Pruposess of Bills in the US Congress

Pruposess of Bills in the US Congress The bill is the most commonly used form of legislation considered by the US Congress. Bills may originate in either the House of Representatives or the Senate with one notable exception provided for in the Constitution. Article I, Section 7, of the Constitution provides that all bills for raising revenue shall originate in the House of Representatives but that the Senate may propose or concur with amendments. By tradition, general appropriation bills also originate in the House of Representatives. Purposes of Bills Most bills considered by Congress fall under two general categories: Budget and spending, and enabling legislation. Budget and Spending Legislation Every fiscal year, as part of the federal budget process, the House of Representatives is required to create several â€Å"appropriations† or spending bills authorizing the expenditure of funds for the daily operations and special programs of all federal agencies. Federal grant programs are typically created and funded in the appropriations bills. In addition, the House may consider â€Å"emergency spending bills,† which authorize the expenditure of funds for purposes not provided for in annual appropriations bills. While all budget- and spending-related bills must originate in the House of Representatives, they must also be approved by the Senate and signed by the president as required by the legislative process. Enabling Legislation By far the most prominent and often controversial bills considered by Congress, â€Å"enabling legislation† empower appropriate federal agencies to create and enact federal regulations intended to implement and enforce the general law created by the bill. For example, the Affordable Care Act – Obamacare – empowered the Department of Health and Human Services, and several of its sub-agencies to create what are now hundreds of federal regulations to enforce the intent of the controversial national health care law. While enabling bills create the overall values of the law, such as civil rights, clean air, safer cars, or affordable health care, it is the massive and rapidly-growing collection of federal regulations that actually define and enforce those values. Public and Private Bills There are two types of billspublic and private. A public bill is one that affects the public generally. A bill that affects a specified individual or a private entity rather than the population at large is called a private bill. A typical private bill is used for relief in matters such as immigration and naturalization and claims against the United States. A bill originating in the House of Representatives is designated by the letters H.R. followed by a number that it retains throughout all its parliamentary stages. The letters signify House of Representatives and not, as is sometimes incorrectly assumed, House resolution. A Senate bill is designated by the letter S. followed by its number. The term companion bill is used to describe a bill introduced in one chamber of Congress that is similar or identical to a bill introduced in the other chamber of Congress. One More Hurdle: The Presidents Desk A bill that has been agreed to in identical form by both the House and Senate becomes the law of the land only after: The President of the United States signs it; orThe president fails to return it, with objections, to the chamber of Congress in which it originated, within 10 days (Sundays excepted) while Congress is in session; orThe presidents veto is overridden by a 2/3 vote in each chamber of Congress. A bill does not become law without the presidents signature if Congress, by their final adjournment, prevents its return with objections. This is known as a pocket veto.

