Arlen Specter: “I wish I had the opportunity to visit the Senate when I was in the seventh grade. It took me a little longer to get…”

“I wish I had the opportunity to visit the Senate when I was in the seventh grade. It took me a little longer to get here. I have sensed from this very bright, intelligent group of students that we may produce a Senator or we may produce a President because the sky is the limit if the students apply themselves and work hard. I was explaining, when we took a picture on the steps today, that the Congress of the United States makes the laws for the country. This is basic civics, but it is good to repeat it. The House of Representatives, consisting of 435 Members, is a representative body, one for every approximately 700,000 people in the United States. Each of our 50 States has 2 Senators. We consider legislation, we vote--pass bills by both the House and Senate--and then we get together on a conference. We have an agreement and a conference report is then voted on separately. The measures then go to the President of the United States.”