Congress

In the U.S. Congress, lawmakers vote on draft legislation known as bills. A congressman can vote "yea" to approve passage of a bill, "nay" to reject passage or "present" to withhold his vote. Most...

Writing Congress can be an intimidating venture, but the websites for both Houses of Congress make contacting your congressional representatives easy. By providing ways to search for your...

Income tax laws passed in 2006 kept the tax relief appreciated by taxpayers in prior years. During the legislative year, legislators did not produce any income tax reform with a popular impact...

Congress was created in the Constitution of the United States as the third branch of government, with the primary function of enacting laws. The Congress is broken into two parts: the Senate and...

There are many ways of contacting government officials with ideas about health care, or any issue, but certain methods are more effective than others. The officials most directly affected by your...

The Insurance Motor Vehicle Amendment Act, referred to as the insurance Vehicle Act, became a law in British Columbia, Canada, in November 2003.

Contacting members of the U.S. Congress is easy, but you first need to know who your U.S. representative and senators are. If you do know who your congressmen are, it is really easy to find out....

The debt settlement act, more commonly known as the Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility and Disclosure Act of 2009, was signed into law by President Barack Obama on May 22, 2009. Two...

The Social Security Number Fraud and Identity Theft Prevention Act was introduced to the 111th Congress on May 19, 2009.

Your senator is one of your representatives in government, and is there to serve you and to hear your concerns. Senators are easy to find, and with a few clicks of the mouse or a phone call you...

The current health insurance reform act, known as the Comprehensive Health Care Reform Act of 2009, was introduced to Congress on March 12, 2009.

The purpose of the Consumer Credit Protection Act (CCPA) is to protect employees from wrongful termination as a result of legally sanctioned debt garnishments.

The Fair Credit Report Act (FCRA) was implemented in 1970 as a regulatory method to protect consumer information while maintaining accurate and fair information used by consumer reporting agencies.

The Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act was signed into law on July 15, 2008, after an initial veto by former President George Bush and a subsequent override by both the House and...

In the United States, the term "checks and balances" is a fundamental principle of the political structure. This political system is composed of three branches: Legislative, Executive, and...

The Credit Rating Agency Reform Act was introduced to the 109th Congress on Sept. 6, 2006, and quickly became a law on Sept. 26, 2006, under President George Bush.

The Maloney Bill provides consumers protection from unfair credit card practices. It will protect against arbitrary rate increases, language trickery and eliminate excessive fees. It was signed...

Child care in 2009 is vastly different than preindustrial America when the community helped raise the children. The struggle to fund public child care services began in the 19th century with the...

State, tribal and local governments and private for-profit or non-profit organizations enter into verbal or written agreements to provide emergency assistance to each other in the event of...

There are 435 representatives in the U.S. House of Representatives in Washington, D.C. Here's how to find yours.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has been the subject of nearly 200 pieces of legislation regulating consumer products affecting public health and safety in America.

The Paul Wellstone Mental Health Equitable Treatment Act was introduced to the House of Representatives by Patrick Kennedy (D-RI1) on March 17, 2005. Unfortunately, the proposed legislation, along...

The purpose of the proposed Pet Safety & Protection Act of 2009 is to amend the Animal Welfare Act to ensure that all dogs and cats used for research purposes are obtained legally.

The Criminal Justice Tax Relief Act of 2008 was also referred to as the Federal Prison Work Incentive Act and the Federal Release Revision Act, both of 2008

As part of his New Deal, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) into law on June 25, 1938. It became officially effective on Oct. 24 of the same year.

Identity theft has become so widespread that members of Congress have filed legislation addressing cyber-crimes related to once unheard-of jargon such as "spyware" and "keyloggers." In the...

Members of Congress pay Social Security payroll taxes along with the vast majority of American workers. Most federal lawmakers also participate in one of two federal retirement plans with the tab...

In the early 1960s, smaller banks throughout the United States were struggling to compete with the growing practices of larger banks. In response, Congress enacted the Bank Service Corporation Act...

America's current economic crisis has been blamed on many different things, including, but not limited to, poor consumer awareness, deficient housing lending practices and, of course, credit...

The Extension of the Voting Rights Act--officially known as The Fannie Lou Hamer, Rosa Parks and Coretta Scott King Voting Rights Act Reauthorization and Amendments Act of 2006--was signed into...

Radio-frequency Identification (RFID) chips are available as U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved, implantable devices for hands-free identification of such individuals as children,...

The Securities Act of 1933 and The Securities Exchange Act of 1934 are also known as the Stocks & Bonds Acts. As a result of the stock market crash of 1929 and the Great Depression that...

America has been subject to taxation from its control by the British government in early colonial times and continues its battle with nationwide tax and financial issues in modern times. The...

During the summer, a Renaissance Fair may come into your area. If that is an era in history that intrigues you, it might be fun to go dressed up. If you'd like to go as a warrior, you'll need a...

Supplemental Security Income (SSI) is an income supplement program of the federal government designed to help aged and disabled people, who have little or no income. It is funded by general tax...

As the president's main advisers, the Cabinet plays a pivotal role in the United States government. While part of the executive branch, Cabinet members must be approved by the U.S. Senate.

The people who wrote the US Constitution were concerned about one branch of the government gaining enough power to govern with absolute authority. Thus, the Constitution was written with...

The U.S. system of food and drug regulation is one of the most comprehensive consumer protections in the world. Starting in the early twentieth century as a reaction to the horrendous conditions...

Birthright citizenship means any person born in the United States and subject to the country's jurisdiction is a citizen. It falls under the 14th Amendment, which was passed in 1868. Before this...

In 1997, the Children's Health Insurance Program (formerly the State Children's Health Insurance Program) was created to provide health insurance for uninsured children and low-income pregnant...

The Fair Labor Standards Act, or FLSA for short, establishes the national minimum wage, the lowest amount of money an employer may legally pay an employee or the lowest wage at which a worker can...

The Atlantic Conference & Charter, 1941, says the U.S. became involved in Southeast Asian politics because of the Atlantic Charter, which was ratified by the U. S. and Britain in 1941. Its...

Hydrogen has many applications as a fuel source. It is the most abundant element in the universe, and it has several advantages over other more commonly used fuel sources. Hydrogen is colorless,...

John McCain won election to the U.S. Senate in 1986, succeeding Barry Goldwater, who had served five terms. McCain's path to the Senate was unconventional. The son and grandson of Navy admirals,...

The Internet Tax Freedom Act (ITFA) was created to promote and preserve the educational, commercial and informational potential of the Internet. The law prohibits federal, state and local...

The American Constitution has set in place a system of checks and balances to maintain order within the three branches of government. Even within each branch, there are certain checks that can be...

The GI Bill for Life was an attempt to amend the Montgomery GI Bill for Life, which provides money for higher education to active and reserve U.S. military personnel once they leave the service....

The U.S. Constitution incorporates a series of checks and balances, and passing a federal tax law follows a prescribed procedure. All revenue bills must originate in the House of Representatives,...

Requirements for Medicaid eligibility change with each administration. In 2006, eligibility requirements were tightened considerably in response to the Deficit Reduction Act. Undocumented aliens,...

A Congressman in the House of Representatives or a Senator in the Senate introduces a proposed bill during a morning session. The bill is assigned a number, designating the chamber of origin - HR...