The Concept of Bicameral Legislature

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 (but only the House of Representatives proposes finance bills).

The proposed legislation, or bill, is first introduced in the House of Representatives, then referred to one of the standing committees. The committee responsible for a particular bill holds hearings on it. Experts appear before the committee and offer suggestions and opinions about the bill. After the hearings, the committee reports its recommendations to the House. These recommendations may include suggested changes in the bill, or the committee may propose an entirely new one. Committee recommendations are of great importance because, when the legislators vote on a bill, they usually follow the committee report. If a committee chooses not to consider the bill, the bill dies. It is nearly impossible for a bill to reach the House or Senate floor without first winning committee approval. If the committee passes the bill, it is considered by the House of Representatives as a whole. If passed here, 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.

The bill becomes law following one or several steps by the President. He may approve the bill and sign it; he may sign the bill with a statement expressing his disapproval; or he may simply not sign the bill, in which case it automatically becomes law after ten days. But if the President wants to prevent the bill from becoming law, he vetoes it. But the proposal may still become law if two-thirds of each house of Congress then vote for it, thus overriding, or defeating the President’s veto. This does not happen often. The President may also use the “pocket veto” by withholding his signature within ten days of congressional adjournment.

Vocabulary

adjourn v 1 отсрочивать; 2 откладывать

adjournment n отсрочка

amend the bill вносить поправки (изменения, дополнения) в законопроект

arm n власть

Committee on House Administration комитет палаты по управлению делами

confer v совещаться, вести переговоры

defeat v отвергать, отклонять, проваливать (законопроект)

die v прекращать существование

force out v вытеснять

hearing n слушание, устное разбирательство

initiate legislation осуществлять законодательную инициативу

override a veto отвергнуть вето

pass a bill принимать / утверждать законопроект

pocket veto «карманное вето» (неподписание президентом США законопроекта до роспуска конгресса)

refer v 1 направлять; 2 отсылать; 3 передавать (дело) в другую инстанцию

Senate Committee on Rules and Administration сенатский комитет по регламенту и управлению делами

sequence n 1 последовательность; 2 порядок следования

signature n подпись

table v 1 откладывать или оттягивать обсуждение; 2 класть под сукно, откладывать в долгий ящик

veto v налагать запрет /вето (на законопроект)

veto n вето, запрет, запрещение

withhold v 1 приостанавливать; 2 отказывать (в чем-либо)

Дата добавления: 2015-11-14