Questions tagged [congress]
A congress is typically the legislative body of a country, but without the executive powers of a parliament or president. Use with a relevant country tag.
554
questions
5
votes
2
answers
140
views
Origin of "longtime House Republican principle that states no bill should pass without a 'majority of the majority' on board"?
Politico's March 22, 2023 McCarthy’s newest challenge: Keeping the House GOP peace on war power includes the following:
Should a standalone war powers repeal bill come up, only a handful of ...
- 14.9k
0
votes
0
answers
81
views
What are the causes for partisan politics to have grown more severe then in the past, and how much is down to echo chambers? [duplicate]
From my, admittedly limited, knowledge of US history it seems that congress tended to be a bit less patrician in the past. Congressman were more likely to support bipartisan initiatives, more likely ...
- 8,760
18
votes
3
answers
3k
views
Are congressional investigations ever more than political theater? How often does one actually lead to actionable results?
I've seen so many congressional investigations over the years, and generally they all feel pointless to me.
In particular, every case the news talks about the investigation for a little while, you ...
- 8,760
4
votes
1
answer
135
views
Apportionment: Where is the actual language for "the method known as the method of equal proportions" in the U.S.C.?
In the United States Congress, there are two legislative bodies: the House of Representatives and the Senate. These two bodies are structured differently from the very beginning in Article 1 of the U....
- 1,154
4
votes
2
answers
342
views
Last 'real' US budget (before 2023)?
When was the last time the US Congress passed a true annual budget, in one or several installments, that was signed by the President? In recent memory the practice has been to pass a series of "...
- 2,003
13
votes
3
answers
6k
views
Why didn't Democrats get rid of the debt ceiling while they were in power?
Since 1995, Democrats and Republicans have been in constant disagreement over the debt ceiling, with Democrats wanting to raise it and Republicans resisting their efforts. During this time, Democrats ...
- 48.4k
4
votes
0
answers
82
views
What is the current state of US's dilemma on waiving CAATSA for India?
India's purchase of Russian S-400 was eligible for CAATSA sactions.
No sanctions have been applied yet using CAATSA.
There were talks that India would get a waiver, and
there was a house of ...
- 3,507
16
votes
3
answers
5k
views
Is there a process for 'removing' a law
Any good student of Schoolhouse Rock knows how a bill becomes a law, but how do laws get removed, like obsolete laws?
- 279
7
votes
3
answers
227
views
What is the effect of U.S. House members being sworn in?
In the January 2023 crisis over electing Speaker of the House in the U.S., usually one of the first things mentioned in any coverage is that without a Speaker, "House members can't even be sworn ...
0
votes
1
answer
138
views
Why would US Senator Adam Schiff be addressed as "Chairmanship" rather than "Chairman"? [closed]
At the very end of the December 11, 2022 Face The Nation video Schiff says Jan. 6 committee's probe "far out ahead" of Justice Department the show's "moderator and CBS News senior ...
- 14.9k
27
votes
3
answers
7k
views
Why didn't Democrats legalize marijuana federally when they controlled Congress?
A notable majority of the US is supportive of legalizing marijuana, with Democrats having a much higher level of support, and Biden's own platform including legalizing it. Given the overwhelming ...
- 8,760
8
votes
1
answer
637
views
Why did the 72nd Congress' U.S. House session not meet until December 1931?
After the 1930 U.S. House of Representatives elections, newly elected members officially took office the following March but there was no active session of Congress until December 1931. Considering ...
- 183
5
votes
1
answer
207
views
What was the House Popular Vote excluding uncontested races?
In the aftermath of most Congressional elections, it is often noted that Democrats did better in the House popular vote than they did in terms of actual seats won, indicating a role for the incumbency ...
- 8,731
1
vote
1
answer
679
views
Federal government's power to mandate the sale of specific product
Can the Federal government (Congress/agency) mandate that private firms offer a specific product?
Example: Seller of wood tables MUST also offer plastic table.
OR...
All hardware stores (defined ...
- 21
4
votes
1
answer
334
views
What do the numbers mean after the R and D when describing seats in the House of Representatives?
I'm sure this is basic but my Google search results are overwhelmed by links to current events.
[...] Republican Rep. Lauren Boebert appears in real danger of losing her R+15 seat [...]
What does R+...
- 727
10
votes
5
answers
2k
views
Countries with a very plural congress/parliament
As Brazil heads toward it's runoff, one striking feature is that it's very multiparty. No party has more than 13/81 and 77/513 senate and house seats, respectively (about 15%). Are there any countries ...
- 293
2
votes
2
answers
168
views
Legal weight of the Electoral Count Reform Act (ECRA)
I've been a bit (well, very) confused regarding the proposed Electoral Count Reform Act.