How to Manage and Identify the Boxelder Tree

How to Manage and Identify the Boxelder Tree Boxelder, also known as ash-leaved maple is one of the most common and adaptable urban trees in North America though  it also may be the trashiest from a visual perspective. Planting it next to your house is probably not a good idea. The best thing about the tree is that it is comfortable on poor sites where more desirable trees cannot maintain adequate health for long life. It is very commonly seen in the treeless plains and western United States as a street tree. You can use the tree for quick growth but plan to interplant with more desirable trees to provide for a lasting tree canopy. Boxelder can be a treasure on adverse tree sites. Boxelder Specifics The scientific name of boxelder is Acer negundo (AY-ser nuh-GUHN-doe). Common names include ashleaf maple, Manitoba maple, and poison ivy tree and the tree is a member of the plant family Aceraceae. Although considered by many a maple outcast, it is indeed in the maple family and the only native maple with more than one single blade or leaflet on a single leaf stalk. Boxelder grows in USDA hardiness zones 3 through 8 and is native to North America. The tree is sometimes crafted into a bonsai specimen but often used as a screen/ windbreak and for land reclamation. It grows rapidly, can become very large and needs a lot of space. Boxelder is still a very common tree to see in a yard or park west of the Mississippi River.​ Boxelder Cultivars There are several attractive cultivars of boxelder including Aureo-Variegata, Flamingo and Auratum. The cultivar Acer negundo Aureo-Variegata is noted for its leaves bordered in gold. Acer negundo Flamingo has variegated leaves with pink margins and is somewhat available at local nurseries. Acer negundo Auratum has abundant gold leaves but is a little harder to find. You must remember that even though these cultivars are ornamental, they still share the original boxelder tree’s undesirable characteristics that include unattractive female fruit and breakage that increase the chances of the trees early removal due to quick growth. Problems With Boxelder Boxelder is a rather unattractive tree where limbs break with a vengeance   a landscape maintenance nightmare. The fruit droops in clusters which some describe as looking like dirty brown socks which adds to the overall trashy look of the tree. The boxelder bug makes things even worse. Robert Schafer / Getty Images Boxelder bug or Leptocoris trivittatus loves the boxelder tree. This half-inch red-striped insect is a true pest during winter where the adult multiplies and invades homes near where boxelder trees grow. It is one of the most common household pests in the United States. The bug emits a foul odor, stains fabric and can cause asthmatic reactions. It does no harm to the tree. Boxelder Description A boxelder in the landscape grows to a height of 25 to 50 feet, depending on tree variety and site conditions. One of the tallest ever measured had a recorded height of 110 feet. The trees crown spread is 25 to 45 feet and the crown is typically broad and ragged or disheveled. The tree often has multiple furrowed trunks or very squat single trunks. Flowers are without petals, dioecious and yellowish-green and the female tassels are very conspicuous. The very maple-looking seeds, called samaras hang in long, profuse clusters and stay on the tree throughout winter. Nearly every seed is viable and will cover up a disturbed area with seedlings   a very prolific seeder is boxelder. Boxelder Leaf Botanics Leaf arrangement: opposite/suboppositeLeaf type: odd pinnately compoundLeaflet margin: lobed; serrateLeaflet shape: lanceolate; ovateLeaflet venation: pinnate; reticulateLeaf type and persistence: deciduousLeaflet blade length: 2 to 4 inchesLeaf color: greenFall color: orange; yellowFall characteristic: showy Pruning Boxelder You will have to prune this tree regularly.  Boxelder branches droop as the tree grows and will require pruning if you have consistent walking and vehicular traffic under the canopy. The tree form is not particularly showy and should be grown with one single trunk to maturity. The tree is susceptible to breakage and can occur either at the crotch due to poor collar formation, or where the wood itself is weak and tends to break. Superior Western Boxelders There are also good qualities of boxelders in western North America. It seems that the tree takes on positive characteristics in the west that is not seen in trees in the eastern half of North America. California interior boxelder takes on yellow and red colors in autumn that rival eastern maple. Its drought tolerance makes the tree a welcome plant in that dry country landscape and very easy on limited water resources.

Healthy People Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Healthy People - Essay Example The objective seeks to promote â€Å"wellness check† among adolescents, to improve physical activeness among the group and to facilitate adult influence over the target population (Healthypeople, n.d., p. 59). Other major aspects of the objective include facilitating ‘self-reliance’ among dependent adolescents, promoting education and reducing access and consumption of drugs within school compounds. Another objective of the Healthy People that will have great impact on public health is to control cancer deaths. This objective will be significant because cancer continues to spread, affecting the society from different perspective. Aspects of the objective include reducing registered cases of cancer related deaths and increasing cancer facilities and counseling services. â€Å"Early and middle childhood† is another objective of Healthy People initiative (Healthypeople, n.d., p. 59). This objective seeks to promote children’s readiness for school, †Å"positive parenting, quality of sleep in children and school health education† (Healthypeople, n.d., p. 59). I believe these objectives are realistic because their application in other scopes has been significantly effective. The necessary effort for achieving the objectives is financial investment into their implementation, as this will attract necessary human resource to realizing the

