How Bills Become Laws in the US Congress

How Bills Become Laws in the US Congress Article I, Section 1 of the United States Constitution grants all legislative- bill making- powers to the U.S. Congress, made up of a Senate and a House of Representatives. In addition to its legislative powers, the Senate has the power to â€Å"advise and consent† in matters of treaties negotiated with foreign nations and nominations to non-elected federal offices made by the President of the United States. Congress also has the legislative power to amend the Constitution, declare war, and to approve all matters concerning the federal government’s expenditures and operating budget. Finally, under the Necessary and Proper and Commerce Clauses of Section 8 of the Constitution, Congress exercises powers not explicitly enumerated elsewhere in the Constitution. Under these so-called â€Å"implied powers,† Congress is allowed, â€Å"To make all laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into execution the foregoing powers, and all other powers vested by th is Constitution in the government of the United States, or in any department or officer thereof.† Through these constitutionally-granted powers, Congress considers thousands of bills each session. Yet, only a small percentage of them will ever reach the top of the presidents desk for final approval or ​veto. Along their way to the White House, bills traverse a maze of committees and subcommittees, debates, and amendments in both chambers of Congress. The following is a simple explanation of the process required for a bill to become a law. For a complete explanation, see... How Our Laws Are Made (Library of Congress) Revised and Updated by Charles W. Johnson, Parliamentarian, United States House of Representatives. Step 1: Introduction Only a member of Congress (House or Senate) can introduce the bill for consideration. The Representative or Senator who introduces the bill becomes its sponsor. Other legislators who support the bill or work on its preparation can ask to be listed as co-sponsors. Important bills usually have several co-sponsors. Four basic types of legislation, all commonly referred to as bills or measures are considered by Congress: Bills, Simple Resolutions, Joint Resolutions, and Concurrent Resolutions. A bill or resolution has officially been introduced when it has been assigned a number (H.R. # for House Bills or S. # for Senate Bills) and printed in the Congressional Record by the Government Printing Office. Step 2: Committee Consideration All bills and resolutions are referred to one or more House or Senate committees according to their specific rules. Step 3: Committee Action The committee considers the bill in detail. For example, the powerful House Ways and Means Committee and Senate Appropriations Committee will consider a bills potential impact on the Federal Budget. If the committee approves the bill, it moves on in the legislative process. Committees reject bills by simply not acting on them. Bills that fail to get committee action are said to have died in committee, as many do. Step 4: Subcommittee Review The committee sends some bills to a subcommittee for further study and public hearings. Just about anyone can present testimony at these hearings. Government officials, industry experts, the public, anyone with an interest in the bill can give testimony either in person or in writing. Notice of these hearings, as well as instructions for presenting testimony, is officially published in the Federal Register. Step 5: Mark Up If the subcommittee decides to report (recommend) a bill back to the full committee for approval, they may first make changes and amendments to it. This process is called Mark Up. If the subcommittee votes not to report a bill to the full committee, the bill dies right there. Step 6: Committee Action Reporting a Bill The full committee now reviews the deliberations and recommendations of the subcommittee. The committee may now conduct further review, hold more public hearings, or simply vote on the report from the subcommittee. If the bill is to go forward, the full committee prepares and votes on its final recommendations to the House or Senate. Once a bill has successfully passed this stage it is said to have been ordered reported or simply reported. Step 7: Publication of Committee Report Once a bill has been reported (See Step 6:) a report about the bill is written and published. The report will include the purpose of the bill, its impact on existing laws, budgetary considerations, and any new taxes or tax increases that will be required by the bill. The report also typically contains transcripts from public hearings on the bill, as well as the opinions of the committee for and against the proposed bill. Step 8: Floor Action Legislative Calendar The bill will now be placed on the legislative calendar of the House or Senate and scheduled (in chronological order) for floor action or debate before the full membership. The House has several legislative calendars. The Speaker of the House and House Majority Leader decide the order in which reported bills will be debated. The Senate, having only 100 members and considering fewer bills, has only one legislative calendar. Step 9: Debate Debate for and against the bill proceeds before the full House and Senate according to strict rules of consideration and debate. Step 10: Voting Once debate has ended and any amendments to the bill have been approved, the full membership will vote for or against the bill. Methods of voting allow for a voice vote or a roll-call vote. Step 11: Bill Referred to Other Chamber Bills approved by one chamber of Congress (House or Senate) are now sent to the other chamber where they will follow pretty much the same track of committee to debate to vote. The other chamber may approve, reject, ignore, or amend the bill. Step 12: Conference Committee If the second chamber to consider a bill changes it significantly, a conference committee made up of members of both chambers will be formed. The conference committee works to reconcile differences between the Senate and House versions of the bill. If the committee cannot agree, the bill simply dies. If the committee does agree on a compromise version of the bill, they prepare a report detailing the changes they have proposed. Both the House and Senate must approve the report of the conference committee or the bill will be sent back to them for further work. Step 13: Final Action - Enrollment Once both the House and Senate have approved the bill in identical form, it becomes Enrolled and sent to the President of the United States. The President may sign the bill into law. The President can also take no action on the bill for ten days while Congress is in session and the bill will automatically become law. If the President is opposed to the bill, he can veto it. If he takes no action on the bill for ten days after Congress has adjourned their second session, the bill dies. This action is called a pocket veto. Step 14: Overriding the Veto Congress can attempt to override a presidential veto of a bill and force it into law, but doing so requires a 2/3 vote by a quorum of members in both the House and Senate.  Under Article I, Section 7 of the U.S. Constitution, overriding a presidential veto requires both the House and Senate to approve the override measure by two-thirds,​ a  supermajority vote of the members present. Assuming that all 100 members of the Senate and all 435 members of the House are present for the vote, the override measure would need 67 votes in the Senate and 218 votes in the House.

