Page 101 - 6205

The proposed legislation, or bill, is first introduced in the House of
Representatives,then referred to one of the standing committees, which
organizes hearings on it and may approve, amend or shelve the draft. If the
committee passes the bill, it is considered by the House of Representatives
as a whole. If passed there, 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, who has the right to veto
it. If the president vetoes a bill, it can still become a law – but only if it is
passed by a two-thirds majority in both houses of Congress.

Task 14. Answer the following questions.
1. In which House does new legislation usually start in the USA?
2. What is a bill?
3. How does a bill become a law in the USA?
4. Who has the right of veto in the USA?

Grammar Exercises

I. Use the proper form of the verb in the subordinate clause 1. He
believed he will be able to solve the problem in no time.
2. She imagined that all the newspapers will publish this
information by all means.
3. The passengers hoped that the train will arrive on time.
4. Mother supposed that her children will be playing in the
yard.
5. My teacher was sure we will have finished our
compositions by the end of the lesson.
6. Everyone was aware of the fact that the speaker can
become President in case of the death of both President and Vice-
President.

97