103-514: (Redirected from Bike Caucus ) Political party in United States Congressional Bike Caucus [REDACTED] Republican Co-Chair Rep. Vern Buchanan (FL-16) Democratic Co-Chairs Earl Blumenaur (OR-3), Ayanna Pressley (MA-7) Political position Bipartisan Colors None Official (Gray Unofficial) Seats in
206-682: A U.S. Department of Justice investigation. (The group also named Buchanan to its annual "most corrupt members of Congress" list in 2008, 2009, 2011, and 2012). By 2012, Buchanan was being investigated by the House Ethics Committee, the FEC, the Justice Department, and the Office of Congressional Ethics over two separate allegations of campaign finance misconduct: that he had violated federal law and House rules by coercing
309-704: A 1984 case, Davis v. Bandemer , the Supreme Court held that gerrymandered districts could be struck down based on the Equal Protection Clause , but the Court did not articulate a standard for when districts are impermissibly gerrymandered. However, the Court overruled Davis in 2004 in Vieth v. Jubelirer , and Court precedent holds gerrymandering to be a political question . According to calculations made by Burt Neuborne using criteria set forth by
412-488: A 70% higher pension than other federal employees based on the first 20 years of service. They become eligible to receive benefits after five years of service (two and one-half terms in the House). The FERS is composed of three elements: Members of Congress may retire with full benefits at age 62 after five years of service, at age 50 after 20 years of service, and at any age after 25 years of service. With an average age of 58,
515-405: A 9th term by defeating Democratic nominee Jan Schneider, who was the previous nominee in 2016, with 62% of the vote. Buchanan's constituency changed as a result of the 2020 redistricting cycle . The new 16th district no longer encompasses Sarasota county. Buchanan faced his biggest primary challenge to date against Eddie Speir. Buchanan won by 20 points with 60% of the vote to Speir's 40%. Buchanan
618-574: A FEHBP plan upon retirement. The ACA and the final rule do not affect members' or staffers' eligibility for Medicare benefits. The ACA and the final rule also do not affect members' and staffers' eligibility for other health benefits related to federal employment, so members and staff are eligible to participate in FSAFEDS (which has three options within the program), the Federal Employees Dental and Vision Insurance Program, and
721-467: A Michigan printing company, Jim McDonald, that he could help the business grow. The two founded American Speedy Printing, which grew through franchising to more than 730 stores in 44 states. Later, Buchanan and American Speedy Printing were defendants in a string of lawsuits during the late 1980s and early 1990s by franchisees and master franchisees, who said they were not making the money that Buchanan had said they could expect. After filing for bankruptcy, he
824-551: A candidate. Therefore, Article I, Section 5, which permits each House to be the judge of the qualifications of its own members does not permit either House to establish additional qualifications. Likewise a State could not establish additional qualifications. William C. C. Claiborne served in the House below the minimum age of 25. Disqualification: under the Fourteenth Amendment , a federal or state officer who takes
927-520: A federal statutory requirement since 1967 pursuant to the act titled An Act For the relief of Doctor Ricardo Vallejo Samala and to provide for congressional redistricting . Before that law, general ticket representation was used by some states. States typically redraw district boundaries after each census, though they may do so at other times, such as the 2003 Texas redistricting . Each state determines its own district boundaries, either through legislation or through non-partisan panels. Malapportionment
1030-420: A former business partner to sign a false affidavit to the FEC, and that he had illegally reimbursed car-dealership employees for campaign contributions. The latter allegation was also raised in a legal dispute with Sam Kazran, Buchanan's former business partner, who alleged that Buchanan engaged in a "cash swap scheme" in which employees were directed to write checks to Buchanan's campaign fund, then reimbursed by
1133-480: A four-year inquiry, the House Ethics Committee ended its investigation, finding "insufficient evidence" of wrongdoing on Buchanan's part. Kazran filed a separate breach of contract lawsuit against Buchanan in Florida state court; Buchanan prevailed in that litigation. Beginning in 2008, Buchanan faced lawsuits by six former employees, who alleged "conspiracy, fraud, and retaliatory personnel actions" as well as
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#17327825066391236-532: A four-year term, the resident commissioner's role is identical to the delegates from the other territories. The five delegates and resident commissioner may participate in debates; before 2011, they were also allowed to vote in committees and the Committee of the Whole when their votes would not be decisive. States entitled to more than one representative are divided into single-member districts . This has been
1339-618: A large role" in the passage of free trade agreements with Colombia , Panama and South Korea . The treaties were backed by the White House and a bipartisan majority in Congress. In December 2011, the House passed H.R. 527, a Buchanan-backed measure to close "loopholes in current law to ensure regulatory agencies will fully account for the effect of new regulations on small businesses before regulations are adopted." In February 2012, Buchanan supported President Obama's proposal to lower
1442-592: A member requires only a simple majority, and does not remove that member from office. As a check on the regional, popular, and rapidly changing politics of the House, the Senate has several distinct powers. For example, the " advice and consent " powers (such as the power to approve treaties and confirm members of the Cabinet ) are a sole Senate privilege. The House, however, has the exclusive power to initiate bills for raising revenue, to impeach officials, and to choose
