noun, plural subsidies. 1. a direct pecuniary aid furnished by a government to a private industrial undertaking, a charity organization, or the like. 2. a sum paid, often in accordance with a treaty, by one government to another to secure some service in return. 3. a grant or contribution of money.
Brady Postma, No expertise, just good arguments. The Speaker of the House is clearly the most powerful position in the US House of Representatives. The Senate Majority Leader is, in most senses, the most powerful person in the US Senate.
Another function of Congress is representation, this being the other of the two most important functions. Representation is the function of members of Congress as elected officials representing the views of their constituents.