Congress

There are several ways for members of the public to contact members of Congress. Email is commonly used to contact leaders in government at all levels, although it is not the most popular. Email...

Like all federal employees, members of Congress receive a pension, unless they elect not to participant. This program receives criticism because it is much more advantageous than most private...

The United States takes a census every 10 years for the purpose of portioning out congressional districts as evenly as possible among the population of each state. Because of this, map boundaries...

The letters ATF designate trust accounts. There are three types of trust accounts: Totten trusts, living trusts and block trusts.

The American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009, or HR2454, is a House bill that aims to reduce global warming from pollution, create clean energy jobs and achieve energy independence,...

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...

The health care reform legislation would now be a joke if the consequences were not so devastating to millions of Americans. In an effort to quickly pass legislation in the Senate, regardless of...

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.

Romans 13 states: Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by...

Often times, folks will sit around a coffee table or dining table (for example) and discuss what's going on in politics and/or what is challenging during these times - and, find ourselves saying,...

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.

Tips on how to know what bills and legislation is currently being considered in Congress. Many Americans are affected by legislation every year, and never knew what was even being considered. Stay...

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...

Writing to your congressperson can help you solve your problems or make your opinions known on a wide variety of issues. Work with your congressperson to help let them know how you feel. A well...

Today, it is more important than ever to get involved with our government and to gain knowledge of how our own personal leaders are voting on Bills that affect each one of us who live in the...

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...

Want to write your congressman an e-mail but can't find the address? How annoying! Their e-mail addresses aren't even listed! This how to will help you get your message to your congressman. ...

Rush Limbaugh might be the most beloved and hated figure in the nation today. The conservative talk show host has an army of listeners maybe up to 20 million, he also has an army of enemies. One...

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...