Purportedly, it apparently attempts to (among other things) do the following:
Dictate which state official(s) ...
- 2,110
9
votes
1
answer
836
views
If both houses together are called Congress, why does Congressperson refer to members of the House of Representatives?
The US Senate is referred to as the upper house of Congress. And the 'House of Representatives' which is also part of Congress, is referred as the lower house.
A member of the US Senate is called a ...
- 311
7
votes
1
answer
1k
views
In which house of Congress of the USA is a bill introduced first?
US Congress has two houses, Senate (called Upper house), House of Representatives ( Lower). When a bill is introduced, which house is it supposed to be first or can it be introduced in either? Are ...
- 311
1
vote
2
answers
182
views
Is Day light time ending in USA
There was couple of news regarding US Senate agreeing on Day light Savings time ending. But I do see it is getting continued. Will it end in 2022or 2023 ?
- 311
1
vote
2
answers
382
views
Gender-neutral term for a Senator or Representative
Is there a gender-neutral term for a Senator or Representative?
Senator: gender-neutral, but only includes Senators
Representative: gender-neutral, but only includes Representatives
Congressman: male-...
- 1,119
5
votes
1
answer
83
views
How do congressional investigation committees maintain continuity after losing committee members?
Are there congressional rules on how to replace committee members who lose their congressional status? Is there precedent, and what was the impact/effect on the ongoing investigation, and the outcome ...
- 1,944
4
votes
1
answer
778
views
Why did Sen. Ed Markey's delegation to Taiwan fly aboard a USAF (passenger) jet?
I understand that Nancy Pelosi regularly gets a USAF passenger jet for long-distance abroad (C-40, a modified Boeing 737 if I'm not mistaken), because she's third in the "line of succession" ...
- 125k
4
votes
1
answer
58
views
Has the State Department submitted any reports to Congress under 22 U.S.C. § 1741 (aka “Hostage Recovery and Hostage-Taking Accountability Act”)?
According to this law (22 U.S.C. § 1741) an annual report to Congress needs to be submitted by the State Department, listing United States nationals they consider wrongfully detained abroad.
Have any ...
- 125k
2
votes
1
answer
137
views
Trying to find a quote about how voting for the good parts of a bill also means voting for the bad parts of a bill
During one of the presidential debates (probably during the primaries) I remember there being an exchange between a long time congressman (maybe Ron Paul or Bernie Sanders) and another candidate about ...
- 472
45
votes
3
answers
9k
views
Do Congressional representatives and senators read letters we send them?
I'm American. And I recently wrote my representative and senators to express my opinion about bills on which they might vote soon. I got no response at all from two of these letters, and from the ...
- 1,215
9
votes
1
answer
189
views
Who in US Congress with close ties to militias & white power groups suggested the US government had "real culpability" in Oklahoma City Bombing/1995?
In the Hari Sreenivasan interview of "Nicole Hemmer... an author and historian specializing in the history of conservative media in the U.S" in the June 10, 2022 How Laundering a Conspiracy ...
- 14.9k
9
votes
2
answers
357
views
Have there been any meaningful federal laws passed in the USA recently?
I don't live in the US, but I am drowned in news from the US, even more than those from my country.
I understand that the US is a very polarized society, where one of the main stated goals of both of ...
- 193
5
votes
1
answer
84
views
What congressional committees' jurisdiction US entertainment industry, e.g. Hollywood, falls under?
I googled extensively but found little certainty about US entertainment industry's oversight by US Congress. The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation website explicitly states ...
0
votes
1
answer
210
views
How and to what extent did lobbyists contribute to Trump/Pence's "next man and first woman" to the Moon? (via Artemis and Commercial Crew programs)
When I first saw the title to Ars Technica's May 16, 2022 Former NASA leaders praise Boeing’s willingness to risk commercial crew I thought it suggested that Boeing and it's troubled Boeing_Starliner ...
- 14.9k
23
votes
1
answer
3k
views
When is the US Senate required to pass bills unanimously?
According to the BBC News website, the US senator Rand Paul has managed to delay approving financial aid package to Ukraine:
Paul, who has historically opposed spending on foreign aid, refused to ...
- 1,704
18
votes
5
answers
4k
views
On what basis could the US federal government codify Roe v. Wade?
There are proposals to pass a federal law allowing abortion in all states, in case Roe v. Wade is overturned. Ignoring the political feasibility of passing such a law, on what constitutional basis can ...
- 289
1
vote
3
answers
145
views
Origin of bill "urgency" in the Philippines, how does it work and how widespread is it in other democracies?
From the Philippine News Agency's December 30, 2021 article Duterte signs law creating Department of Migrant Workers
The creation and establishment of the Department of Migrant Workers is one of ...
