The Men (and women) Who Make The Laws!

This is not a civics lesson for I’m not sure I’m civic-alized but it makes one wonder…

There are 535 Members of the United States Congress.

100 are in the Senate and the other 435 are in the House of Representatives. The members of the House of Representatives serve two-year terms representing the people of a single constituency, known as a “district”.

Congressional districts are apportioned to states population, using the United States Census results, provided that each state has at least one congressional representative. Each state, regardless of population or size, has two senators.

Currently, there are 100 senators representing the 50 states. Senators are elected at-large in their state for a six-year term, with terms staggered, so every two years approximately one-third of the Senate is up for election.

To be eligible for election, a candidate must be:

·      Aged at least 25 (House) or 30 (Senate)

·      Have been a citizen of the United States for seven (House) or nine (Senate) years

·      Be an inhabitant of the state which they represent

In 1891, Congress had a total of 146 staff members: 37 Senate personal staff, 39 Senate committee staff, and 62 House committee staff (37 of whom only worked during congressional sessions). In the year 2000, there were approximately 11,692 personal staff, 2,492 committee staff, 274 leadership staff, 5,034 institutional staff, and 3,500 GAO employees, 747 CRS employees, and 232 CBO employees.

The House first approved personal staff for Representatives in 1893. By the beginning of the 20th century, congressional staff had become well-accepted feature of congressional operations.

·      Personal staff, who work for individual members of Congress

·      Committee staff, who serve either the majority or minority on congressional committees

·      Leadership staff, who work for the speaker, majority and minority leaders, and majority and minority whips in the House of Representatives, and the majority and minority leaders and assistant majority and minority leaders (whips) in the Senate

·      Institutional staff, who including majority or minority party floor staff and non-partisan staff such as the Capitol Police, Architect of the Capitol (facilities and maintenance employees), and legislative clerks.

·      Support agency staff, who are non-partisan employees of the Congressional Research Service (CRS), Congressional Budget Office (CBO), and Government Accountability Office (GAO).

Then all these folks form committees to take care of business.

Senate Committees

·      Aging (Special)

·      Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry

·      Appropriations

·      Armed Services

·      Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs

·      Budget

·      Commerce, Science, and Transportation

·      Energy and Natural Resources

·      Environment and Public Works

·      Ethics (Select)

·      Finance

·      Foreign Relations

·      Health, Education, Labor and Pensions

·      Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs

·      Indian Affairs

·      Intelligence (Select)

·      Judiciary

·      Narcotics (Caucus)

·      Rules and Administration

·      Small Business and Entrepreneurship

·      Veterans' Affairs

House Committees

·      Agriculture

·      Appropriations

·      Armed Services

·      Budget

·      Education and the Workforce

·      Energy and Commerce

·      Ethics

·      Financial Services

·      Foreign Affairs

·      Homeland Security

·      House Administration

·      Intelligence (Permanent Select)

·      Judiciary

·      Natural Resources

·      Oversight and Government Reform

·      Rules

·      Science, Space, and Technology

·      Small Business

·      Transportation and Infrastructure

·      Veterans' Affairs

·      Ways and Means

Joint Committees

·      Economic

·      Inaugural Ceremonies (Special)

·      Library

·      Printing

·      Taxation

·

Committees to share specific tasks within the jurisdiction of the full committee if that make. Subcommittees are responsible to, and work within the guidelines established by, their parent committees. In particular, standing committees usually create subcommittees with legislative jurisdiction to consider and report bills. They may assign their subcommittees such specific tasks as the initial consideration of measures and oversight of laws and programs in the subcommittees’ areas.

Conference committee—are joint, ad hoc groups formed to work out the differences between similar bills from both houses.

Has that clarified all that committee stuff?

What about departments? They seem like closets everywhere but what is in them when you open the door?

Executive Branch

Department of Agriculture (USDA)

·      Office of Inspector General (USDA OIG)

·      United States Forest Service (USFS), U.S. Forest Service Law Enforcement and Investigations (USFS LEI)

Department of Commerce (DOC)

·      Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS), Office of Export Enforcement (OEE)

·      National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), National Institute of Standards and Technology Police (NIST Police)

·      National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), Office for Law Enforcement (OLE)

·      Department of Commerce Office of Security (DOC OS)

·      Department of Commerce Office of Inspector General (DOC OIG)

Department of Defense

·      Office of Inspector General (DOD OIG), Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS)

·      Pentagon Force Protection Agency (PFPA), United States Pentagon Police (USPPD)

·      Department of Defense Police

·      Defense Logistics Agency, Defense Logistics Agency Police (DLA)

·      National Security Agency, National Security Agency Police (NSA)

·      Defense Intelligence Agency, Defense Intelligence Agency Police (DIA)

·      National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency Police (NGA)

·      Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR)

·      Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction (SIGIR) (organization disbanded)

Department of the Army

·      United States Army Criminal Investigation Command (CID)

