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CIVICS 101 : It's not the Democrats

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What you need to know before you complain
about a do-nothing Democratic Congress

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So you’re mad at Congress.  You elected them to take us out of Iraq.  To speak for the people of America.
Just how well do you understand the rules and the processes of Congress?
Usually, legislation is passed with a simple majority.  However when a president vetos a bill, it needs more than a simple majority.  Historically, Congress has overridden fewer than ten percent of all presidential vetoes.
 
1)       How many total members does the US House of Representatives have?  435
 
2)       How many are Democrats?   233
 
3)       What percentage of 435 is 233?    53.6%
 
4)       How many are Republicans?    202
 
5)       What percentage of 435 is 202?    46.4
 
6)       How many votes does it take to override a Presidential Veto? 
Two-thirds (2/3) of the members or a minimum of 290 votes if no one abstains.
 
7)       How many extra votes (assuming the Democrats vote in a block) are needed?  57 extra votes
 
8 )       The U.S. House of Representatives holds responsibility for drawing up articles of Impeachment.  It needs a simple majority of the total votes to pass (218 votes)
 
Now - call the Bush Republicons to complain about being obstructionists!

 
How well do you understand the rules of the Senate?
 
1)       How many total members does the US Senate have?     100
 
2)       How many are Democrats?     49
 
3)       How many are Republicans?    49
 
4)       Hey!  That’s only 98!  What about the other two members?  One identifies himself as an Independent Democrat (Joe Lieberman), and one identifies himself as an Independent (Bernie Sanders).
 
5)       What percentage of 100 is 49?     49%
 
6)       What percentage of 100 is 2 (remember:  there are 2 independents)?    2%
 
7)       How many votes does it take to override a Presidential veto?    2/3 of the members
 
8)       What is 2/3 of 100?    66.66 – If you are saying to yourself, “You can’t have .66 of a person!”  you are correct.  Round it up – make that 67.
 
9)       Ah!  So how many extra votes are needed to override a Bush veto (and let’s assume that the Democrats vote in a block, Joe Lieberman continues to vote with Bush, and Bernie Sanders continues to support progressive policies – which means 50 votes for Democrats and 50 votes for Republicans)?         17 extra votes
 
10)     The U.S. Senate holds responsibility to TRY the impeachment.  In order to have the votes to impeach 2/3 of the total votes are needed (67 votes or 17 more votes than the number of Democrats and the progressive independent)