1545-474: A mentoring program of one-on-one advice to small businesses from qualified counselors. In the 112th Congress, Buchanan was named to a seat on the Ways and Means Committee , the only member from Florida serving on that committee. He was also asked by NRCC Chairman Pete Sessions to serve as vice chair of the committee. In January 2011, Buchanan helped secure the construction of Sarasota National Cemetery through
1648-556: A more deliberative upper house, elected by the lower house, that would represent the individual states, and would be less susceptible to variations of mass sentiment. The House is commonly referred to as the lower house and the Senate the upper house , although the United States Constitution does not use that terminology. Both houses' approval is necessary for the passage of legislation . The Virginia Plan drew
1751-535: A postage stamp honoring and assisting disabled veterans, and secured funding for the construction of a national veterans' cemetery in Sarasota County. He also introduced a bill to increase federal assistance for fighting gang crime and secured grant funding for local anti-gang efforts in Manatee County. As of July 2008, Buchanan had voted to override five of Bush's vetoes of legislation passed by
1854-606: A result, the process to gain ballot access varies greatly from state to state, and in the case of a third party in the United States may be affected by results of previous years' elections. In 1967, Congress passed the Uniform Congressional District Act , which requires all representatives to be elected from single-member-districts. Following the Wesberry v. Sanders decision, Congress
1957-438: A single MRA that can fund any expense—even though each component is calculated individually, the franking allowance can be used to pay for personnel expenses if the member so chooses. In 2011 this allowance averaged $ 1.4 million per member, and ranged from $ 1.35 to $ 1.67 million. The Personnel allowance was $ 944,671 per member in 2010. Each member may employ no more than 18 permanent employees. Members' employees' salary
2060-468: A two-year term, with no term limit. In most states, major party candidates for each district are nominated in partisan primary elections , typically held in spring to late summer. In some states, the Republican and Democratic parties choose their candidates for each district in their political conventions in spring or early summer, which often use unanimous voice votes to reflect either confidence in
2163-741: A voice in committees, and can introduce bills on the floor, but cannot vote on the ultimate passage of bills. Presently, the District of Columbia and the five inhabited U.S. territories each elect a delegate. A seventh delegate, representing the Cherokee Nation , has been formally proposed but has not yet been seated. An eighth delegate, representing the Choctaw Nation is guaranteed by treaty but has not yet been proposed. Additionally, some territories may choose to also elect shadow representatives , though these are not official members of
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#17327825066392266-671: Is an American businessman and politician serving as the U.S. representative for Florida's 16th congressional district since 2013. A member of the Republican Party , he first entered Congress in 2007, representing Florida's 13th congressional district until redistricting. His district is anchored by Bradenton . Buchanan is the only Republican member from Florida on the House Ways and Means Committee , which has jurisdiction over tax policy, international trade, health care and Social Security. Before serving in Congress, Buchanan
2369-440: Is calculated based on three components: one for personnel, one for official office expenses and one for official or franked mail. The personnel allowance is the same for all members; the office and mail allowances vary based on the members' district's distance from Washington, D.C., the cost of office space in the member's district, and the number of non-business addresses in their district. These three components are used to calculate
2472-688: Is no charge for outpatient care if it is provided in the National Capital Region , but members are billed at full reimbursement rates (set by the Department of Defense) for inpatient care. (Outside the National Capital Region, charges are at full reimbursement rates for both inpatient and outpatient care). House members are eligible for a Member's Representational Allowance (MRA) to support them in their official and representational duties to their district. The MRA
2575-468: Is no legislation at the federal level mandating one particular system for elections to the House, systems are set at the state level. As of 2022, first-past-the-post or plurality voting is used in 46 states, electing 412 representatives, ranked-choice or instant-runoff voting in two states (Alaska and Maine), electing 3 representatives, and two-round system in two states (Georgia and Louisiana), electing 20 representatives. Elected representatives serve
2678-543: Is occasionally abbreviated as either "MOC" or "MC" (similar to MP ). However, the abbreviation "Rep." for Representative is more common, as it avoids confusion as to whether they are a member of the House or the Senate . All members of Congress are automatically enrolled in the Federal Employees Retirement System , a pension system also used for federal civil servants , except the formula for calculating Congress members' pension results in
