This week we will be looking in more detail at Congress in action.

In the "Revolution and Nation Building" section of our web pages, go to the Congress site.

www.congress.org

1. Give a brief biographical description of the "Member of the Day" and include his/her state, party affiliation (Democrat/Republican) and of course his/her name.

Choose one of the bills voted on in the "Vote Spotlight"

2. Write down the name of the bill, a brief summary of the bill, and the total number of Yea and Nay votes.

3. Where do the bills that pass go after they are passed in the Senate? (This is a Constitution question)

Extra Credit: How many people voted on the bill regarding Gun Shows? Who voted on this bill who normally doesn't vote? Why?

Go to the Thomas page and then "Senate Schedule"

4. What occurred on October 11 in the Senate?

5. On what day will your Senators discuss the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty?

This treaty deals with the banning the testing of nuclear weapons. I want you to think about your feelings about nuclear weapons, nuclear warfare and the recent testing done in countries (India and Pakistan) Here is a page which will give you more information on the topic:

http://www.ucsusa.org/arms/ctbt.top.html

Your next assignment will make you an active participant in America's democracy. You will be writing a letter and sending it, via email, to your state senator.

Your email should include the following

Name
City you lived in while in America
Where you live now
Grade
Your position on nuclear weapons and your opinion on the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty
Be sure you mention clearly how you would like your senator to vote if the treaty comes to a vote

To find out the name of your senator from your state, go to "Senate Directories" in Thomas. You will then be given your two senators. From there, you can go to their personal web pages which will have their email address. Here is what I need from you:

Senator's Name
Email Address
Copy of the email message you sent to the Senator

Your senator will be responding to you, so be sure to produce a mature, error free message. When you receive your reply from your senator, you can turn it in for extra credit. Now...get to it...and watch the democratic system in action.

***Oh...and for those of you who have lived in multiple states, choose one. For those of you who have never lived in America, this is your chance to choose which state you would like to live in and speak with their senator. In your email, you will want to mention your actual citizenship.