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Congress in ActionHow in the world does Congress operate?

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How a Bill Becomes a Law: The House

Bill

Bill Proposed law; a public bill applies to entire nation; a

private bill applies to only certain people of places

1. The First Reading

Each bill is introduced, numbered, named, entered into the House Journal and in the Congressional Record for the day

After the First Reading, the Speaker refers the bill to the appropriate committee

2. The Bill in Committee

Committees sift through all bills referred to them, reject most (most bills die in committee)

Committees may do the following: Report the bill favorably Report the bill in amended form Report the bill with an unfavorable rec. Refuse to report the bill

Rules Committee decides how and when a Bill is presented on the floor

Committees in Congress

Each house has set up permanent panels, known as standing committees, to which all similar bills are sent for approval

Examples of Committees in Congress

3. Schedule Floor Debate

Before it goes to the floor for consideration, a bill reported by committee is placed on the House calendar

4. The Bill on the Floor

Debate

Voting

If the bill is approved, it is signed by the Speaker and taken to the Senate president’s desk

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How a Bill Becomes a Law: The Senate

1. Introducing the Bill

Introduced by member of the Senate

A measure is then given a number and short title, read twice, and referred to committee, where bills are dealt with much as they are in the House

2. Debate

Debate rules are much more loose in the Senate than in the House

The Senate’s dedication to freedom of debate is intended to encourage the fullest possible discussion of matters on the floor

This freedom, however, can lead to abuse…

The Dreaded Filibuster

An attempt to “talk a bill to death”

Done in hopes the Senate will either drop the bill or change it in some manner

Senator Huey Long spoke for 15 hours in 1935, read Washing phone book and recipes

Senator Strom Thurmond spoke for 24 hours and 18 minutes in a fight against the Civil Rights Act of 1957

End a Filibuster: evoking cloture (60 out of 100 members vote to end the filibuster)

3. Vote

If the same version of the bill is passed in both Houses, the bill is sent to the President for his signature or veto

If different versions of the bill are passed in the House and the Senate, then the bill goes before a conference committee and then both houses vote again on the bill before it goes to the President.

Vetoed bills are sent back to Congress where a 2/3 vote from each house can approve the legislation