Madam speaker: a Scholastic Kid Reporter talks with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi about her job--and America's future.Recently, Scholastic Kid Reporter Chelsea Lollar, 12, got the chance to talk with Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives. Chelsea--a seventh-grader at Piccowaxen Middle School in Newburg, Maryland--wants to be a journalist when she grows up. Her interview with Pelosi gave her a head start. Here are some excerpts from that interview, conducted in the Speaker's office in the Capitol Capitol, seat of the U.S. Congress Capitol, seat of the U.S. government at Washington, D.C. It is the city's dominating monument, built on an elevated site that was chosen by George Washington in consultation with Major Pierre L'Enfant. . Chelsea: What does the Speaker do? Speaker Pelosi: The Speaker is second in line to the President. If something [were to] happen to the President and the Vice President, the Speaker would become President. There's great attention paid to the Speaker for that reason.... The Speaker has a great deal of power in terms of what comes to the floor [of the House to be discussed], in terms of legislation, and how we develop other issues. For example, I have decided that the issues of energy independence and global warming global warming, the gradual increase of the temperature of the earth's lower atmosphere as a result of the increase in greenhouse gases since the Industrial Revolution. should be a very high priority for the Congress, so I'm establishing a special committee to deal with those issues. You set the agenda by what you bring to the floor. Chelsea: What will be your leadership style, and how will [it] help Congress deal with the challenges facing the world? Pelosi: I promised when I came in that I would be the Speaker of the entire House. So my leadership style would be to honor As a verb, to accept a bill of exchange, or to pay a note, check, or accepted bill, at maturity. To pay or to accept and pay, or, where a credit so engages, to purchase or discount a draft complying with the terms of the draft. that. I truly believe that many of the challenges that our country faces must be dealt with in a bipartisan way--Democrats and Republicans working together. If we do that, then we'll have better solutions. We'll have to listen to each other. Chelsea: What kinds of things can Congress do to get young people interested in the political process? Pelosi: Congress could do a whole lot more to communicate with young people about issues that they care about. Young people care very much about their own education, about the environment in which they live, and what's going to happen 30, or even 10, years down the road. Chelsea: Do you think that your being elected as the House Speaker is an important milestone for women's history ''This article is about the history of women. For information on the field of historical study, see Gender history. Women's history is the history of female human beings. Rights and equality Women's rights refers to the social and human rights of women. ? Pelosi: I really do.... People talk about the glass ceiling. We have really broken the marble ceiling here. This is a big, big difference. I think it says to young people and to women: The sky is the limit. You can do anything you want. Because if you can prevail in this environment, which is historically very male-oriented, then I think women can succeed anyplace an·y·place adv. To, in, or at any place; anywhere. See Usage Note at everyplace. Adv. 1. anyplace - at or in or to any place; "you can find this food anywhere"; (`anyplace' is used informally for `anywhere') anywhere . * Objective Students should be able to: * briefly describe the role of the Speaker of the House of Representatives. * Background The order of succession An order of succession is a formula or algorithm that determines who inherits an office upon the death, resignation, or removal of its current occupant. Monarchies and nobility (who assumes the nation's top office in the event that both the President and Vice President are unable to fullfill the duties of the presidency) has been established by acts of Congress. The order has changed over the years. (One was set in 1792, another in 1886.) The current order was set by the Presidential Succession Act The Presidential Succession Act of 1947 () establishes the order of succession to the office of President of the United States in the event neither a President nor Vice President is able to "discharge the powers and duties of the office. of 1947. It established that the Speaker of the House is next in line after the Vice President. For the complete order of succession (18 levels), see bensguide.gpo.gov/9-12 /government/national/succession.html. * Critical Thinking NOTING DETAILS: What did Nancy Pelosi mean when she said, "You set the agenda by what you bring to the floor"? (Part of a Speaker's power and influence comes from deciding which matters are discussed by the full membership of the House of Representatives.) FORMING ORAL ARGUMENTS: If you were Speaker, which issue would you put at the top of the House agenda? Why? (Answers will vary.) * Activity SETTING THE AGENDA: Have students vote for a Speaker of the House among classmates Classmates can refer to either:
STANDARD SOCIAL STUDIES, GRADES 5-8 * Power, authority, and governance Governance makes decisions that define expectations, grant power, or verify performance. It consists either of a separate process or of a specific part of management or leadership processes. Sometimes people set up a government to administer these processes and systems. : The Speaker of the House tells a student reporter about her role in governance. RESOURCES * Heath heath, tract of open land heath, tract of open land characterized by a few scattered trees, abundant moss cover, and numerous low shrubs, principally of the heath family (see heath, in botany). , David, The Congress of the United States Congress of the United States, the legislative branch of the federal government, instituted (1789) by Article 1 of the Constitution of the United States, which prescribes its membership and defines its powers. [Capstone Press, 2006]. Grades 6-12. * Quiri, Patricia Ryon, Congress (Scholastic Library Publishing, 1999). Grades 4-8. WEB SITES * House Member FAQs FAQs Online A list on a website that answers basic–Frequently Asked Questions–that might be asked by a first-time visitor to the site clerk.house.gov/member_info/memberfaq.html * Kids in the House clerkkids.house.gov /congress |
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