2781-545: Is referred to as the "upper" house, and the House of Representatives as the "lower" house. Since December 2014, the annual salary of each representative is $ 174,000, the same as it is for each member of the Senate . The speaker of the House and the majority and minority leaders earn more: $ 223,500 for the speaker and $ 193,400 for their party leaders (the same as Senate leaders). A cost-of-living-adjustment (COLA) increase takes effect annually unless Congress votes not to accept it. Congress sets members' salaries; however,
2884-610: Is the lower chamber of the United States Congress , with the Senate being the upper chamber . Together, they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States . 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 signature or veto . The House's exclusive powers include initiating all revenue bills, impeaching federal officers, and electing
2987-504: Is to have one party govern and the other party watch." The leadership structure of the House also developed during approximately the same period, with the positions of majority leader and minority leader being created in 1899. While the minority leader was the head of the minority party, the majority leader remained subordinate to the speaker. The speakership reached its zenith during the term of Republican Joseph Gurney Cannon , from 1903 to 1911. The speaker's powers included chairmanship of
3090-579: Is unconstitutional and districts must be approximately equal in population (see Wesberry v. Sanders ). Additionally, Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 prohibits redistricting plans that are intended to, or have the effect of, discriminating against racial or language minority voters. Aside from malapportionment and discrimination against racial or language minorities, federal courts have allowed state legislatures to engage in gerrymandering to benefit political parties or incumbents. In
3193-414: Is unique in that it holds an all-party primary election on the general Election Day with a subsequent runoff election between the top two finishers (regardless of party) if no candidate received a majority in the primary. The states of Washington and California use a similar (though not identical) system to that used by Louisiana. Seats vacated during a term are filled through special elections , unless
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3296-565: The American Political Science Association , only about 40 seats, less than 10% of the House membership, are chosen through a genuinely contested electoral process, given partisan gerrymandering. Article I, Section 2 of the Constitution sets three qualifications for representatives. Each representative must: (1) be at least twenty-five (25) years old; (2) have been a citizen of the United States for
3399-780: The Bermuda reinsurance company Greater Atlantic Insurance Co. The three companies offer extended warranty policies to car buyers. Buchanan invests some of the proceeds from his reinsurance companies in real estate developments in the Bahamas . In 1999, Buchanan was approached to help to finance the Ritz-Carlton condo-hotel development in Sarasota . Buchanan was cut out of the project. The developers, Robert Buford and Kevin Daves, said he lied about his financial means. Buchanan sued, and
3502-822: The District of Columbia and the U.S. territories of Guam , the U.S. Virgin Islands , the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands , and American Samoa . A non-voting Resident Commissioner, serving a four-year term, represents the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico . As of the 2020 census , the largest delegation was California , with 52 representatives. Six states have only one representative apiece : Alaska , Delaware , North Dakota , South Dakota , Vermont , and Wyoming . The House meets in
3605-742: The Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP), an employer-sponsored health insurance program, and were eligible to participate in other programs, such as the Federal Flexible Spending Account Program (FSAFEDS). However, Section 1312(d)(3)(D) of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) provided that the only health plans that the federal government can make available to members of Congress and certain congressional staff are those created under
3708-639: The House 107 / 435 Politics of United States Political parties Elections The Congressional Bike Caucus ( CBC ) is a bipartisan caucus of the United States House of Representatives launched by Representative Earl Blumenauer . It is officially registered with the Committee on House Administration , the house committee responsible for regulating caucuses. The caucus aims to promote cycling by improving infrastructure and increasing awareness of cyclists. As of 2023
3811-650: The Twenty-seventh Amendment to the United States Constitution prohibits a change in salary (but not COLA ) from taking effect until after the next election of the whole House. Representatives are eligible for retirement benefits after serving for five years. Outside pay is limited to 15% of congressional pay, and certain types of income involving a fiduciary responsibility or personal endorsement are prohibited. Salaries are not for life, only during active term. Representatives use
3914-450: The Uniform Congressional District Act , sit in single member congressional districts allocated to each state on the basis of population as measured by the United States census , with each district having at least a single representative, provided that that state is entitled to them. Since its inception in 1789, all representatives have been directly elected. Although suffrage was initially limited, it gradually widened, particularly after
4017-694: The president if a presidential candidate fails to get a majority of the Electoral College votes. Both House and Senate confirmation is now required to fill a vacancy if the vice presidency is vacant, according to the provisions of the Twenty-fifth Amendment . The Senate and House are further differentiated by term lengths and the number of districts represented: the Senate has longer terms of six years, fewer members (currently one hundred, two for each state), and (in all but seven delegations) larger constituencies per member. The Senate
