Топик: Правительство Соединенных Штатов

— to levy and collect taxes;

— to borrow money for the public treasury;

— to make rules and regulations governing commerce among the states and with foreign countries;

— to make uniform rules for the naturalization of foreign citizens;

— to coin money, state its value, and provide for the punish­ment of counterfeiters;

— to set the standards for weights and measures;

— to establish bankruptcy laws for the country as a whole;

— to establish post offices and post roads;

— to issue patents and copyrights;

— to set up a system of federal courts;

— to punish piracy;

— to declare war;

— to raise and support armies;

— to provide for a navy;

— to call out the militia to enforce federal laws, suppress lawlessness or repel invasions by foreign powers;

— to make all laws for the District of Columbia; and

— to make all laws necessary to enforce the Constitution.

A few of these powers are now outdated—the District of Columbia today is largely self-governing—but they remain in effect. The 10th Amendment sets definite limits on congres­sional authority, by providing that powers not delegated to the national government are reserved to the states or to the peo­ple. In addition, the Constitution specifically forbids certain acts by Congress. It may not:

— suspend the writ of habeas corpus, unless necessary in time of rebellion or invasion;

— pass laws which condemn persons for crimes or unlawful acts without a trial;

— pass any law which retroactively makes a specific act a crime;

— levy direct taxes on citizens, except on the basis of a census already taken;

— tax exports from any one state;

— give specially favorable treatment in commerce or taxation to the seaports of any state or to the vessels using them; and

— authorize any titles of nobility.

LITTLE LEGISLATURES

A congressman once observed that "Congress is a collection of committees that come together in a chamber periodically to approve one another's ac­tions. " That statement correctly identifies the standing and permanent com­mittees that are the nerve centers of the U.S. Congress. In a recent two-year session of Congress, for example, members proposed a total of I], 602 bills in the House and 4,080 in the Senate. For each of these bills, the committees re­sponsible had to study, weigh arguments [or and against, hear witnesses and debate changes, before the bills ever reached the House or Senate floors. Out of almost ] 5,000 measures introduced, only 664—fewer than six per­cent—were enacted into law.

The Constitution does not specifically call for congressional committees. As the nation grew, however, so did the need for investigating pending legisla­tion more thoroughly. The committee system began in 1789, when House members found themselves bogged down in endless discussions of proposed new laws. The first committees dealt with Revolutionary War claims, post roads and territories, and trade with other countries. Throughout the years, committees have formed and disbanded in response to political, social and economic changes. For example, there is no longer any need for a Revolution­ary War claims committee, but both houses of Congress have a Veterans' Affairs committee.

Today, there are 22 standing committees in the House and 16 in the Sen­ate, plus four joint permanent committees with members from both houses: Library of Congress, printing, taxation and economics. In addition, each house can name special, or select, committees to study specific problems: Because of an increase in workload, the standing committees have also spawned some 300 subcommittees. Almost 25,000 persons help with research, information-gathering and analyses of problems and programs in Congress. Recently, dur­ing one week of hearings, committee and subcommittee members discussed topics ranging from financing of television broadcasting to the safety of nucle­ar plants to international commodity agreements.

And what do ail these "little legislatures" actually do? After all the facts are gathered, the committee decides whether to report a new bill favorably or with a recommendation that it be passed with amendments. Sometimes, the bill will be set aside, or tabled, which effectively ends its consideration. When bills are reported out of committee and passed by the full House or Senate, however, another committee goes into action, ironing out any differences be­tween the House and Senate versions of the same bill. This "conference com­mittee, " consisting of members of both houses, completes a bill to all mem­bers' satisfaction, then sends it to the House and Senate floors for final dis­cussion and a vote. If passed, the bill goes to the president for his signature.

Congressional committees are vital because they do the nuts-and-bolts job of weighing the proposals, hammering them into shape or killing them completely. They continue to play a large part in the preparation and con­sideration of laws that will help shape the United States in its third century.

STANDING, OR PERMANENT, COMMITTEES OF CONGRESS
HOUSE	SENATE
Agriculture Appropriations Armed Services Banking, Finance and Urban Affairs Budget District of Columbia Education and Labor Energy and Commerce Foreign Affairs Government Operations House Administration Interior and Insular Affairs Judiciary Merchant Marine and Fisheries Post Office and Civil Service Public Works and Transportation Rules Science, Space and Technology Small Business Standards of Official Conduct Veterans' Affairs Ways and Means	« 1 2 3 4 5 » К-во Просмотров: 252 Бесплатно скачать Топик: Правительство Соединенных Штатов >>> Скачать <<< Меню Поиск