The Congrès of the United States ( United States Congress ) is the body representing the Legislative power with the the United States. It is composed of two rooms bringing together 535 people in all:

All its members are elected with the Vote for all direct. The elections take place Tuesday following first Monday of November, every two years. The members of the Congress of the United States sit at the Capitole, with Washington.

The 110 {{E}} Congrès is in function since January 3rd; its mandate runs until January 3rd, 2009.

History

The Congress of the United States is downward continental Congrès which instituted the bases of the country during the autumn 1774. The July 4th 1776, the Second Congress Continental declares the independence of the thirteen colonies and the name d'" gives them; The United States of America ". Articles of Confederation indicate that the Congress is a body unicaméral in which each state is represented in an equal way, and has the right to veto. However the inefficiency of the federal government under these articles leads the Congress to convene the Convention of 1787. This one ends in the drafting of a very new constitution.

James Madison pleads for a bicameral congress where the Lower House would be elected directly by the people, and the Upper House elected by the Lower House. The small States, however, want to preserve a congress unicaméral not to find itself in situation of inferiority compared to the other States. Finally, a compromise is adopted: the Room of the Representatives will be elected in proportion of the population, while the Senate will have the same number of senators for each State. The senators are elected by the people starting from 1913 and of the 17th Amendment.

Functions

The American Congress is charged to work out, discuss and vote the laws. He also exerts a power on the federal expenditure, the trade and the defense of the country. The Congress can submit amendments to the Constitution. It can finally launch a procedure of Impeachment to put in charge the president.

The American Senate represents the States and the national policy, whereas the Room deals with the problems of the daily life of the citizens. One is not higher than the other. The two assemblies must work of coordination.

Although chief of the Armies, the President cannot declare the war without the downstream of the Congress.

Vote of a law

See also: legislative Process in the United States

A private bill can come from the one of the two rooms of the Congress of the United States. The private bill is submitted at a commission then with a sub-commission in each of the two Rooms. The commissions then audition various witnesses, it is on this level that the various lobbies intervene officially. These meetings are generally public.

Once finished hearings, the commissions generally meet behind closed doors defining the text of the law. The private bill is then presented in the two Rooms to be voted there. The vote is carried out in the majority simple, only the attending members can vote. So that the law is adopted, it is necessary that it is accepted in an identical way in each of the two Rooms.

If it is not the case, the private bill is submitted at a Joint Committee of conciliation. The proposals of this commission can be only accepted or rejected by the Rooms.

Once the text accepted by the two Rooms, it is subjected to the approval of the President of the United States. Once the signed text, it becomes officially a federal law.

Parliamentary commissions

There exist parliamentary commissions which have the capacity to inquire into the acts of the men ensuring the executive power. These commissions are made up members of the two principal parties of the country. They have financial means the important ones and can hear persons in charge of high ranking, who testify under oath and in public. In May 2004, the Secrétaire with Defense Donald Rumsfeld was heard during more than six hours before a commission of senators then deputies to answer of the scandal of the Prison of Abu Ghraib. The heard person must answer all the questions under penalty of being marked of insult to the congress ( contempt off Congress ) and finding themselves in prison.

The principal commissions are: Agriculture, Finances, Armed forces, Budget, Education and Work, Energy and Trade, Financial services, Foreign affairs, Internal security, Administration of the Congress, Justice, Natural resources, Reform of the State, Regulation, Science and Technology, Small and medium-size companies, Comtié d' Ethique, Transport and Infrastructures, War veterans, Means.

Some examples of decisions of the Congress

  • Politics foreign

    • In July 2004, the American Congress voted by 422 votes against zero, a resolution qualifying the crisis of the Darfur of “Génocide”.

References

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