still nine justices on the Supreme Court. John Roberts is the chief justice.

How many justices are on the Supreme Court? –> nine

How many seats are on the Supreme Court? –> nine

Supreme Court justices listen to legal cases and work together to make a decision. Sometimes they all agree on the decision, and sometimes they disagree. They need at least five out of nine justices to decide a case.

How many Supreme Court justices are usually needed to decide a case? –> five

Supreme Court justices serve for life. When a justice retires or dies, the president can choose a new justice. The senate votes to confirm them or not.

After that, the Supreme Court justices are independent. The senate cannot have a vote to remove them. So, they are “outside” of politics.

Supreme Court justices serve for life. Why? –> to be independent / to be outside of politics

Review: The House, the Senate, and the Supreme Court

  1. Who makes federal laws?
  2. What are the two parts of the U.S. Congress?*
  3. We elect a U.S. Representative for how many years?
  4. Why do some states have more Representatives than other states?
  5. The House of Representatives has how many voting members?
  6. Who does a U.S. Senator represent?
  7. How many U.S. Senators are there?
  8. We elect a U.S. Senator for how many years?
  9. What does the judicial branch do?
  10. What is the highest court in the United States?
  11. How many justices are on the Supreme Court?