U.S. Senate
The legislative branch of the American federal government is made up of two lawmaking bodies: the House of Representatives
and the Senate, collectively known as Congress. Members of Congress are Democrats, Republicans, or Independents. Each has
particular institutional responsibilities, as well as strengths and weaknesses. Senators represent the wider constituent
concerns of an entire state's population, which is why there are an equal number of senators, two, per state. Much like the
House of Representatives, the Senate possesses powers that the other body of the legislative branch does not. Most important
and relevant to HMCE is the fact that, as part of a smaller and more deliberative elected body, senators will consider
ratification of all treaties from the International Programs.
The Senate at HMCE
Congressional committees are the birthplace of legislation. The Senate at HMCE is composed of two subcommittees. Students will
play the role of elected senators with a particular focus on individual senators’ ideologies, party affiliations, and constituent
interests. At HMCE, delegates draft legislation through informal caucuses and discussing, amending, and voting on bills during
formal debate. Committee sessions let students experience the fun, excitement, and occasional frustrations of creating new
legislation by allowing each delegate to personally invest in the legislative process. Each Senate committee is coordinated
and led by two Harvard undergraduate staffers: a Chair and a Vice-Chair. These students spend the year leading up to the
conference writing briefings on various topics as well as updates for the committee, and during the conference they serve as
substantive and procedural experts. Staffers encourage the committee as a whole to develop comprehensive and novel legislative
solutions as well as working with individual delegates to help students get the most they can out of the conference.
On the second and third days of the conference, the two House committees and the two Senate committees convene into a full
legislative body. Here, members of Congress have the opportunity to present their bills and the bills of their fellow committee
members to the full legislative chamber, and to serve as experts on the topics from their respective committees. In addition to
taking on this leadership role, students also have the chance in full session to debate bills that have passed in other
committees besides their own. Debate on this broader range of issues requires all delegates to think deeply about their stance on
any given issue. Each bill passed by both the House and the Senate is submitted to and considered by the President, who either
signs it into law or vetoes it at closing ceremonies.
For more details, see the 2009 Guide to Congress.
2009 Staff and Topics
Senate I
Committee Chair:
Ariel Stoddard
Committee Vice-Chair:
Marc Steinberg
Topic 1:
Human Trafficking (
Update)
Topic 2:
Net Neutrality (
Update)
Senate II
Committee Chair:
Basima Tewfik
Committee Vice-Chair:
Marc Steinberg
Topic 1:
US-Iran Relations (
Update)
Topic 2:
Hate Crimes (
Update)
Committee message board:
http://hmce.activeboard.com
Relevant Links
Use these links to research individual senators, the structure of the Senate, and the issues currently facing Congress.