Cobblestone articles from January 2006

Cobblestone archives from January 2006

Editor's note.
January 1, 2006... A "government of the people, by the people, for the people.... With this thought, Abraham Lincoln hoped to remind people during the crisis of the Civil War (1861-1865) of the strength and importance of America's democratic framework. When he...

Magic bean soup.(Play)
January 1, 2006... Editor's Note: Bean soup has been served daily at the U.S. Capitol since the early 1900s. In this story, the soup has magical ingredients. It brings to life the ghosts of various senators and representatives who served in Congress over its...

Introducing ... Bill!(law enforcement)
January 1, 2006... Meet Bill, your lawmaking guide. Every federal law begins as a bill proposed in Congress. Following procedures outlined in the U.S. Constitution, the House of Representatives and the Senate consider each bill and decide if it should become a...

Just the facts.
January 1, 2006... These charts illustrate some important functions of, and requirements for, each house of Congress. They also give a general view of congressional leadership positions for each lawmaking body. senate * Presided over by the vice...

Did you know?(Brief article)
January 1, 2006... Congress has specific powers. They include... ... the power to mint money. The U.S. Constitution states that Congress has the ability to "coin money, issue currency, and regulate its value." ... the power of the purse. Only Confess...

Crisis of government.(Articles of Confederation)
January 1, 2006... The 55 men who gathered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in May 1787 were prepared to take drastic action. They were meeting to address the difficulties facing the nation and a crisis surrounding the U.S. government. The Articles of...

A capital Capitol.
January 1, 2006... The U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., is one of the most recognizable buildings in the world. For more than 200 years, it has been the working site of the U.S. Congress. And over that time, the Capitol has been renovated, reconstructed, and...

A popular passageway.(Brief article)
January 1, 2006... For seven after the House of Representative moved into its new wing in 1857, the House's old chamber was used as a passageway, a storeroom, and a hangout for peddlers. Then the Honorable Justin S. Morrill, a Vermont congressman, suggested that...

Pages on patrol.(United States. Congress. Senate's managment)
January 1, 2006... You see them in the halls of Congress. They wear navy blazers, long-sleeved white shirts or blouses, and dark gray slacks in the House; navy suits and long-sleeved white shirts in the Senate. They carry messages to and from the Senate or the...

The Capitol complex.(GEOGRAPHICALLY Speaking)(Brief article)
January 1, 2006... Room to Grow Both the Senate (in the north wing) and the House (in the south wing) have buildings near the Capitol to provide offices and meeting spaces for members of Congress and the many people who work with and for them. There are...

In committee: lawmakers at work.(Column)
January 1, 2006... It is exciting watching a dramatic debate on the floor of Congress. Yet the work of developing laws really takes place in smaller groups, called committees. "Committees are a way of having a group of people study something very carefully," says...

An annual address.(George W. Bush speech at United States. Congress. House meeting addressing citizens)(Brief article)
January 1, 2006... It is rare for both houses of Congress to meet together. But every January, senators and representatives gather in the House Chamber to listen to the president's State of the Union speech. The president uses this address to describe the...

Call to order!(parliamentary procedure)
January 1, 2006... Congress would never get anything done iF everyone spoke at once or jumped from topic to topic. Fortunately, parliamentary procedure keeps Congress on track. As the name suggests, parliamentary procedure began in England's Parliament. Most...

Lasting laws.(Food and Drug Act of 1906)(Antiquities Act)(Social Security Act)
January 1, 2006... Following are just a few of America's landmark legislative acts. These laws will give you an idea of how the U.S. Congress has addressed major issues over the years. FOOD FEARS The Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906 created the federal...

To serve the people: an interview with Congresswoman Linda Sanchez.(Interview)
January 1, 2006... On a bitterly cold day in January 2003, Representative Linda Sanchez of Lakewood, California, walked into the House Chamber in the U.S. Capitol. It was her first official day as a member of the U.S. Congress. "I felt just like it was my first...

Your House or mine?(Parliamentary procedure in United States)
January 1, 2006... In all representative democracies, the people elect those who govern. And in almost every democratically elected government there is a legislative branch--like the U.S. Congress--that makes laws. However, the types of legislative systems...

Sailing.(Letter to the editor)
January 1, 2006... The water splashing my feet. The cool wind whipping my face. Suddenly, Mom shouts, "Ready about!" I duck just in time, as the boom races by! Eben Kopp Camden, Maine

Alphabet.(Letter to the editor)
January 1, 2006... A was away from partying all night. B was ballistic from bouncing. C was captured by crooked criminals. D was dragged across the mystic desert. E was exhausted from exaggerating. F was forgotten by the forgotten. G...

A working machine.(Letter to the editor)
January 1, 2006... He authored a portion of laws, took time off work to teach children about the government, is our representative, made laws to expand Medicare coverage, and worked for other countries, too. Congressman Bachus is like a working machine in his job...

Spencer Bachus.(YOUR LETTERS)
January 1, 2006... Spencer Bachus is a representative from Alabama who has written many laws. He graduated from Auburn University and the University of Alabama Law School. Bachus now works in Washington, D.C., where he serves on three important committees: the...

In the works.
January 1, 2006... BATTLE OF YORKTOWN (OCTOBER 2006) THE GOLDEN AGE OF THE STEAMBOAT (NOVEMBER 2006) ULYSSES S. GRANT (DECEMBER 2006) Write to us! Draw a picture or write a poem or short essay that connects to one of the above COBBLESTONE themes that we are...

The Congress of the United States: A Student Companion.(BOOKS TO READ)(Brief article)(Children's review)(Book review)
January 1, 2006... The Congress of the United States: A Student Companion by Donald A. Ritchie (New York: Oxford University Press, 2001, www.oup-usa.org) is an easy-to-use alphabetical listing of terms, agencies, notable events, and people associated with...