Credence

Credence Credence Credence By Maeve Maddox I started wondering about the use of the word credence when I noticed the following headline on an entertainment news site: Al Pacino gives credence to James Gunns ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ The noun credence (KREE-dns] usually functions as a synonym for credibility or believability. For example, â€Å"The premise of the argument lacks credence.† As much as I enjoyed the Gunn film, I find nothing believable about a tree creature that wins everyone’s affection by saying the same three words again and again, or a genetically engineered raccoon with anger issues. I decided to find out if credence has another meaning that fits the context of that headline. Credence belongs to a family of English words that derive from the Latin verb credere, â€Å"to believe.† For example: credo: a religious belief, a guide to behavior. credible: believable. credential: official documentation indicating that a person may be trusted. credit: favorable reputation; trustworthiness in financial matters. creditable: that which does a person credit, praiseworthy. credulity: a readiness to believe. credulous: inclined to believe on the basis of little evidence. The noun credence occurs most often in the idiom â€Å"to lend (or give) credence to†: It really gives credence to the live singing in the movie to see them actually do it live onstage, Meron said. We  seem to live in a celebrity world. A world where being famous has more credence than being brilliant or a good person. During the McCarthy Era, suspicions were often given credence despite inconclusive or questionable evidence. The study lends credence to what scientists have long suspected: â€Å"If you want to recover birds, you need to recover the food that they’re eating.† Less used is the phrase â€Å"to pay credence to.† It occurs where the verb â€Å"to respect† would usually be clearer and more succinct: Alas, I am a liberal. I am honour-bound to pay credence to the rantings and ravings of other people and not simply discard them for being ridiculous. People dont  pay credence  to cultural health, Simmons said.   Originally, the idea was to  pay credence  to those in our lives who help us succeed. University administrators have become more mediators than foes, as they negotiate how to balance the principles of free speech, to which they pay credence, with students safety and well-being.   I continue to puzzle over the headline. Here are some adjectives that can serve to convey one’s feeling that a thing is believable: creditable probable possible feasible reasonable rational sound admirable Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:100 Mostly Small But Expressive InterjectionsWhenever vs. When EverList of Prefixes and Suffixes and their Meanings

PSYCHOLGOY ( MOTHERS WHO KILL THEIR CHILDREN) Assignment

PSYCHOLGOY ( MOTHERS WHO KILL THEIR CHILDREN) - Assignment Example Since, this is abnormal and unacceptable for a sensible mother. However, the discussion coupled with much time and money spend to yield to a valid reason why infanticide occurrences; this rests with forces of society, besides health complications. Primarily, society contributes immensely to infanticide than one’s mental incapability, which emanates from stress prompted by child’s responsibilities involved (White & Meyer 24). Psychologists, medical practitioners and scholars, via numerous researches from the past, have lacked valid reason why a mother would opt for an infanticide. All what they hold to are speculations, which range from social to medical disorders, and they normally recommend medical check up as an absolute remedy (White & Meyer 73). Conversely, a paternal killing prompts the society to wail loudly for a speedy and tough action against the offender. Speculations arrived at for an infanticide especially from mother’s perspective encompass societal, like depression emanating from salvaging a breaking relationship due to the childs presence (Ian 75). Other occasions may be due to harsh treatment by her spouse where she wants to retaliate to what she has undergone, hence killing the baby. Mothers sometimes due to their immense mercy may opt for infanticide due to what they speculate the child will suffer in the absence of required necessities (Shelton, Yvonne & Kathleen 23). To date, despite numerous and intensive studies, they have not concluded concrete reasons meant for maternal killings. Since, this remains a mystery bearing in mind that the safest people with a child are the biological parents. The world elite to date and in the future will remain to be making mere speculations regarding the causes and remedy for infanticide (White & Meyer 20). Shelton, Joy Lynn E., Yvonne Muirhead, & Kathleen E. Canning. Ambivalence Toward Mothers Who Kill: An Examination Of 45 U.S. Cases