4120-556: The size of the House states: "The Number of Representatives shall not exceed one for every thirty Thousand, but each State shall have at Least one Representative." Congress regularly increased the size of the House to account for population growth until it fixed the number of voting House members at 435 in 1911. In 1959, upon the admission of Alaska and Hawaii , the number was temporarily increased to 437 (seating one representative from each of those states without changing existing apportionment), and returned to 435 four years later, after
4223-687: The 110th Congress. These override votes included a vote in support of expanding the coverage range of the SCHIP program, the 2008 farm bill, and the Water Resources Development Act. On September 29, 2008, Buchanan voted against the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 , but changed his vote to support the bill in the October 3 second House vote. Buchanan sponsored several bills in
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4326-649: The 111th Congress, including House Resolution 1839, a Bill to Amend the Small Business Act to Improve SCORE ( Service Corps of Retired Executives ), which was introduced on April 1, 2009c. House Resolution 1839 would require the administrator of the Small Business Administration (SBA) to ensure that SCORE increases the proportion of small business mentors from socially or economically disadvantaged backgrounds, establish benchmarks for evaluating its activities and volunteers, and establish
4429-594: The ACA or offered through a health care exchange . The Office of Personnel Management promulgated a final rule to comply with Section 1312(d)(3)(D). Under the rule, effective January 1, 2014, members and designated staff are no longer able to purchase FEHBP plans as active employees. However, if members enroll in a health plan offered through a Small Business Health Options Program (SHOP) exchange, they remain eligible for an employer contribution toward coverage, and members and designated staff eligible for retirement may enroll in
4532-882: The Bike Caucus" . Congressman Earl Blumenauer . Retrieved 14 July 2023 . Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Congressional_Bike_Caucus&oldid=1165486297 " Categories : Caucuses of the United States Congress Cycling organizations in the United States Hidden categories: Articles with short description Short description is different from Wikidata Articles containing potentially dated statements from 2023 All articles containing potentially dated statements Vern Buchanan Vernon Gale Buchanan ( / b juː ˈ k æ n ən / bew- CAN -ən ; born May 8, 1951)
4635-564: The Confederation Congress's sanction to "amend the Articles of Confederation". All states except Rhode Island agreed to send delegates. Congress's structure was a contentious issue among the founders during the convention. Edmund Randolph 's Virginia Plan called for a bicameral Congress: the lower house would be "of the people", elected directly by the people of the United States and representing public opinion , and
4738-608: The Contract did not pass Congress, were vetoed by President Bill Clinton , or were substantially altered in negotiations with Clinton. However, after Republicans held control in the 1996 election , Clinton and the Gingrich-led House agreed on the first balanced federal budget in decades, along with a substantial tax cut. The Republicans held on to the House until 2006 , when the Democrats won control and Nancy Pelosi
4841-677: The Department of Veterans Affairs. The cemetery plans include 11,500 grave sites, 16,000 cremated remains sites, and other buildings and structures necessary for funerals for veterans and their families. In June 2011, the House passed Buchanan's Military Tribunals for Terrorists Act as an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012 . The amendment, approved by a largely party-line vote of 246–173, would "require all foreign terrorism suspects to be tried only in military tribunals and never in civilian courts." In October 2011, Buchanan "played
4944-700: The Federal Long Term Care Insurance Program. The Office of the Attending Physician at the U.S. Capitol provides members with health care for an annual fee. The attending physician provides routine exams, consultations, and certain diagnostics, and may write prescriptions (although the office does not dispense them). The office does not provide vision or dental care. Members (but not their dependents, and not former members) may also receive medical and emergency dental care at military treatment facilities. There
5047-482: The Florida Department of State certified the results of the recount, which showed Buchanan winning by 369 votes. Jennings challenged the results of the election in court, citing "pervasive malfunctioning of electronic voting machines." In December 2006, a Florida circuit judge ruled that her claim that voting machines in Sarasota County lost up to 18,000 votes was "conjecture" and didn't warrant overriding
5150-462: The House and are separate individuals from their official delegates. Representatives and delegates serve for two-year terms, while a resident commissioner (a kind of delegate) serves for four years. A term starts on January 3 following the election in November. The U.S. Constitution requires that vacancies in the House be filled with a special election. The term of the replacement member expires on
5253-456: The House and the Senate (where introduced companion bill was introduced), but never made it out of committee. For the 118th Congress : Buchanan voted for the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 . With an estimated $ 55 million in real estate assets, Buchanan directly benefits from the loophole that lowers the tax rate on pass-through income from real estate. After the act passed, Buchanan said