·      United States Army Military Police Corps

·      Department of the Army Civilian Police

·      United States Army Corrections Command

·      United States Army Counterintelligence (ACI), United States Army Intelligence and Security Command

Department of the Navy

·      Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS)

·      United States Marine Corps Criminal Investigation Division (USMC CID)

·      Master-at-arms (United States Navy) (military police)

·      Department of the Navy Police (civilian police)

·      Marine Corps Provost Marshal's Office (military police)

·      United States Marine Corps Civilian Police (civilian police)

Department of the Air Force

·      Air Force Office of Special Investigations (AFOSI)

·      Air Force Security Forces Center (AFSFC)

·      Air Force Security Forces (military police)

·      Department of the Air Force Police (civilian police)

Department of Education

·      Office of the Inspector General (ED OIG)

Department of Energy (DOE)

·      Office of Inspector General (DOE OIG)

·      Office of Health, Safety and Security (DOE HSS)

·      National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), Office of Secure Transportation (OST)

Department of Health and Human Services

·      United States Food and Drug Administration (HHSFDA), Office of Criminal Investigations (OCI)

·      National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Institutes of Health Police (NIH Police)

·      Office of Inspector General (HHS OIG)

Department of Homeland Security (DHS)

·      Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC)

·      National Protection and Programs Directorate, Federal Protective Service (FPS)

·      United States Coast Guard (USCG)

·      Coast Guard Investigative Service (CGIS)

·      United States Coast Guard Police (CGPD)

·      United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP)

·      Office of Air and Marine (OAM)

·      Office of Border Patrol (OBP)

·      Office of Field Operations (OFO)

·      Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)

·      Mount Weather Emergency Operations Center (MWEOC) Police

·      Office of Chief Security Officer (OCSO)

·      United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)

·      Enforcement Removal Operations (ERO)

·      Homeland Security Investigations (HSI)

·      Office of Intelligence

·      Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR)

·      United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)

·      United States Secret Service (USSS)

·      Transportation Security Administration (TSA), Office of Law Enforcement (OLE) / Federal Air Marshal Service (FAMS)

·      Office of Inspection (OI)

·      Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General (DHSOIG)

Department of Housing and Urban Development

·      Office of Inspector General (HUD OIG) [1][5]

·      Protective Service Division (HUD PSD)

Department of the Interior (USDI)

·      Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), Office of Justice Services, Bureau of Indian Affairs Police (BIA Police)

·      Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Office of Law Enforcement (BLM Rangers and Special Agents)

·      Bureau of Reclamation (BOR), Bureau of Reclamation Office of Law Enforcement (BOR Rangers)

·      Hoover Dam Police aka Bureau of Reclamation Police

·      National Park Service (NPS), Division of Law Enforcement, Security and Emergency Services (U.S. Park Rangers-Law Enforcement)

·      United States Park Police

·      Office of Inspector General (DOI OIG)

·      Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE)

·      United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), Office of Law Enforcement (FWS OLE)

·      Division of Refuge Law Enforcement

Department of Justice (DOJ)

·      Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF)

·      Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) (since 1973)

·      Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Federal Bureau of Investigation Police (FBI Police)

·      Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP)

·      United States Marshals Service (USMS)

·      Office of Inspector General (DOJ OIG)

·      Office of Professional Responsibility (DOJ OPR)

Department of Labor

·      Office of Inspector General (DOLOIG)

Department of State (DoS)

·      Bureau of Diplomatic Security (DS), U.S. Diplomatic Security Service (DSS)

·      Office of Foreign Missions

·      Office of the Inspector General

Department of Transportation

·      Office of Inspector General (DOTOIG)

·      United States Merchant Marine Academy Department of Public Safety (USMMADPS)

·      Office of Odometer Fraud Investigation - NHTSA (OFI)

Department of the Treasury

·      A Bureau of Engraving and Printing Police (BEP) patrol car.

·      Bureau of Engraving and Printing Police (BEP Police)

·      Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FINCEN)

·      Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Criminal Investigation Division (IRS-CI)

·      United States Mint Police (USMP)

·      Office of Inspector General (TREASOIG)

·      Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA)

·      Special Inspector General for the Troubled Assets Relief Program (SIGTARP)

Department of Veterans Affairs

·      Office of Inspector General (VAOIG)

·      Veterans Affairs Police

Legislative Branch

·      Sergeant at Arms of the United States House of Representatives

·      Sergeant at Arms of the United States Senate

·      United States Capitol Police (USCP)

·      Office of the Inspector General (USCP OIG)

·      Office of Professional Responsibility (USCP OPR)

·      Library of Congress (LOC)

·      Office of the Inspector General (LOCOIG)

·      Government Publishing Office (GPO), Government Publishing Office Police

·      Office of Inspector General (GPO OIG)

Judicial Branch

·      Marshal of the United States Supreme Court

·      United States Supreme Court Police

·      Administrative Office of the United States Courts (AOUSC)

