U.S. Congress

 

The United States Government Legislative Branch has two houses: the House of Representatives and the Senate. Learn more about both of them through the links below.


How a Bill Becomes a Law
Follow a bill, from its introduction to Congress to its signing by the President. Find out about all the steps in between, including the presidential veto and the Congressional override. This article is good for people of all ages!

The Filibuster
What is this strange term? Where did it come from? How often is it used? Does a filibuster happen every other week? You might think you know the answer to these questions. Click here to find out more.

The Presidential Veto
The
President of the United States has extraordinary power over the shaping of federal laws: He or she can veto any law passed by Congress.

The Midterm Election
Members of the House of Representatives serve two-year terms. Thus, Representatives are up for re-election every two years. Members of the Senate serve six-year terms. Thus, Senators are up for re-election every six years. The President serves a four-year team. Thus, a new President (or the incumbent is re-elected if he or she has not served two terms already) every four years. Connect the dots to see how this becomes a midterm election.

Congress for Kids
Uncle Sam is your guide through this GREAT interactive site, which helps you learn all about Congress in an exciting, helpful way. Check it out!

Congress.org
Great site for daily updates of what Congress is doing. You can even find out what committee your local representative serves on!

Contacting the Congress
Getting through to your congressman or congresswoman is easy at this site. It tells you all about it!

House of Representatives: Official Site
This is the one, the government-approved official site of the House.

Websites of Individual House Members
Want your local representative's website? Search for it here.

Senate: Official Site
It doesn't get more official than this.

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Social Studies for Kids
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David White