- 14.9k
10
votes
1
answer
1k
views
What 1867 act of US congress entered this painting for the Southern District of New York? What did this act of congress actually do?
CNN's Abby Phillip's video Where the fight for the Black vote really started | History Refocused at about the 6 minute mark during a discussion of reconstruction, a work of art is shown during ...
- 14.9k
1
vote
1
answer
125
views
Does the US Air Force "Rocket Cargo" project have any notable proponents in Congress?
CNBC's June 4, 2021 article The Pentagon wants to use private rockets like SpaceX’s Starship to deliver cargo around the world says:
The U.S. Air Force said Friday is expanding a small development ...
- 14.9k
1
vote
1
answer
123
views
What/when are the filing deadlines after which Alice Stewart predicts Republican congress members will start saying Let's stop talking about the past?
Political commentator Alice Stewart has made an interesting prediction; Republican politicians will begin to say "Let's stop focusing on the past" (Donald Trump's loss in 2020 and associated ...
- 14.9k
4
votes
0
answers
210
views
what effect, if any, will the potentially over 1 million COVID deaths have on the outcome of the 2022 US midterm elections? [closed]
There are currently over 880,000 registered COVID deaths in the US, and every day another 2-3000 more are added to the tally, so it is very likely that by November, there will be over 1 million COVID ...
- 976
4
votes
0
answers
45
views
Are House and Senate "debates" pointless, aside from some PR value? [duplicate]
I watch the House and Senate "debate" periods on bills and wonder who they are talking to and what is the point, aside from the later video clips. Has any Senator or Representative ever ...
- 334
7
votes
2
answers
811
views
What is the difference between funds being "authorized" and funds being "appropriated" in the IIJA?
I'm currently trying to understand H.R.3684 - Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) but there are a few things don't understand.
Authorization vs. Appropriation
As far as I understand, ...
- 109
3
votes
0
answers
126
views
Biden's bipartisan infrastructure bill (IIJA) [closed]
I'm currently trying to understand H.R.3684 - Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) but there are a few things I don't understand:
The price tag:
People are referring to the bill as the $1....
- 109
-1
votes
2
answers
183
views
Is it possible that the US will default on its debt in foreseeable future? [closed]
The US has a history of having its debt grow, increasing the debt ceiling and repeating the cycle:
Source
Normally, the states don't default on debts denominated in their own currency, because they ...
- 2,547
6
votes
1
answer
254
views
How big a short term debt ceiling increase is McConnell agreeing to?
Senate Republicans have thus far refused to raise the debt ceiling, which needs to be raised by October 18 to prevent the US Government from defaulting on the national debt. They have been insisting ...
- 8,731
11
votes
4
answers
5k
views
Why don't more people move to safe seats to run for office in the US?
Three out of eight US voters live in a congressional district represented by the opposite party of who they voted for for president. This figure is true for both Biden and Trump voters.
This makes you ...
- 11.8k
9
votes
1
answer
832
views
When was the least bipartisan debt ceiling increase or suspension, in the past 30 years?
Pelosi said in an interview aired a couple of days ago (on Hill TV at least) that raising the debt ceiling has "always been bipartisan". Later, in the same video segment McConnell says ...
- 125k
1
vote
1
answer
271
views
Has anyone other than Rashida Tlaib called Israel an Apartheid regime in Congress?
In the recent legislation that granted Israel $1 billion of military aid for their Iron Dome defensive system and that passed in Congress, Rashida Tlaib, the US representative for the 13th ...
- 7,911
3
votes
2
answers
134
views
Continuing Resolution majority necessary?
I have a fair understanding of the appropriations process but what I have trouble with is finding information about what kind of consensus is needed for a CR to pass Congress. Is it by simple majority,...
- 31
5
votes
0
answers
77
views
Is the predictive "historical analysis" on the 2021 Taliban strategy (provided to the US Congress) a public document?
An article in The New York Times from August 18 says:
A historical analysis provided to Congress concluded that the Taliban had learned lessons from their takeover of the country in the 1990s. This ...
- 125k
4
votes
2
answers
180
views
Assigning fractional seats in a parliament
In proportional party-list voting systems, each party is entitled to a fraction of the seats in proportion to its vote count. This fraction is always rounded up or down according to some rule of "...
- 2,579
2
votes
3
answers
467
views
Can the federal government withhold money from states that refuse to institute vaccine mandates?
Could Congress pass a law that revoked some of a states funding until they mandate vaccines, or can the federal government not withhold funding to get states to pass laws?
- 2,016
1
vote
1
answer
71
views
How transparent is the process of packaging spending bills into an omnibus bill?
Packaging all or a number of appropriation bills together creates what
are called omnibus or minibus measures. These bills appropriate money
to operate the federal government and make national policy ...
- 14.7k