Lawmaking process in the usa

The US Congress, the lawmaking arm of the federal government, consists of two houses: the House of Representatives and the Senate. Any congressman in either house, or the president, may initiate new legislation.

The proposed legislation, or bill, is first introduced in the House of Representatives,then referred to one of the standing committees, which organizes hearings on it and may approve, amend or shelve the draft. If the committee passes the bill, it is considered by the House of Representatives as a whole. If passed there, it goes to the Senate for a similar sequence of committee hearings and general debate.

In cases of disagreement, the House of Representatives and the Senate confer together. Once passed by the Senate as a whole, the bill has to be examined by two more standing committees – the Committee on House Administration and the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration – and is then signed by the speaker of the House and by the president of the Senate.

Finally, it must be signed by the president, who has the right to veto it. If the president vetoes a bill, it can still become a law – but only if it is passed by a two-thirds majority in both houses of Congress.

Task 14. Answer the following questions.

1. In which House does new legislation usually start in the USA?

2. What is a bill?

3. How does a bill become a law in the USA?

4. Who has the right of veto in the USA?

Grammar Exercises

I. Use the proper form of the verb in the subordinate clause

1. He believed he will be able to solve the problem in no time.

2. She imagined that all the newspapers will publish this information by all means.

3. The passengers hoped that the train will arrive on time.

4. Mother supposed that her children will be playing in the yard.

5. My teacher was sure we will have finished our compositions by the end of the lesson.

6. Everyone was aware of the fact that the speaker can become President in case of the death of both President and Vice-President.

7. Our friends expected that professor Miller will be appointed to this post.

8. The members of the Congress understood that the Speaker will always play very important role in party politics.

9. They promised they will be waiting for me on my way back home from the university.

10. The population of the USA was convinced that the Government will operate on three levels: national, state and local.

II. Translate the sentences into English keeping to the rules of Sequence of Tenses.

1. Усі студенти нашої групи були впевнені, що Катя складе іспити краще за всіх.

2. Народ вірив, що уряд захистить його інтереси.

3. Члени Сенату США переконані, що вони не будуть мати права ініціювати законопроекти, що стосуються фінансових проблем.

4. Тільки 13 штатів США входили до складу федерації до того як незалежність США була проголошена.

5. Моя подруга сказала, що любить оперу і буде рада піти з нами до оперного театру.

6. Один із моїх знайомих сказав, що Джек Лондон був завжди його улюбленим письменником.

7. Ми спостерігали, як діти гралися на березі річки.

8. Наші друзі по листуванню обіцяли, що надішлють нам листа та фотографії до кінця літніх канікул.

9. Я не сподівався, що вона вже повернулась із закордонної поїздки.

10. Ми не думали, що вони чекають на нас біля входу в парк.