r which laws are eventually approved by the chamber. Because more laws originate in the House than in the Senate, the Speaker of the House can have a decisive impact on the laws of the United States. The broad powers make the Speaker the most prominent person in Congress. The Constitution allows the House to make up its own rules and procedures. Control of important House committees often changes when House rules are revised, so members often really duke it out over proposals to change a rule. Because the House has so many members, its floor proceedings have typically been loud, raucous, and trying. Today, however, House rules allow leaders to determine which bills reach the House floor, how much time each one gets, and even sometimes the number and type of amendments to be offered. Most debates attract few members beyond those directly concerned with the measure at hand. Others, occupied with duties elsewhere on Capitol Hill, can follow the debate on television monitors in their offices. Bells ring to announce impending floor votes, and the chamber soon fills with members talking and milling around. Although the House's 435 members do not have individually assigned seats, they customarily sit on either side of the center aisle—Democrats to the left facing the Speaker, Republicans to the right. To cast votes, members insert a plastic card into small boxes located throughout the chamber and vote "aye," "no," or "present" (“I don’t give a crap.”). Their votes are recorded electronically and displayed on a large tally board on the front wall of the House gallery. Lights on the board show each member's vote, "yes" noted with a green light, "no" with red, and "present" with amber. After the vote is announced, the chamber empties and the House turns to the next order of business. The Senate is the smaller of the two legislative bodies of the Congress of the United States. The Senate exercises some powers that the Hous...
