Hint: Go to About THOMAS in the Links section of the THOMAS home page.
What is the number of the current Congress? What
does this numeric designation mean? How often does a “new”
Congress convene?
Hint: Go to the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) section
of the THOMAS home page.
What items are scheduled for discussion this week
in the House of Representatives and the Senate?
Hint: Go to the Congress Now section of the THOMAS
home page. The House Floor This Week, House Floor Now and Senate Schedule
will give you information about the current schedules.
Was the Senate in session on your birthday this
year? How about last year?
Hint: The Days in Session Calendar under the Links
section will help you find your answer quickly.
Locate the names and Web sites of your local representatives
to the House of Representatives.
Hint: Click on House in the Quick Links section of
the THOMAS home page. Enter your 9 digit home zip code. If you don’t
know the complete zip code, you will be redirected to the US Postal site.
Once you find the sites, have fun exploring. Locate one interesting fact
to share.
Locate the names and Web sites of your state representatives
to the United Sates Senate.
Hint: Click on Senate in the Quick Links section of
the THOMAS home page. Select your state and links to your Senate representatives
will be available. Once you find the sites, have fun exploring. Locate
one interesting fact to share.
Locate a map of the congressional district in
which you live.
Hint: Click on Congress and Legislative Agencies from
the THOMAS home page. Look for the Congressional District Maps link, which
will take you to the online National Atlas.
What time periods are covered in the THOMAS legislative
database?
Hint: Go to the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) section
of the THOMAS home page.
Four different types of legislation can be found
in THOMAS – bills, joint resolutions, concurrent resolutions and
simple resolutions. What is the difference and how are they identified
in THOMAS?
Hint: Go to the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) section
of the THOMAS home page.
How can you find out the current status of a bill?
Practice first with House Resolution H.R.1- the No Child Left Behind Act
2001. Now search for a bill of your choice.
Hint: Go to the Summary and Status section under the
Legislation heading. For H.R.1, remember to choose the correct Congress
for the year 2001. Enter the bill number in the box at the top of the
page. The latest major action should be listed at the top of the page.
Scroll down the page and select status to see how the bill progressed
through the legislative process.
Choose a member of Congress from your Congressional
District. Did that person sponsor or co-sponsor any legislation in the
current Congress? How many items did you find? Select one to explore in
detail and summarize for your class.
Hint: Click on Bill Summary and Status under the Legislation
column on the THOMAS home page. Select the member’s name in the
House or Senate column and search.
How many Senate bills have become public laws
during the current Congress? Select one to explore in detail and summarize
for your class.
Hint: Click on Public Laws under the Legislation column
on the THOMAS home page. The default should be the current Congress. Click
on Senate bills on the right hand side of the page.
How many public bills (include both Senate and
House) were enacted into law in the 107th Congress? Which year was this
Congress? What is the number of the current Congress?
Hint: Click on Resumes of Congressional Activity from
the THOMAS home page.
What are roll call votes? Where can I find out
how my representatives voted on a particular bill?
Hint: Go to About THOMAS in the Links section of the
THOMAS home page. You’ll find details about both Senate and House
roll call voting procedures. Click on Roll Call Votes under the Congressional
Record Section to view actual vote tallies.
Were any bills vetoed in the current Congress?
In the previous Congress? Locate a vetoed bill.
Hint: Click on Bill Summary and Status under the Legislation
column on the THOMAS home page. Select a Congress. Click on Vetoed Bills
in the view list. Any vetoed bills will appear on the resulting list.
Locate the Congressional Record for any date THIS
month. What were the highlights of that day’s session?
Hint: In the Congressional Record column, select This
Congress by Date. Choose a date and view the Daily Digest. Highlighted
events should be at the top of the page. If no items are highlighted,
scroll down the page to view measures that were introduced or passed.
What is the role of a legislative Committee? What
are Committee Reports?
Hint: Go to the Committee Reports section under the
Committee Information column on the THOMAS home page and click on the
help page. You will find basic information about Committees and Committee
Reports.
Choose a House or Senate Committee. Locate a piece
of legislation they have recently reported on. What is the latest major
action on that bill?
Go to the Committee Reports section under the Committee
Information column on the THOMAS home page. Select a House or Senate committee.
Once you locate a report, check its status for the latest major action.