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#17327825066395356-409: The House would have women-only spaces following the election of Sarah McBride . Under Article I, Section 2 of the Constitution , seats in the House of Representatives are apportioned among the states by population, as determined by the census conducted every ten years. Each state is entitled to at least one representative, however small its population. The only constitutional rule relating to
5459-703: The Michigan Corporation Act. It ended with Buchanan paying $ 1.5 million. In 1992, Buchanan bought a Honda and Acura dealership in Ocala, Florida . In late 1999, he bought two more dealerships. He continued to acquire dealerships after that, but in 2006 he sold five dealerships and other businesses in order to concentrate on politics. His dealerships had $ 756 million in sales in 2005. Buchanan owns two reinsurance companies—Jamat Reinsurance Co. and Buchanan Reinsurance Co., in Turks and Caicos , and part of
5562-587: The Senate did not hold the balance of power between North and South during the war. The years of Reconstruction that followed witnessed large majorities for the Republican Party , which many Americans associated with the Union's victory in the Civil War and the ending of slavery. The Reconstruction period ended in about 1877; the ensuing era, known as the Gilded Age , was marked by sharp political divisions in
5665-523: The US House of Representatives is older than comparable chambers in Russia and the other G7 nations. Members of Congress are permitted to deduct up to $ 3,000 of living expenses per year incurred while living away from their district or home state. Before 2014, members of Congress and their staff had access to essentially the same health benefits as federal civil servants; they could voluntarily enroll in
5768-564: The United States from Finland . When he graduated from high school in 1969, he joined the Michigan Air National Guard , serving there for six years. Buchanan got a bachelor's degree in business administration from Cleary University and a master's in business administration from the University of Detroit . In his June 2007 financial disclosure filing, Buchanan reported over $ 100 million in assets, making him among
5871-542: The ability of a small number of senior members to obstruct legislation they did not favor. There was also a shift from the 1990s to greater control of the legislative program by the majority party; the power of party leaders (especially the speaker) grew considerably. According to historian Julian E. Zelizer , the majority Democrats minimized the number of staff positions available to the minority Republicans, kept them out of decision-making, and gerrymandered their home districts. Republican Newt Gingrich argued American democracy
5974-491: The apartment's increased appraised value and the use of Buchanan's $ 5 million. In the year he owned the penthouse, Buchanan used it for charity fundraisers. In 2022, Buchanan had $ 2.3 million in PPP loans forgiven. Buchanan was criticized for his hypocrisy regarding President Biden's student loan debt forgiveness. Buchanan ran in the 13th congressional district in Florida to replace incumbent Republican Katherine Harris , who
6077-569: The caucus has 107 members. The current co-chairs of the caucus are Representatives Earl Blumenauer, Vern Buchanan , and Ayanna Pressley . See also [ edit ] Congressional Motorcycle Safety Caucus References [ edit ] ^ "The Congressional Bike Caucus" . Congressman Earl Blumenauer . 2016-09-13 . Retrieved 2017-07-14 . ^ "118th Congress Congressional Member Organizations (CMOs)" (PDF) . Committee on House Administration . 23 June 2023 . Retrieved 14 July 2023 . ^ "Members of
6180-708: The changes were what "Floridians have needed for a long time." The bill also includes a measure, created by Buchanan, to provide tax relief to citrus growers impacted by Hurricane Irma . Buchanan supported President Donald Trump 's 2017 executive order to bar entry to the U.S. to citizens of seven Muslim-majority countries and also supported Trump's executive order to bar federal funding to so-called sanctuary cities , saying "LONG OVERDUE ... Time to protect Americans." Buchanan believes that abortion should be illegal. United States House of Representatives Minority (213) Vacant (2) [REDACTED] [REDACTED] The United States House of Representatives
6283-513: The committee and the House accepted the GAO's findings that no machine error was demonstrated as sufficient to have altered the outcome of the election. The House passed HR 989 affirming the committee's findings, accepting the results of the race, and formally dismissing Jennings's challenge of the election results. Jennings formally dropped her challenge shortly thereafter to focus on a 2008 rematch against Buchanan. Buchanan defeated Jennings with 55% of
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#17327825066396386-464: The company. In 2012, the Justice Department ended its 11-month investigation with no criminal charges. The FEC also ended its investigation by 2012. Kazran agreed to pay $ 5,500 in fines "for improperly funneling money to Buchanan's campaign committee", and in May 2013 three men and two Tampa companies were fined a total of $ 16,000 by the FEC for illegal campaign contributions to Buchanan. In 2016, after
6489-631: The corporate tax rate from 35% to 28%. In a statement, Buchanan said, "I appreciate the president's willingness to engage on such an important issue." In 2011, Buchanan and Representative Ed Markey introduced the Pill Mill Crackdown Act of 2011, legislation that would require money seized from so-called pill mills to be directed to drug treatment programs; "increase fines and sentences for those convicted of running pill mills"; and make hydrocodone drugs such as Vicodin more difficult to obtain. The bill received bipartisan support in both