·      Office of Probation and Pretrial Services

Independent Agencies and Quasi-official Corporations

·      Central Intelligence Agency, Security Protective Service (CIA SPS)

·      United States Environmental Protection Agency, Criminal Investigation Division (EPA CID)

·      Office of Inspector General (EPA OIG)

·      National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Office of Protective Services (NASA OPS)

·      Office of Inspector General (NASA OIG)

·      Office of Personnel Management (OPM)

·      Office of Inspector General (OPM OIG)

·      Federal Investigative Services Division (FIS) / National Background Investigations Bureau (NBIB)

·      Facilities, Security, and Emergency Management

·      United States Postal Service (USPS), United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), U.S. Postal Police

·      United States Postal Service Office of the Inspector General

·      Smithsonian Institution (SI)

·      Office of Protection Services

·      National Zoological Park Police (NZPP)

·      Office of the Inspector General (OIG)

·      Amtrak

·      Amtrak Office of Inspector General

·      Amtrak Office of Security Strategy and Special Operations (OSSSO)

·      Amtrak Police

·      Federal Reserve System

·      Federal Reserve Police

·      Federal Reserve Board Police (Board of Governors)

·      Office of Inspector General (FRB/CFPB OIG)

·      Tennessee Valley Authority, Tennessee Valley Authority Police (TVAP)

·      Office of Inspector General (TVA OIG)

·      Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC)

·      Office of Inspector General (NRC OIG)

·      National Science Foundation (NSF)

·      Office of the Inspector General (NSF OIG)

·      National Archives and Records Administration (NARA)

·      Office of the Inspector General (NARA OIG)

·      Railroad Retirement Board (RRB)

·      Office of Inspector General (RRB OIG)

·      Small Business Administration (SBA)

·      Office of Inspector General (SBA OIG)

·      Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC)

·      Office of Inspector General (FDIC OIG)

·      General Services Administration (GSA)

·      Office of Inspector General (GSA OIG)

·      Social Security Administration (SSA)

·      Office of Inspector General (SSA OIG)

·      United States Agency for International Development

·      Office of Inspector General (AID OIG)

·      Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS)

·      Office of the Inspector General (CNCS OIG)

List of former agencies and units of agencies

·      Bureau of Internal Revenue, Narcotic Division (1921-1927) (transferred to Bureau of Prohibition)

·      Bureau of Prohibition, Narcotic Division (1927-1930) (merged into Federal Bureau of Narcotics)

·      Federal Narcotics Control Board (FNCB) (1922-1930) (merged into Federal Bureau of Narcotics)

·      Federal Bureau of Narcotics (FBN) (1930-1968) (merged into Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs)

·      Bureau of Drug Abuse Control (1966-1968) (merged into Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs)

·      Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs (BNDD) (1968-1973) (merged into Drug Enforcement Administration)

·      Office of Drug Abuse Law Enforcement (ODALE) (1972-1973) (merged into Drug Enforcement Administration)

In 2004, federal agencies employed approximately 105,000 full-time personnel authorized to make arrests and carry firearms in the 50 states and the District of Columbia. Compared with 2002, employment of such personnel increased by 13%.

Officially, as of 2009, the federal government employed 2.8 million individuals out of a total U.S. workforce of 236 million — just over 1.7 percent of the workforce. But it's not quite as simple as that. Add in uniformed military personnel, and the figure goes up to just under 4.4 million.

January 2015, there were 22 million people working in government jobs. This is around 14% of the labor force and 7% of the total population. These numbers include non-citizens, approximately 7% of the population.

Now remember numbers can be recalculated and sorted to prove your point, but this is just to show approximately how many of us who are of working age and ability and accessible to opportunities with skills and education to have a daily job might work for ourselves instead of others.

Our government is a giant spider web of confusion that we pay for to keep our families safe from foreign intervention and provide safety regulations to keep us from drinking lead out of our tap water or fear getting into an elevator or an airplane. Our officials keep the food safe from regurgitation and our vehicles traveling without losing contact with our GPS and getting lost. Our government even tries to tell us how we should appreciate our diversity while resisting new visitors. Our elected officials file reams of paper and hours of talk, talk, and talk while on the midnight shows become the mockery of the people who voted for them.

Nope, never held down a ‘governmental’ job, but it is just another company with it’s layers of bureaucracy and ambitions and accountants and agendas and at the end of the day wants to go home proud of the accomplishments that can be written up on the next report.

More and more technology reveals the daily workings not scene since the Watergate hearings and we are mesmerized. There just aren’t enough hours in the day to follow the entire goings on or comprehend how our representatives decide to rule our lives.

If you noticed (and women) in the title of this rambling, there was a purpose. When women (girls, gals, chicks, babes….) make the same pay as the other gender, they are still secondary citizens. 

I can’t think it for you; you’ll have to decide, 

if Judas Iscariot had God on his side?