Entrepreneur Reflection Paper Research Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Entrepreneur Reflection - Research Paper Example The need to meet the specific demands of the clients is one of the most important indicators of success. Another issue that appears to engage the substance of the information is the value of communication within the discourse of entrepreneurship. In the course of doing business, situations arise that will require the judgment and communication ability of the entrepreneur to resolve (Kuratko, 2008). From the interview, it might be deduced that entrepreneurship generally involves a high element of risk. The case of Efendy Susanto brings into perspective the various challenges that relate to the entire aspect of entrepreneurship. As a Customer Service Representative, Efendy finds himself with the difficult task of ensuring the satisfaction of the customers without compromising on the company’s profits (Efendy, 2012). As he explains, some mistakes can cause enormous loses and might have lasting negative impacts to the stability of the customers and the retention of their levels of trust. Efendy gives the example of a wring shipment, which would have double negative consequences on both the organization and the clients. Normally, according to his explanation, shipments take about two months to reach the customer. This would imply that a wrong delivery would cost the customer two months of waiting and that the company would have to incur yet another shipping expense as it attempts to deliver the correct product. Ultimately, this would mean that the deliveries require utmost attention in order to eliminate possibilities of losses and customer dissatisfaction. One of the issues that come to the fore from this information is that the art of entrepreneurship is delicate and must involve the engagement of a vast network of skills in order to be successful. For instance, Efendy cites the difficulty in making customers to understand some aspects of business such as changes in prices. Occasionally, the company finds itself in a position in which it must change its pri ces in order to accommodate the effects of some unforeseen developments on the market. Communicating such changes must be done in a manner that is understandable to the customer in order to avoid losing him or her to competitors. It might be argued that the effects of the changes on the market are necessarily brought about by certain forces that may not be easily predictable to the company (Baron & Shane, 2007). The findings from this interview are consistent with various studies that have argued in favour of a strategic combination of speed and skill as some of the factors that determine the success levels of entrepreneurship. The corporate world is largely controlled by these variables. Efficiency is determined by the manner in which a business manages to meet its targets within a given time frame (Baron & Shane, 2007). This time frame may encounter challenges that expose the processes to delays and other commercial inconveniences. This exposes the business to the risk of lawsuits from dissatisfied customers and other forms of damages. In order for businesses to avoid such inconveniences, it is important for them to develop a systematic structure