6592-524: The date that the original member's would have expired. The Constitution permits the House to expel a member with a two-thirds vote. In the history of the United States, only six members have been expelled from the House; in 1861, three were removed for supporting the Confederate states' secession: Democrats John Bullock Clark of Missouri, John William Reid of Missouri, and Henry Cornelius Burnett of Kentucky. Democrat Michael Myers of Pennsylvania
6695-593: The district to campaign for Buchanan. Initial results of the November election showed Buchanan leading by less than 350 votes. Due to the closeness of the race, and a high undervote of 18,000 in Sarasota County , a recount was ordered. Sarasota County voters had given more votes to a hospital board than they had to their Congressional representative—with 13% of voters not voting, compared to an average of 2% in neighboring counties. The touch-screen voting machines used provided no paper record. On November 20, 2006,
6798-434: The district, but Jennings polled ahead of Buchanan up to election day. Buchanan put more than $ 5 million of his own money into his campaign. In October, Vice President Dick Cheney held a fund-raising luncheon for Buchanan; later that month, President George W. Bush held a fund-raising reception for him. Between the two events, Governor Jeb Bush , Senator Mel Martinez , and Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney came to
6901-432: The electorate. The Democratic Party and Republican Party each held majorities in the House at various times. The late 19th and early 20th centuries also saw a dramatic increase in the power of the speaker of the House . The rise of the speaker's influence began in the 1890s, during the tenure of Republican Thomas Brackett Reed . "Czar Reed", as he was nicknamed, attempted to put into effect his view that "The best system
7004-428: The first Tuesday after the first Monday in November. Pursuant to the Uniform Congressional District Act , representatives must be elected from single-member districts . After a census is taken (in a year ending in 0), the year ending in 2 is the first year in which elections for U.S. House districts are based on that census (with the Congress based on those districts starting its term on the following January 3). As there
7107-407: The five wealthiest members of Congress. Most of his wealth is from his automotive empire, which includes several dealerships in Florida. He also reported ownership interests in about 50 other businesses, including offshore reinsurance companies and a charter-jet business. He reported receiving at least $ 19.5 million in income from these businesses in 2006. In May 1976, Buchanan convinced the owner of
7210-417: The hiring of undocumented immigrants and consumer fraud. None of those cases made it to trial and by 2011 most had been "dismissed with no judgments against Buchanan." On June 23, 2016, the House Ethics Committee released this statement, concluding its investigation into Buchanan: "Because the evidence is insufficient to conclude that Representative Buchanan himself was aware of the unlawful reimbursements at
7313-416: The hundreds or thousands of errors corrected by amendment at the requirement of the Committee every year." In 2008, the watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) filed a Federal Elections Commission (FEC) complaint alleging " straw donors " to Buchanan's campaign (campaign contributions from Buchanan's employees for which they were then reimbursed); in 2011, CREW requested
7416-539: The incumbent or the result of bargaining in earlier private discussions. Exceptions can result in so-called floor fights—convention votes by delegates, with outcomes that can be hard to predict. Especially if a convention is closely divided, a losing candidate may contend further by meeting the conditions for a primary election. The courts generally do not consider ballot access rules for independent and third party candidates to be additional qualifications for holding office and no federal statutes regulate ballot access. As
7519-439: The influential Rules Committee and the ability to appoint members of other House committees. However, these powers were curtailed in the "Revolution of 1910" because of the efforts of Democrats and dissatisfied Republicans who opposed Cannon's heavy-handed tactics. The Democratic Party dominated the House of Representatives during the administration of President Franklin D. Roosevelt (1933–1945), often winning over two-thirds of
7622-573: The land gained during the Mexican–American War . Conflict over slavery and other issues persisted until the Civil War (1861–1865), which began soon after several southern states attempted to secede from the Union. The war culminated in the South's defeat and in the abolition of slavery. All southern senators except Andrew Johnson resigned their seats at the beginning of the war, and therefore
7725-678: The most voting members. Under the Articles of Confederation , the Congress of the Confederation was a unicameral body with equal representation for each state, any of which could veto most actions. After eight years of a more limited confederal government under the Articles, numerous political leaders such as James Madison and Alexander Hamilton initiated the Constitutional Convention in 1787, which received
7828-525: The other (the Senate) would provide equal representation amongst the states. The Constitution was ratified by the requisite number of states (nine out of the 13) in 1788, but its implementation was set for March 4, 1789. The House began work on April 1, 1789, when it achieved a quorum for the first time. During the first half of the 19th century, the House was frequently in conflict with the Senate over regionally divisive issues, including slavery . The North
7931-499: The parties settled in 2001. Per a structured settlement, Buchanan bought a condo from a nephew of Buford's for $ 5 million; the nephew had purchased it the day before for $ 2.368 million. Buchanan owned the unit for a little more than a year and then sold it to another member of Buford's family for $ 6.35 million. The arrangement resulted in Buchanan paying taxes on his gain at the reduced long-term capital gains rate. Buford benefited from