Capital Punishment Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Capital Punishment - Research Paper Example Political campaigns, religious leaders, and foreign press make quite a spectacle of how the United States legal system regularly sentences people to die for the crimes they have committed. As such, the United States is a bit of a novelty in the developed world as one of the last few 1st world countries in which the death penalty is not only still legal but employed in great numbers (Debrevnik, 2004). This short analysis is far too brief to provide the level of critique that a topic such as the death penalty deserves; however, this analysis will discuss a few of the strengths and weaknesses of the death penalty in its current form and weigh them against some of its greatest weaknesses to provide the reader with a clearer understanding and sense of moral responsibility with relation to whether or not the death penalty is a net good or a net evil in the criminal justice system and in our society as a whole. It is necessary to note that although this author is in favor of the death penal ty, there are many serious drawbacks to its application, the high economic costs it entails, and the oftentimes arbitrary nature with which it has been historically employed. Although these concerns are valid, the author maintains that notwithstanding many of the current drawbacks associated with the death penalty, the morality and ethics behind it are still poignant enough to merit its support. From a purely economic standpoint, capital punishment is an extraordinarily expensive form of punishment. As compared with life in prison, the average cost of execution is approximately the same cost to keep a prisoner housed and fed for over 100 years. Currently, the average cost of execution in California exceeds 4 million dollars per criminal executed. Comparatively, the average cost to keep a prisoner housed and fed as well as ensuring proper health care and medicine usually does not exceed $35,000 per year (Semeshenko et al, 2012). At such an exorbitantly high expense, it is clear that choosing capital punishment on the grounds that killing the criminal will somehow save the state money over time is entirely illogical. As such, the argument for execution does not hinge on economic savings; instead, it hinges upon the Judeo-Christian belief of â€Å"an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth†. In this way, the major supporters of the death penalty believe that certain crimes are so heinous that rehabilitation is not possible. As such, one’s life is forfeit for certain crimes if convicted. This further raises the tangential issue of the purpose of prison; whether it is it to rehabilitate or to punish. According to death penalty activists, prison’s primary objective is to punish with rehabilitation being a very distant second. A secondary issue with the death penalty in its current form is that they death penalty has been proven not to be a significant deterrent against the crimes it punishes. With the United States being a prime example, it is ob vious that murder rates in the United States are comparably higher than almost any other nation that currently does not have the death penalty as a legal option for a convicted criminal. Accordingly, the death penalty cannot be seen as adequate deterrent to dissuade would-be criminals from committing crime; however, it can be seen as a barometer of a society’s overall tolerance for violent crime and the clear and

The Future of Genetic Engineering Essay -- Expository Essays Research

Any time in this modern era where one talks about the science of genetics, it is nearly impossible to think about the moral implications and ethical decisions that the future possesses. Currently, there aren’t many laws that govern this field of science, and one must wonder what will happen and how genetics will be governed. Two articles that I have recently read gave me a better insight on what to expect. In one article, the author, Deborah Gridley, discusses the heated topic of genetic discrimination. Genetic discrimination is defined as â€Å"discrimination against an individual or against members of that individual’s family because of real or perceived differences from the ‘normal genome† (Gridley 973). The benefits of genetic advances are quite clear. â€Å"As the genetic causes of many diseases are found, effective treatments and cures may be developed† (Gridley). However, with genetic benefits come risks – many of which are evident in America’s history of genetic discrimination (Gridley 974). Exclusionary immigration laws, forced sterilizations, employment and insurance hardships, ... The Future of Genetic Engineering Essay -- Expository Essays Research Any time in this modern era where one talks about the science of genetics, it is nearly impossible to think about the moral implications and ethical decisions that the future possesses. Currently, there aren’t many laws that govern this field of science, and one must wonder what will happen and how genetics will be governed. Two articles that I have recently read gave me a better insight on what to expect. In one article, the author, Deborah Gridley, discusses the heated topic of genetic discrimination. Genetic discrimination is defined as â€Å"discrimination against an individual or against members of that individual’s family because of real or perceived differences from the ‘normal genome† (Gridley 973). The benefits of genetic advances are quite clear. â€Å"As the genetic causes of many diseases are found, effective treatments and cures may be developed† (Gridley). However, with genetic benefits come risks – many of which are evident in America’s history of genetic discrimination (Gridley 974). Exclusionary immigration laws, forced sterilizations, employment and insurance hardships, ...