Explore Joe Gargerys role in Great Expectations Essay Example for Free

Explore Joe Gargerys role in Great Expectations Essay In Great Expectations, Joe acts as a father figure to Pip, when he is in fact his brother-in-law, as Joe married Pip’s sister, Mrs Joe Gargery. We are introduced to Joe as a â€Å"mild, good-natured, sweet-tempered, easy-going, foolish, dear fellow†. Pip describes him as a kind and gentle man, making the reader immediately like him. â€Å"Good-natured† and â€Å"sweet-tempered† give Joe an endearing quality, so the reader is drawn to him. However, â€Å"foolish† introduces a potentially negative side to his character, like he is stupid, although this too could be considered endearing. Perhaps Dickens does this so that we can understand Joe’s actions better, or at least don’t view him too negatively when he can’t protect Pip from Mrs Joe. In contrast to his gentle personality, he is a blacksmith, and therefore a strong man. Pip thinks of him â€Å"like the steam-hammer, that can crush a man or pat an egg shell†. He is likening Joe to a machine in the forge, giving Joe a sense of power. Although, â€Å"crush† is quite a violent word, suggesting Joe to be violent, which he definitely is not. Perhaps Dickens included this detail to make us respect Joe, which is important for later on in the novel, so we don’t just view him as a â€Å"sweet-tempered† man. But there is a sense of this good natured man in the word â€Å"pat†, it could potentially have paternal connotations. Perhaps this links to the image of the egg shell as well, as it is a fragile protector of life. Furthermore Joe could almost be seen as the protector of Pip’s life, as he saves him several times. Also egg shells can be strong, but have weak sides if they are put under stress, just like Joe has a weak side he can’t protect Joe from Mrs Joe Gargery. As well as this, there is the idea that Joe is in control, in the words â€Å"can† and â€Å"or†, he can choose which side of himself to be, strong or gentle. This is a very adult concept, but Joe can sometimes be very childlike. Joe can’t deal with the idea of death, despite being a strong blacksmith. When Pip asks Joe if Miss Havisham died, he eventually replies â€Å"she ain’t living†. This is a very backward way of saying it, a way we don’t normally use, showing Joe’s childish innocence. He avoids the subject of death again, when Pip asks him if he had heard of Magwitch’s death. Even though Joe never knew him personally, he avoids saying the words, instead he says he heard â€Å"something or another in a general way in that direction†. The vagueness of this statement is almost humorous, he can’t even just say â€Å"yes†. Joe is unable to confirm a person’s death, he just brushes over the subject, not fully acknowledging or possibly understanding it, like a child would. Another way Dickens portrays this childishness is through making Joe illiterate. Pip writes him a letter, and all he can read is his name: â€Å"Why, here’s three Js, and three Os, and three J-O, Joes, in it, Pip! † The exclamation mark at the end implies he is excited and proud that he has managed to read, and that he is wanting Pip to recognise his achievement, like a child would want their father too. This childishness makes Joe a lovable character, the reader wants to see him do well. Perhaps it also makes Pip’s behaviour towards him seem worse, from the reader’s perspective, as Joe is such an innocent character. Whilst Joe may not have great knowledge or academic skills, he possesses something most of the other characters dont have, self-knowledge, he recognises he is illiterate and ‘stupid’. He tells Pip on two separate occasions that he is â€Å"most awful dull†. He is accepting of himself, he knows he is not the cleverest, in fact â€Å"awful† suggests that he thinks he is very stupid. Moreover, â€Å"dull† could imply many things, not only that he is stupid, but also that he isn’t sharp. Perhaps this is a reference to him being a black smith, that he is like one of his hammers, only good for physically things, he’s not sharp witted or clever. â€Å"Dull† could also intimate that he thinks he is boring, perhaps why he struggles to talk to, or be in the presence of people in a higher class to himself, because he considers himself boring and unworthy. But this ‘dullness’ does not stop him from being wise. Throughout the novel, Joe gives Pip many pieces of advice, for example â€Å"if you can’t get to be oncommon through going straight, you’ll never get to do it through going crooked†. Joe, even though he is perhaps the most uneducated character (shown in the wording of the sentence) he can sometimes be the most wise and honourable. Because of this he acts as a hidden role model for Pip. Not only is he honourable and wise, he understands his place: â€Å"I am wrong out of the forge† he tells Pip at their awkward reunion. Dickens suggests (through Joe) that people should stay in their class, and not aspire or try to move up; he argues for social immobility. Joe tells Pip that if he ever came back to the forge he’d â€Å"see Joe the blacksmith, there, at the old anvil, in the old burnt apron, sticking to the old work. † Joe labels himself â€Å"the blacksmith† implying that he believes it is all he is good at. The repetition of â€Å"old† makes him seem experienced, as he has been doing it a long time. There is also the idea that he clings or latches onto his work, in the word â€Å"sticking†, he fixes himself onto it so much that it has become how he defines himself. The fact that he feels himself â€Å"wrong† when not in the forge could be the reason why he can’t talk to Miss Havisham: â€Å"Joe persisted in addressing me. † It is like he cannot deal with the formality of he occasion, as he feels he doesn’t belong there. Dickens humiliates Joe here, presenting him as a shy and awkward character, making the reader sympathise with him. This is another negative quality, helping to balance out the character of Joe.