8034-427: The past seven years; and (3) be (at the time of the election) an inhabitant of the state they represent. Members are not required to live in the districts they represent, but they traditionally do. The age and citizenship qualifications for representatives are less than those for senators . The constitutional requirements of Article I, Section 2 for election to Congress are the maximum requirements that can be imposed on
8137-629: The prefix " The Honorable " before their names. A member of the House is referred to as a representative , congressman , or congresswoman . Representatives are usually identified in the media and other sources by party and state, and sometimes by congressional district, or a major city or community within their district. For example, Democratic representative Nancy Pelosi , who represents California's 11th congressional district within San Francisco , may be identified as "D–California", "D–California–11" or "D–San Francisco". "Member of congress"
8240-502: The president if no candidate receives a majority of votes in the Electoral College . Members of the House serve a fixed term of two years, with each seat up for election before the start of the next Congress. Special elections also occur when a seat is vacated early enough. The House's composition was established by Article One of the United States Constitution . The House is composed of representatives who, pursuant to
8343-591: The ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment and the civil rights movement . Since 1913, the number of voting representatives has been at 435 pursuant to the Apportionment Act of 1911 . The Reapportionment Act of 1929 capped the size of the House at 435. However, the number was temporarily increased from 1959 until 1963 to 437 following the admissions of Alaska and Hawaii to the Union. In addition, five non-voting delegates represent
8446-510: The reapportionment consequent to the 1960 census . The Constitution does not provide for the representation of the District of Columbia or of territories . The District of Columbia and the territories of Puerto Rico , American Samoa , Guam , the Northern Mariana Islands , and the U.S. Virgin Islands are each represented by one non-voting delegate . Puerto Rico elects a resident commissioner , but other than having
8549-532: The requisite oath to support the Constitution, but later engages in rebellion or aids the enemies of the United States, is disqualified from becoming a representative. This post–Civil War provision was intended to prevent those who sided with the Confederacy from serving. However, disqualified individuals may serve if they gain the consent of two-thirds of both houses of Congress. Elections for representatives are held in every even-numbered year, on Election Day
8652-501: The right to make the final determination as to whether Buchanan would hold the seat for the remainder of the term or be replaced by Jennings. In April, a three-person House task force was created to evaluate the election. In early May, the task force voted along party lines to refer an investigation into Florida's 13th district House race to the Government Accountability Office (GAO). On February 25, 2008,
8755-431: The seats. Both Democrats and Republicans were in power at various times during the next decade. The Democratic Party maintained control of the House from 1955 until 1995. In the mid-1970s, members passed major reforms that strengthened the power of sub-committees at the expense of committee chairs and allowed party leaders to nominate committee chairs. These actions were taken to undermine the seniority system , and to reduce
8858-664: The south wing of the United States Capitol . The rules of the House generally address a two-party system, with a majority party in government, and a minority party in opposition. The presiding officer is the Speaker of the House , who is elected by the members thereof. Other floor leaders are chosen by the Democratic Caucus or the Republican Conference , depending on whichever party has
8961-721: The support of delegates from large states such as Virginia , Massachusetts , and Pennsylvania , as it called for representation based on population. The smaller states, however, favored the New Jersey Plan , which called for a unicameral Congress with equal representation for the states. Eventually, the Convention reached the Connecticut Compromise or Great Compromise, under which one house of Congress (the House of Representatives) would provide representation proportional to each state's population, whereas
9064-634: The system was, in Gingrich's words, "morally, intellectually and spiritually corrupt". Gingrich followed Wright's successor, Democrat Tom Foley , as speaker after the Republican Revolution of 1994 gave his party control of the House. Gingrich attempted to pass a major legislative program, the Contract with America and made major reforms of the House, notably reducing the tenure of committee chairs to three two-year terms. Many elements of
9167-638: The time in 2007, the third-lowest rate of the 16 members of Florida's Republican congressional delegation. Buchanan secured federal funding of $ 2 million for reimbursement for cleanup efforts in Anna Maria Island and $ 4 million for cleaning up Wares Creek in Manatee County . Buchanan introduced a constitutional amendment in January 2007 that would require Congress to pass a balanced budget if ratified. He introduced legislation to create
9270-631: The time they occurred, or had any role in directing or approving of them, and the evidence is insufficient to find that Representative Buchanan attempted to improperly influence the testimony of Mr. Kazran before the FEC, the Committee has determined to take no further action in this matter, and upon publication of this Report, considers the matter closed." Buchanan was sworn in as Representative for Florida's 13th Congressional District on January 3, 2007. Congressional Quarterly noted that Buchanan voted in support of President Bush's legislative agenda 66% of