RBC Analysis Essay

Executive Summary In today’s demanding market, it is essential to know how to make good investments. The following is an in depth qualitative and quantitative analysis of the Royal Bank of Canada. First, RBC and its subsidiaries will be introduced including information about its history and current situation. The qualitative analysis will consist of RBC’s general information, history, business segments, and corporate social responsibility. Secondly, ratios and other quantitative information pertaining to RBC’s investment situation will be analyzed. Finally, with respect to the qualitative and quantitative data, an investment recommendation will be made Investment Criteria A company’s ethics and proper management are just as important for their success as their financial data. In order to decide whether or not to invest in a company one must research the company inside and out starting with where the company has come from all the way to their current situation. A company’s history is of the utmost importance because it reveals management trends and past ethical decision making that could reoccur. Another important aspect of a company’s history is their international expansion and the companies they have done past business with. The industries companies choose to merge with are a good indicator of where they will invest their money in the future. More specific to the banking industry, sustainability has become one of the most important criteria for investment. Especially after the financial collapse of 2008, banks with strong sustainability stood out and gained ground on the high-risk high reward banks. From a quantitative perspective, data trends can help predict if a company is on a small skid or headed toward future collapse. Ratios can help determine how quickly a company can pay back their liabilities as well as how efficient they are being with their shareholder’s money. A company’s stock may rise or fall depending on their current situation and how the market is fairing overall. The amount of assets and acquisitions a company makes can lead a potential investor to believe they are expanding. Usually good financial data investment criteria are a current ratio >2:1 and an ROA >5%. Company Introduction The Royal Bank of Canada is Canada’s largest bank by assets and market capitalization. The bank has offices in Canada, United States and 49 other countries. Currently, there are 80,000 full and part time employees at RBC with close to 15 million clients worldwide. The company has a good balance between retail and wholesale banking with over two-thirds of their revenue coming from Canada. The other main geographical markets include U. S. (16%), while all other revenue is distributed internationally (17%). (See Appendix A) Qualitative Analysis History The history of a company, industry it is present in, and prior success are some of the main factors when considering investing in a company. RBC has been a leading Canadian bank since June 22, 1864 when it was incorporated as the Merchants Bank of Halifax. Its name was changed to The Royal Bank of Canada in 1901. Twenty-four year later it merged with the Union Bank of Canada on the basis of 1 share of Royal Bank stock for two shares of Union Bank stock. Since then, RBC has taken advantage of many international joint ventures and foreign acquisitions. Most notably in Cuba, Britain, and West Germany. Post-1980, the bank created joint ventures in China with China International Trust & Investment Corp. and began acquiring financial companies in North America. All of the sudden, RBC found themselves competing with large new international banks. During this time, the bank also made a larger commitment to their corporate social responsibility as their charitable donations reached 25. 5 million in 1999. Most recently, RBC has been striving to become a more broad-based financial services group rather than a traditional commercial bank. Although RBC wanted to keep with it’s main goal of being the #1 banker in Canada, they also wanted to build a stronger overall North American identity. Technology based products took the lead in the bank’s new American market strategy. In going along with this strategy, RBC acquired the world’s first Internet bank in order to take advantage of e-banking services. Finally, the bank has developed a new global brand strategy in response to their growing North American presence, which requires the RBC financial group banner to each business platform and operating subsidiary. Business Segments The Royal Bank of Canada has five main business segments. The largest of these segments is their personal and commercial banking segment, which makes up 56% of their earnings. RBC was named the largest and most profitable retail banking in Canada as well as the 2nd largest bank by assets in English Caribbean (†Corporate Profile†). The bank provides cross-border banking for Canadian clients and U. S. wealth management clients. Their second largest business segment is their capital markets sector. Their capital markets department deals with corporate and investment banking, equity and debt distribution as well as trading. This segment is recognized as the 10th largest global investment bank by net revenue and was also named the best investment bank in Canada across equity, debt, and M&A five years in a row (â€Å"Corporate Profile†). The third business segment of RBC, which makes up 11% of their earnings, is their wealth management division. Investment, trust, credit, and other wealth management and asset management solutions are all included in wealth management. The division was named top six global wealth mangers by assets as well as ranked #1 in Canada in both retail and asset management (â€Å"Corporate Profile†). Finally, their insurance and investor & treasury services make up the last 11% of the bank’s total earnings. The insurance segment deals with life, health, home, auto, travel, and wealth accumulation solutions. Achievements of the insurance segment include