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Commonly Asked Questions About Congress
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How does a bill become a law?
A bill is proposed legislation that is introduced in the House or the Senate. After its introduction, it is assigned to the appropriate committee and subcommittee. The subcommittee reviews the bill, holds hearings to amend the bill, then recommends approval of the new version by the full committee. If the full committee concurs then the bill "reports", with any additional amendments, to the floor for debate and final vote.
The House and Senate must approve the bill in identical form before it can go to The President for signature. The President can then sign the bill, veto it, or pocket veto it. Once signed, the bill becomes a law. If the President does NOT sign or veto the bill within ten days while Congress is in session, the bill automatically becomes a law.
How do members vote on the House floor?
Each member may vote "yea", "nay" or "present" by inserting a voting card into a voting station on the House floor. The lighted wall above reflects the member's intended vote.
How many committees are there in Congress?
There are twenty-three committees in the House(including "select intelligence") and twenty-three in the Senate. A full listing of committees may be found by visiting the websites for House Committees and Senate Committees.
What is the line of succession if the President should die or leave office before the end of the term? Vice-president
Speaker of the house
President pro tempore of the Senate
Secretary of State
Secretary of the Treasury
Secretary of Defense
Attorney General
Secretary of the Interior
followed by the secretaries of other departments
What does "H.R." stand for?
H.R. is an abbreviation for House Resolution, which is legislation which takes place on the House floor only. It is a simple resolution; that is, a nonlegislative measure effective only in the house in which it is proposed and not requiring concurrence by the other chamber (the Senate) or approval by the president. Simple resolutions express nonbinding opinions on policies or issues or deal with the internal affairs or prerogatives of a house.
When is Inauguration Day?
Inauguration takes place on January 20 on the West Front of the Capitol. President Washington was inaugurated on April 30, 1789. Following that, the inaugural day was moved to March 4th. That lasted until 1937 when a Lame Duck Amendment adjusted the official day to chilly January 20th.
What are the requirements for being a representative? must be at least twenty-five years old
must be a resident of the state they represent
must have been a U.S. citizen for at least seven years
How many women have served in Congress?
To date, 202 women have been elected to the House of Representatives and 33 have been elected to the Senate.
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