History Of United States Coinage (coins) Essay -- essays research pape

History of United States Coinage Through United States history presidents like Lincoln, Roosevelt, Washington, Kennedy, Eisenhower and others have been displayed on U.S. Coin heads. The United States mint has also been responsible for designs such as the Indian head, the buffalo, and the ever famous lady liberty. Through the years the U.S. Mints have extended into three branches San Francisco, Denver, and Philadelphia (Yeoman, 2001 edition 101). Those branches are responsible for making certain marks on the coins to show that they are not counterfeit. The mints have also come up with what they call their proof standards. Coins have been around for many years, they have had changing mints, designs, and variety's which have all been represented by past events and presidents. The U.S. Mint has it's own standards as in how good of a state the coin is in after wear and tear. The best a coin can ever be is called the proof state which is a specially made coin distinguished by sharpness of the detail and usually with a brilliant mirror like surface (Yeoman, 1999 edition 5). The next state down is the mint state (ms) these coins show no trace of being worn nor blemishes or color loss (Yeoman, 1999 edition 6). Third down is called perfect uncirculated (ms-70) these coins show perfect new condition, showing no trace of wear, no evidence of scratches, handling or contact with other coins, very few regular issued coins are ever found in this condition (Yeoman, 1999 edition 7). The fourth down state is choice uncirculated (ms-65) which is an above average uncirculated coin which may be brilliant or lightly toned and has very few contact marks on the surface or rim (Yeoman, 1999 edition 8). The fifth state down is the uncirculated (ms-60) which has no trace of wear, but may show a number of contact marks, and surface may be spotted or lack some luster (Yeoman, 1999 edition 9). The sixth state down is choice about uncirculated (au-55) it bears evidence of light wear on only the highest points of the design, most of the mint luster remains (Yeoman, 1999 edition 10). The seventh state down is about uncirculated (au-50) this coin has traces of light wear on many of the high points and at least half the mint luster is still present (Yeoman, 1999 edition 11). The eighth state down is choice extremely fine (ef-45) the design is lightly worn through, but all features are shar... ...d for 14 years.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  B.The half dollar is worth two quarters in the U.S. .   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   1.The Walking Liberty half dollar was minted for 31 years.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   2.The Franklin half dollar was minted for 15 years.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   3.The Silver Kennedy half dollar was only minted in 1964.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   4.The Bicentennial Kennedy half dollar was minted for one year.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  C.The Silver dollar was the most admired coin in the U.S. Mint.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   1.The Morgan Silver dollar was minted for 43 years.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   2.The Peace Silver dollar was minted for 14 years.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   3.The Eisenhower Silver dollar was minted for seven years.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   4.The Bicentennial Silver dollar was minted for one year.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  

An Analysis of Freytag’s Five Steps in Shakespeare’s “The Tempest” Essay

In this essay I will analyze William Shakespeare’s â€Å"The Tempest† using Gustav Freytag’s five phases which are: exposition, point of conflict, rising action, climax, and denouement.   I will first begin with the exposition phase.   The exposition phase includes a description of the chief protagonist and antagonist as well as a description of their conflict and setting.   I will also pinpoint the inciting moment, which is an incident that must occur for the story to happen. (www.reference.com)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The chief protagonist of the play is Prospero, the rightful duke of Milan.   The main antagonist is his brother, Antonio, the usurping duke of Milan.   Antonio overthrew Prospero and sent him and his young daughter Miranda out to sea.   They land on an island, which will be the central setting of the play, where Prospero learns magic and frees a spirit named Ariel who is indebted in servitude to him.   Prospero uses his magic to stir up a storm and moor a ship that his brother Antonio is on.   Ariel makes sure that the occupants of the boat arrive on the island unscathed.   The inciting incident is the arrival of Antonio and the rest of his party on the island.   The main conflict is between Prospero, who wants his dukedom reinstated, and Antonio, who wants the dukedom for himself.   Next, I will describe the rising action in the play.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The rising action includes related secondary conflicts. (www.reference.com)The first of these secondary conflicts occurs between Antonio and Sebastian, the king of Naples brother, and Gonzalo, a counselor, and Alonso, the king of Naples.   These gentlemen had been traveling together on the boat, but when they come to the island Antonio and Sebastian plan to murder Alonso and Gonzalo so that they can seize the power of the crown for themselves.   Alonso believes his son, who had been traveling with them as well to be dead and Antonio and Sebastian see this as a chance to eliminate Alonso and usurp the crown.    Alonso’s son Ferdinand really isn’t dead and is busy falling in love with Prospero’s daughter while this is happening.   The last secondary conflict begins with Caliban, Prospero’s unwilling slave, and Stephano and Trinuculo, a jester and a drunken butler who were traveling with the party on the boat, meeting each other on the island and deciding to kill Prospero.   Ariel hears this and informs Prospero thus avoiding catastrophe.   Now, I will discuss the falling action, climax, and denouement.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The climax takes place in â€Å"The Tempest† when Prospero charms the party from the boat and Caliban, Stephano, and Trinuculo into immobility.   Prospero, who is joyous at the thought of his daughter’s upcoming marriage to Ferdinand, has a change of heart and releases everyone from the spell.   They are all repentant and the falling action occurs at this point with a monologue from Prospero chastising the king of Naples and Antonio for the part the played in the usurping of his dukedom. He also chastises his slave and the butler and jester for trying to kill him.   The denouement encompasses the happy marriage of Miranda and Ferdinand and the reinstatement of Prospero’s dukedom.   The play ends happily with the protagonist better of at the end than at the outset because it is a comedy rather than a tragedy.   Thus, I have analyzed â€Å"The Tempest† and have discerned Freytag’s five phases within the play. Bibliography www.reference.com