receiving high marks for â€Å"Likelihood to Recommend† and â€Å"Ease of Doing Business† (â€Å"Corporate Profile†). Their investor & treasury services provide global custody, fund administration, and asset servicing to institutional investors. (See Appendix B) SWOT Analysis Strengths: Leading Market Position: RBC is Canada’s largest bank measured by assets and market capitalization. Leading market position in Canada enables the bank to gain economic economies of scale. Significant Presence in the US and UK RBC is the sixth largest full-service brokerage firm in the US and operates in a network of 42 states. In the UK, RBC is considered a Gilt-edged market maker and actively trades in either conventional or index-linked gilts (â€Å"Welcome to ALADIN†). Strong Balance Sheet RBC has a strong capital ratio and common ratio that are much greater than those required under Canadian standards. Also, the bank’s operating leverage declined between the years 2008 and 2010 showing potential from raising new capital (â€Å"Welcome to ALADIN†). Weaknesses: Asset Quality Deterioration RBC’s asset quality has been deteriorating since 2007. More specifically their gross impaired loans to total loans and acceptances ratio has grown between the years 2008 to 2010. Growth and profitability concerns at US operations Although RBC realized an overall growth in revenue in 2009, they also experienced a loss of net income. The US is RBC’s second largest market and can deeply impact the companies overall growth as a whole. Opportunities: International Expansion RBC has a rich history of international acquisitions over the past 30 years. Continuing with this aggressive strategy paves the way potential increases in revenue and profit expansion. Canada’s Promising Economic Prospects Canadian GDP has shown positive growth within the past two years. Attributing to this growth has been an increasing demand for commodities and improving global financial market conditions. Threats: Increasing Interest Rates As Canadian interest rates rise, so does the potential for a decrease in demand for financial services. High Taxation Banks in Canada are taxed at a much higher rate than other countries. In addition to Canada’s high taxation, the bank also faces high tax rates in the US; it’s second largest market (â€Å"Welcome to ALADIN†). Corporate Social Responsibility RBC has a clearly defined community and sustainability mission as they have been contributing to building a better future since 1864. Emphasis is put mainly on investing in the future by delivering quality products, protecting the environment, and sustaining a productive workplace. In respect to the community, RBC invests millions of dollars in health, sports, and the arts. More specifically they created RBC Play Hockey, which provides hockey gear to under privileged children. RBC believes that the game of hockey can bring a community together and provide a fun, competitive atmosphere among kids. Twenty grants, each of which was $25,000, will be awarded across North America (â€Å"Corporate Profile†). In respect to the environment, climate change, biodiversity, and water are weighed heavily upon. The RBC Blue Water Project helps educate people about the importance of preserving clean water in order to have enough fresh water for the future. The main component of the program is a ten-year, $50 million donations program, which supports not-for-profit organizations that protect watersheds and ensure access to clean drinking water (â€Å"Corporate Profile†). In RBC’s workplace is built upon the notion of shared values, and a sense of responsibility toward others. They look to provide a safe and flexible working environment with career growth opportunities. Also, the bank provides short and long term savings and wealth accumulation programs for their employees. Quantitative Analysis (See Appendix C) Balance Sheet: RBC has realized a 14% increase in assets over the last three years. This growth in assets is an indicator for an increase in stock returns. However, many times a growth in assets leads to sluggish returns as too many assets weigh down the bank (â€Å"Welcome to ALADIN†). Basic accounting procedures require all financial information on the balance sheet to even out. Therefore since RBC’s assets grew by 14%, so did they liabilities and shareholders equity. This increase in the bank’s liabilities can be attributed to inventory being purchased, issuing bonds payable at a discount, retirement costs for current employees etc. Paid-in capital, the year’s net profits, or a new share offering can increase shareholder’s equity. Shareholder’s equity is especially important for banks such as RBC because of the amount of capital they are given to invest. Cash Flow: Net investments cash flow represents the gain or loss in cash flow from investments made in the financial market and operating subsidiaries. In 2009, RBC had a positive cash flow indicating they were not investing heavily at the time. However, in the next two years, huge investments were made which made their net investments cash flow to go far below zero. Having a negative overall cash flow is not necessarily a bad thing, but instead may be a result of heavy investments. Nevertheless, RBC has maintained sustainability and kept their overall cash flow positive despite their large investments. Income Statement/Retained Earnings: RBC’s total revenue has decreased by 5% over the last three years. However looking deeper will reveal a huge increase in the company’s revenue over the past five years. In 2007 and 2008 the total revenue was $22,462 and $21,582 respectively (â€Å"Welcome to ALADIN†). This data revels an overall increase in revenue of 22% between 2007 and 2011, which any company would be proud of. In addition, RBC shows their continued effort toward sustainability as their retained earnings increased by almost 20% in the past three years (â€Å"Welcome to ALADIN†). In effect, this increase shows that a healthy profit exists even after dividends are given out to the shareholders.

