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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, and 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.

1. 
   Палата представителей
   
2. 
   Сенат
   
3. 
   Конгресс
   
4. 
   Законодательная ветвь
   
5. 
   Слушание
   
6. 
   Цикл слушаний
   
7. 
   Постоянный комитет
   
8. 
   Общие прения
   
9. 
   Большинство, составляющее две трети,
   
10. 
    Право налагать вето
    

1. 
   What is the structure of the US congress?
   
2. 
   Who may initiate new legislation?
   
3. 
   Where is the bill first introduced?
   
4. 
   Who initiates hearings on the bill?
   
5. 
   What are these hearings for?
   
6. 
   Where is the bill referred afterwards if the standing committee passes the bill?
   
7. 
   What is the next stage of passing the bill?
   
8. 
   Is the process of committee hearings and general debate the same in the Senate?
   
9. 
   What happens in cases of disagreement?
   
10. 
    What committees examine the bill if it is passed by the Senate?
    
11. 
    Who is the bill signed by?
    
12. 
    What is the last stage of passing the bill?
    
13. 
    The president doesn’t have the right to veto the bill, does he?
    
14. 
    Can the bill still become a law if the president vetoes a bill?
    

112. 
     The US Congress consists of two houses: the House of Lords and the House of Commons.
     
113. 
     Only the president may initiate new legislation.
     
114. 
     The bill is first introduced in the Senate.
     
115. 
     The bill passes through a number of stages called readings.
     
116. 
     The House of Representatives have a similar sequence of committee hearings and general debate.
     
117. 
     In cases of disagreement the Senate prevails.
     
118. 
     Once passed by the Senate as a whole, the bill is then signed by the speaker of the House and by the president of the Senate.
     
119. 
     The bill needn’t be signed by the president.
     
120. 
     The bill can become a law in case it has been vetoed by the president if it is passed by an absolute majority in both houses of Congress.
     

1. 
   The US Congress consists of two houses…
   
2. 
   Any congressman in either house, or the president…
   
3. 
   The bill is first introduced in…
   
4. 
   Then hearings on the bill are organized by one of the standing committees to ….
   
5. 
   If the committee passes the bill…
   
6. 
   If passed by the House of Representatives, …
   
7. 
   In cases of disagreement…
   
8. 
   Once passed by the Senate as a whole…
   
9. 
   The bill is then signed by…
   
10. 
    Finally, it must be signed by…
    
11. 
    If the president vetoes a bill,…
    

One of the standing committees, the Senate, the speaker of the House, the House of Representatives, the Committee on House Administration, the president of the Senate, the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration, the president.

The students are divided into 2 groups: experts in lawmaking process in the USA and students of a law faculty.

The students are eager to inquire about the peculiarities of the lawmaking process in the USA and they ask different questions to get the necessary information. The experts answer the questions, explaining the procedure of passing a bill and other peculiarities of the lawmaking process in the USA

Ex. 8. Compare the lawmaking process in GB and in the USA:

1. In which House does new legislation usually start?

a) in Great Britain

b) in the USA

2. What is a bill? How does a bill become a law?

a) in Great Britain

b) in the USA

3. Who has the right of veto?

a) in Great Britain

b) in the USA