9373-637: The trade secrets of the voting machine company. In June 2007, a Florida state appellate court ruled that Jennings did not meet the "extraordinary burden" of proving the lower court judge was wrong. Another suit, filed by voters represented by Voter Action , People For the American Way Foundation , the ACLU of Florida , and the Electronic Frontier Foundation was also dismissed. The U.S. House of Representatives had
9476-410: The vacancy occurs closer to the next general election date than a pre-established deadline. The term of a member chosen in a special election usually begins the next day, or as soon as the results are certified. Historically, many territories have sent non-voting delegates to the House. While their role has fluctuated over the years, today they have many of the same privileges as voting members, have
9579-595: The vote to Lawrence's 38.4%. In 2016, Buchanan defeated Democratic nominee Jan Schneider, an attorney and author, with 59.8% of the vote to Schneider's 40.2%. In 2018, Buchanan defeated the Democratic nominee, attorney David Shapiro, with 54.6% of the vote. In 2020, Buchanan defeated Democratic nominee Margaret Good with 55.5% of the vote. Good defeated Buchanan's son James in a closely watched special election in 2018. In February 2021, Buchanan announced his candidacy for reelection in 2022 . In 2022, Buchanan won
9682-503: The vote to her 38%. On election night, he said, "What a difference two years makes." In May 2009, Buchanan announced his candidacy for reelection. He defeated Don Baldauf in the Republican primary, and Reverend James T. Golden in the general, with 68.9% of the vote. In 2012, Buchanan defeated Democratic former state representative Keith Fitzgerald with 53.6% of the vote. This is his narrowest victory since 2006. In 2014, Buchanan defeated Democratic nominee Henry Lawrence with 61.5% of
9785-551: Was accused by a creditors' committee of taking excessive compensation and actions that resulted in overstated earnings for American Speedy Printing. In a 1995 deposition, he said that he had no personal obligation to repay a large corporate loan from Merrill Lynch. A dispute with the Internal Revenue Service over taxes on the money Buchanan received from Merrill Lynch stretched through the 1990s. Buchanan, his business partner, and Merrill Lynch were sued for violating
9888-470: Was being ruined by the Democrats' tactics and that the GOP had to destroy the system before it could be saved. Cooperation in governance, says Zelizer, would have to be put aside until they deposed Speaker Wright and regained power. Gingrich brought an ethics complaint which led to Wright's resignation in 1989. Gingrich gained support from the media and good government forces in his crusade to persuade Americans that
9991-500: Was endorsed by former President Donald Trump In July 2012, the House Ethics Committee cleared Buchanan of charges that he violated House rules by misleading Congress in his financial disclosure forms. After the issue was raised, Buchanan submitted revised forms. The committee "found no evidence that the errors were knowing or willful and unanimously determined that the errors were not substantively different from
10094-435: Was expelled after his criminal conviction for accepting bribes in 1980, Democrat James Traficant of Ohio was expelled in 2002 following his conviction for corruption, and Republican George Santos was expelled in 2023 after he was implicated in fraud by both a federal indictment and a House Ethics Committee investigation. The House also has the power to formally censure or reprimand its members; censure or reprimand of
10197-610: Was in business for over 30 years and chaired both the Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce and Florida Chamber of Commerce . He served as a member of the board and the executive committee of the United States Chamber of Commerce . Buchanan grew up in Inkster, Michigan, a small town outside Detroit , the son of a factory foreman in a family of six children. His maternal grandparents immigrated to
10300-479: Was motivated by fears that courts would impose at-large plurality districts on states that did not redistrict to comply with the new mandates for districts roughly equal in population, and Congress also sought to prevent attempts by southern states to use such voting systems to dilute the vote of racial minorities. Several states have used multi-member districts in the past, although only two states (Hawaii and New Mexico) used multi-member districts in 1967. Louisiana
10403-580: Was much more populous than the South , and therefore dominated the House of Representatives. However, the North held no such advantage in the Senate, where the equal representation of states prevailed. Regional conflict was most pronounced over the issue of slavery. One example of a provision repeatedly supported by the House but blocked by the Senate was the Wilmot Proviso , which sought to ban slavery in
10506-443: Was subsequently elected by the House as the first female speaker. The Republicans retook the House in 2011 , with the largest shift of power since the 1930s. However, the Democrats retook the house in 2019 , which became the largest shift of power to the Democrats since the 1970s. In the 2022 elections, Republicans took back control of the House, winning a slim majority. In November 2024, House Speaker Mike Johnson announced that
10609-420: Was the Republican nominee for the U.S. Senate . Buchanan won the Republican primary with 32% of the vote, against four opponents. His closest challengers were Nancy C. Detert , with 25% of the vote, and Tramm Hudson , with 24%. In the November general election, Buchanan faced Democrat Christine Jennings , a banking executive. There were 216,000 registered Republicans and about 155,000 registered Democrats in
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