The Ashkenazim, the Sephardim and the Mizrahim Jews Essay

After the Romans conquered Jerusalem and caused the destruction of the Temple in 70 AD many Jewish people fled to Europe and other countries. The two main groups that emerged during this time were the Ashkenazim and the Sephardim. Both these groups set up new lives in foreign countries and had to grow accustomed to their traditions and beliefs. The Ashkenazim settled mainly in Germany and spoke Yiddish while the Sephardim settled mainly in Spain and spoke their own distinct language, a combination of Hebrew and Spanish, known as Latino. Ladino is written using Hebrew letters and is still spoken among the Sephardi community today. Both groups spoke Hebrew although slightly differently. The Sephardic Jews are sometimes split into two†¦show more content†¦However, some Ashkenazi Jews experienced anti-semitism violence in these Christian countries. Many Jewish people were killed during this violence in what Robert Seltzer called a â€Å"supercharged religious atmosphere† (1980). In the closing centuries of the Middle Ages many Ashkenazi Jews moved to Italy and Poland in search of new and better opportunities and to escape their deteriorating living conditions in the Rhineland and central Europe, â€Å"migrations took place to Italy and Poland†¦ by the sixteenth-century Poland had emerged as the foremost centre of Ashkenazic Jewish scholarship† (Eliezer, 2009, 67). The Sephardic Jews were from Spain, Portugal, North Africa and the Middle East. Often they are split into two groups, the Sephardic Jews of Spain and Portugal and the Mizrahi Jews of North Africa and the Middle East. The term Sephardim â€Å"comes from the place-name Sephard in the Tanakh, or Hebrew Bible, referring to a land where Jews were exiled after the destruction of the first Temple in Jerusalem† (Karesh, 2006, 461). By 720 Spain was under mostly Muslim control and the â€Å"Sephardic culture was highly influenced by the interaction with Muslim Arabs† (Karesh, 2006, 462), they also spoke Arabic. The Sephardic Jews flourished under Muslim rule and produced high standard poets andShow MoreRelatedTransportation : A Small Country, Israel s Primary Mode Of Transportation1276 Words   |  6 Pagessociety. For starters, the nation has a sizable minority of people (roughly 20%) who are not Jewish. Even among Israel’s Jewish population, many do not practice the r eligious observances of the faith (a group known as secular Jews within Israel). Alternately, some ultra-Orthodox Jews (or Haredim) are so observant as to have effectively sequestered themselves from much of secular Israeli society. Most of Israel’s Jewish population are immigrants or descendants of immigrants who have moved to the region