Congress of the USA

Under the Constitution the US Congress is the supreme legislative branch of the government. The main responsibility of Congress is to make laws. The Constitution also gives Congress the power to raise money by means of taxes, to make rules for trade with foreign countries and between states, to set up post offices and federal courts below the Supreme Court, to organize the Armed Forces, and to declare war. The term of office of Congress is two years.

The US Congress has two houses: the Senate and the House of Representatives. Both houses are elected by direct vote of the electorate in each state.

The Senate has 100 Senators, two from each state. The head of the Senate is the Vice-President. The Senate has some special powers. It must approve the President's appointments of such high officials as ambassadors, Cabinet members, and federal judges. The Senate must also approve, by a two-thirds majority vote, a treaty between the US and a foreign country.

The House of Representatives consists of 435 members, called Congressmen. The head of the House is the Speaker who presides over debate, appoints members of the committees and performs other leading duties. Only a member of the House can introduce a bill to raise money.

The seat of Congress is the Capitol. It is in the very centre of Washington. The Capitol is the highest building in the city. There is a law in Washington not to build houses higher than the Capitol. The cornerstone of the Capitol was laid down by George Washington in 1793.

Упр. 5. Ответьте на вопросы к тексту

1. What is Congress?

2. What are its functions?

3. How many houses does the U.S. Congress consist of?

4. Who is the head of the Senate?

5. What special functions does the Senate have?

6. How many Congressmen are there in the House of Representatives?

7. Where does Congress hold its sessions?

Упр. 6. Переведите следующие слова и словосочетания на русский язык, обращая внимание на значение приставок и суффиксов

a) ex-president, ex-prime minister, interstate, anti-constitutional, superpower, superman, destabilization, counter-revolution;

b) lawyer, fighter, writer, ruler, voter, owner, senator, ambassador, elector, congressman, postman, countryman;

c) the appointed judge, the appointment to the post of a federal judge; the Declaration of Independence, the declared results of the election; the performed work (работа), the performance of duties; the restriction of freedom, the restricted power;