Congress convenes in regular session on the first Monday in December each year. The President may call Congress together for special sessions whenever he sees fit. The sessions of Congress are held in the Capitol building in Washington, D. C. Through Congress the people voice their wishes for their own self-government. Questions and Topics for Discussion What work does the legislative department of the United States government do? What is the legislative department called? Of what is Congress composed? Name some powers of Congress besides that of law making. When does Congress convene? Where does Congress meet? How do the people help and share in the government of the United States? LESSON XX THE UNITED STATES SENATE The United States Senate is sometimes called the upper house of Congress. Each state, regardless of its size, sends two Senators to Congress. Multiply the number of states in the Union by two and you will have the number of Senators in the United States Senate. Senators are elected by the direct vote of the people. Their term of office is six years. A Senator must be at least thirty years old. He must have been a citizen of the United States nine years, and he must be a resident of the state from which he is chosen. A Senator may be reëlected to office. The dates for the election of Senators are arranged so that one-third their number is elected every two years. Thus two-thirds of the Senate are always men of experience in law making. The Senate has the sole power to try all impeachments. A two-thirds vote of the Senators present is necessary to convict the official being tried. The Vice President of the United States is the presiding officer of the Senate. Questions and Topics for Discussion How is the Senate made up? How many states are there in the Union now? How are the Senators elected? What is their term of office? How old must a Senator be? How are the dates for the election of Senators arranged? Why? What are the advantages of this plan? Who is the presiding officer in the Senate? Who are the Senators from your state? LESSON XXI THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES The House of Representatives is the lower house of Congress. Its members are elected by the voters of the different states for a term of two years. The number of Representatives in Congress from each state is apportioned on the basis of its population. The apportionment is decided upon every ten years according to the figures of the national census. Each state is divided into Congressional districts. One Representative is sent to Congress from each district. Thus we see that while two Senators are elected from each state, the number of Representatives depends upon the population of the state. A Representative to Congress must be at least twentyfive years old. He must have been a citizen of the United States for at least seven years, and he must be a resident of the state from which he is chosen. A Representative may be reëlected to office. The House of Representatives has the sole power of impeachment. The presiding officer in the House of Representatives is the Speaker. The Speaker is elected by the House from its own members. Questions and Topics for Discussion Who elects the members of the House of Representatives? How is the number of Representatives from each state apportioned? How many Representatives are there in Congress now? How is each state divided? How many districts are there in your state? How many Representatives are elected from each district? How many Representatives has your state? In what Congressional district do you live? Who is your Representative? How old must he be? Who is the presiding officer in the House of Representatives? HALL OF REPRESENTATIVES IN THE CAPITOL AT WASHINGTON LESSON XXII HOW A LAW IS MADE NOTE TO TEACHER. - Bring out the idea that any group of citizens who think a law is necessary may try to interest their Representative in Congress in its passage. If he also thinks it is necessary, it may be written out and presented by him. When a member of Congress wishes to have a new law made, he has the law written out in the form in which he would like to have it passed. This first form of the law, before it is passed by Congress is called a "bill." The passage of a bill through Congress is interesting. A bill that is introduced in the House of Representatives is prepared by a Representative. It is endorsed with his name, and is placed in the basket beside the Speaker's desk. It is then referred to a committee in the House. The committee looks into the merits of the bill. If the majority of the committee thinks the bill should be passed, they make a favorable report to the House. In order that a bill may not be passed hastily, it has to come before the House three times for consideration. If, when the vote is taken, the majority of those present favor enacting the bill into a law, it goes to the Senate. Here it goes through about the same course that it did in the House. It is then sent to the President to sign. If the President approves the bill he signs it, and it becomes a law. If the President does not approve the bill, he usually sends it back to the House where it was introduced, stating his objections. It may then be voted upon again. If it receives a twothirds vote in both Houses it becomes a law. This is called passing a bill over the President's veto. Questions and Topics for Discussion What do we mean by a bill? Do you know of any bills passed by Congress during the last session? Where may we read of such bills? What does a bill become when it has been passed by both Houses and signed by the President? Write a short story telling how a bill becomes a law. |