Welcome

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Congressman Richard Pombo represents the 11th Congressional District of California in the House of Representatives in Washington, DC. Congressman Pombo was sworn into his seventh term in January of 2005.  In the U.S. House of Representatives, he often gets to talk about many issues important to kids, like great schools and a clean environment. Congressman Pombo misses California when he has to come to work in Washington, DC, but luckily he is never away from home for long.

Facts about the Congress

• The United States Congress has two chambers -- the House of Representatives and the Senate.
• The House is made up of 435 Members from around the nation. In addition to the 435 Members, there are also delegates from Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the Virgin Islands, and the District of Columbia.
• All House Members are elected every two years.
• You must be at least 25 years old to be elected to the House.
• The Speaker is the leader of the House of Representatives and is addressed as "Mr. Speaker."
• For a description of where the House meets, click here: http://clerk.house.gov/index.php
• The Senate is made up of 100 Senators, two from each state.
• Senators are elected every six years. One-third of the Senate is up for re-election in any given election.
• You must be at least 30 years old to be elected to the Senate.
• The Vice-President is the President of the Senate and is addressed as "Mr. President."

Play a Game!

School House Rock Lesson

Click on "Bill" to find out how a bill becomes a law.

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Things to do in Washington DC

• Take a tour of the Capitol -- learn about where Congress meets!
• Take a tour of Washington, DC -- see the sights in our capital city!
• Visit the National Zoo -- see the pandas, elephants, and quite possibly other animals!
• Visit the Smithsonian -- learn about everything under the sun!
• Visit the Air and Space Museum -- learn about the Wright Brothers and man's visits to the moon!

Various Government sites for kids

Ben's Guide to U.S. Government for Kids

• Ben's Guide

Department of Agriculture

• Smokey Bear's Official Home Page -- from the Forest Service.
• Woodsy Owl -- from the Forest Service.

Department of Commerce

• International Year of the Ocean's Kid's & Teacher's Resources -- from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Agency.

Department of Energy

• Kids in the Creek -- from the Bonneville Power Administration.

Department of Health and Human Services

• FDA/CFSAN for Kids and Educators -- from the Food and Drug Administration, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition.

• Smoke-Free Kids Home Page

Department of Housing and Urban Development

• Kids Next Door -- from the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
• Planet Youth -- from the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Department of Interior

• Just for Kids -- from the National Park Service, Blue Ridge Parkway.
• Kid's Corner, MMS Alaska -- from the Minerals Management Service, Alaska Region.
• Kids on the Web -- from the Department of the Interior.
• The Learning Web -- from the U.S. Geological Survey.
• MMS Kid's Page from the Minerals Management Service.

Department of Transportation

• Safety City -- from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Department of the Treasury

• Treasury's Page for Kids -- from the Treasury Department.

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)

• FEMA for Kids -- from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

• Arctic Exploration Online -- a NASA Quest Site.
• Imagine the Universe! -- from the High Energy Astrophysics Science Archive Research Center (HEASARC).

• Quest -- NASA's K-12 Internet Initiative.
• Star Child -- from the High Energy Astrophysics Science Archive Research Center (HEASARC).

Smithsonian Institution

• A Kids Guide to the Smithsonian

Social Security Administration (SSA)

• YouthLink -- from the Social Security Administration.

United States Postal Service (USPS)          

• Send a Message -- from the Postal Service.
• Stampers -- from the Postal Service.

United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO)

• Kids' Pages -- from the USPTO.

White House

• White House for Kids

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