History of the United States Capitol: A Chronicle of Design, Construction, and Politics.(BOOKS TO READ)(Young adult review)(Brief article)(Book review)
January 1, 2006... History of the United States Capitol: A Chronicle of Design, Construction, and Politics by William C. Allen (Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 2001, bookstore.gpo.gov/) is an excellent resource when researching information on the...

Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised.(BOOKS TO READ)(Young adult review)(Brief article)(Book review)
January 1, 2006... Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised by General Henry M. Robert (New York: Scott, Foresman and Company, 1990, www.harpercollins.com) is the authoritative volume on parliamentary rule on which most organizations base their procedures. Grade 6...

Youth Leadership Initiative.(MORE MEDIA)
January 1, 2006... Youth Leadership Initiative (YLI) provides hands-an activities for teachers to build skills in civic awareness. Students can participate in the 2006 session of e-Congress to research policy issues, write to representatives, and draft a piece of...

C-SPAN.(covering news about Congress)
January 1, 2006... Want to see Congress in action? C-SPAN is a public service cable television news network whose coverage is devoted to Congress. C-SPAN's purpose is to "provide public access to the political process." Check your local cable TV listings for the...

www.senate.gov/and www.house.gov/ will bring you to the official Web sites for the Senate and the House of Representatives, respectively.(ON THE WEB)
January 1, 2006... www.senate.gov/and www.house.gov/ will bring you to the official Web sites for the Senate and the House of Representatives, respectively. From these sites, you can read about legislation, contact individual members of Congress, and catch up on...

thomas.loc.gov.(ON THE WEB)
January 1, 2006... thomas.loc.gov gets you immediately to the here and now of Congress at work. You can explore the House and Senate schedules, browse Congressional Record issues, and read about committee activity.

www.aac.gov.(offering infromation about United States Capitol)
January 1, 2006... www.aac.gov offers a lot of information about the Capitol and the other buildings that make up the Capitol Complex. A map of the complex is available here, as well as information about the soon-to-be-reopened Capitol Visitor Center.

bensguide.gpo.gov/.(ON THE WEB)
January 1, 2006... Type in bensguide.gpo.gov/, and you will find yourself at a great Web site for kids. It is organized by grade level and puts a wealth of information about Congress--along with games, activities, and glossaries--at your fingertips.

memory.loc.gov/ammem/amlaw/lawhome.html.(ON THE WEB)
January 1, 2006... memory.loc.gov/ammem/amlaw/lawhome.html brings you to a page connected with the Library of Congress titled "A Century of Lawmaking for a New Nation." Here, you can click on and read the Journals of the Continental Congress, House Journal,...

congress.indiana.edu/learn_about/index.php.(providing information about United States. Congress)
January 1, 2006... The Center on Congress at Indiana University has a Web site at congress.indiana.edu/learn_about/index.php that allows you to browse through a lot of Congress-related topics, such as an overview of how the legislative branch works, the impact of...

U.S. Capitol, Washington, D.C.(its description and travel)
January 1, 2006... U.S. Capitol, Washington, D.C. We recommend contacting your local congressperson before planning a trip to the Capitol because he or she can arrange for tours and tickets. On a tour, you can see both houses, the Old Senate Chamber, and National...

U.S. Capitol Historical Society.(and its services)
January 1, 2006... In order to study, preserve, and interpret the rich heritage associated with the U.S. Capitol and Congress, the U.S. Capitol Historical Society was organized in 1962. The society is the only nonprofit, educational organization devoted solely to...

Bill Bradley: Scholar, Athlete, Statesman.(Brief article)(Children's review)(Book review)
January 1, 2006... BILL BRADLEY: SCHOLAR, ATHLETE, STATESMAN by Tricia Andryszewski (Minneapolis: Millbrook Press, 1999, www.lernerbooks.com) examines Bradley's path to representing New Jersey in the U.S. Senate. Arguably one of the most accomplished U.S....

From the archives.
January 1, 2006... Want to read more about the U.S. government and America's political process? We suggest the following COBBLESTONE issues: The Branches of Government: Balancing the Power (COB0301), The United States Senate (COB8411), Important Supreme Court...

How I got interested in politics.(state attorney generals narratives)
January 1, 2006... My family was in politics before me and it was almost foreordained that I would follow. My great-grandfather served in the Maryland legislature and ran on Abraham Lincoln's ticket in 1860. My grandfather was a state senator who campaigned for...

Brain ticklers.(Articles of Confederation)
January 1, 2006... GIVE YOUR BRAIN A LITTLE TICKLE TO SEE HOW WELL YOU READ AND UNDERSTOOD THIS ISSUE ON CONGRESS. IF YOU BELIEVE THE ANSWER TO BE FALSE, GIVE YOURSELF THE ULTIMATE TEST AND SEE WHETHER YOU CAN EXPLAIN WHY IT IS FALSE. ANSWERS BELOW. 1. THE...

A final word.
January 1, 2006... HOW HAS YOUR UNDERSTANDING OF THE U.S. GOVERNMENT CHANGED AFTER READING THIS ISSUES? ARE YOU SURPRISED TO LEARN THAT THE PRESIDENT REPORTS TO CONGRESS AND NOT THE OTHER WAY AROUND?

Cartoon connection with Ebenezer & The Colonel.(Cartoon)
January 1, 2006... Being a CONGRESSPERSON Sounds like HARD WORK! It sounds like a SNAP to me! I'd be a GREAT CONGRESSMAN. Keep 'em coming, boys! [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] I'm appropriating your cherry for my FILIBUSTER PARFAIT! HEY! ...