How a Bill Becomes Law

HOW A BILL BECOMES LAW

ENERGY INDEPENDENCE ACT – GOVERNMENTAL AGENCIES WILL BE DIRECTED TO EXPLORE, AND DEVELOP THE VARIOUS WAYS THAT THE US CAN BECOME ENGERGY INDEPENDENT. INVOLVING, OIL, NATURAL GAS, SOLAR, WIND AND NUCLEAR.

INTRODUCTION OF THE BILL

Which house? Does it matter here? Funding?

Initiate Bill:

President may but Congress must pass!

Ways President may initiate is: Press Conference/State of the Union/Appointment of public officials

Joint Resolution: Takes both houses and president signature – most are done this way.

REFER TO COMMITTEE

Who does this? Speaker

May either support it -- Civil Rights bills were given to committees that had favorable committee heads favorable to their passage even if not part of their programs.

Kill It – give to a committee that is NOT favorable to its passage and will ignore it.

May be appealed to the full House if enough don’t agree.

Multiple Referral

Given to several committees at the same time as it needs review by several committees. To save time.

Advantage: efficient and quick

Disadvantage: hard to hammer out differences – all committees may not agree

Sequential Referral – used most today

Go from one committee to the next.

Disadvantage of time has not been the case. They move through just as fast.

Advantage – can handle problems easier as it moves from one to another.

MOST BILLS DIE HERE

SUBCOMMITTEE REFERRAL

Purpose is to investigate the bill – positive and negative aspects

Hearings are held – individuals and groups to come speak to the issues.

What groups would be invited based on the bill we have proposed?

“Mark Up” - revisions – additions. These also must be approved by the House and Senate.

BACK TO COMMITTEE

“Report out” - a report from the subcommittee regarding its recommendations. But also one from the

Committee itself to send to the entire House or Senate.

Note: The Committee process CAN be bypassed in the Senate if the House has approved of the bill. This would

Speed-up the process. The Senate may feel no further investigation is necessary.

TO FULL HOUSE

What if the committee refuses to send it to the House?

“Discharge Petition” – 218 votes necessary to order the committee to release the bill for a vote.

24 of 800 tries have succeeded.

Rarely ever tried in the Senate.

16a.

CALENDAR

HOUSE – Rules Committee – Speaker controls this

Closed Rule

Strict time rules for debate

Strict rules for the amendments

Open Rule

Amendments permitted from the floor

Restrictive Rule

Rules regarding the type of amendments permitted from the floor.

Possible to By-Pass Rules Committee?

Discharge Petition

2/3 vote to suspend the rules

Calendar Weds – Any bill can be brought up on this day BUT must be dealt with on that day. If not it

goes back to the committee. Not used much as it takes more than one day to complete.

FLOOR DEBATE

“Committee of the Whole” – whoever is there, 100 needed if requested.

Quorum – necessary to conduct business.

218 necessary for the House – Majority – IT IS IN THE CONSTITUTION

“Quorum Call” requires a roll call of attendance to be sure a quorum in there. Can force members to

the floor.

HOUSE

Rules for debate are set by the Rules Committee as described above.

SENATE

More casual – less members – very few rules.

Filibuster

1957 – Strom Thurmond, SC 27 hours.

1964 – was done to prevent the committee from killing the bill – they can be positive.

Cloture Vote: Way to prevent a filibuster – must be done BEFORE IT STARTS.

16 sign a petition

3/5 of the Senators must approve – 60 Senators

IF PASSES – Senators have a one hour limit to talk on the bill.

“Double Tracking” – shelve the bill to get on with other business.

SHOULD TALK SOMETIME ABOUT HOW THE USE OF FILIBUSTER HAS CHANGED RECENTLY

MEANS? 60 votes needed by a party to prevent a filibuster. Can also filibuster confirmation of appt.

Power of the minority over majority goals/priorities

VOTE

Types: Voice – 1/5 can demand in the House – done electronically in the House.

Division – stand

Roll Call – records the vote

Conference Committee – work out details then send back to each chamber for vote – quick one.

Senate usually wins their point.

16b.

PRESIDENTIAL ACTION

Sign it – must do so in 10 days or it is law.

Veto – this usually stops a bill (Bush vetoed the CHIP Program that held up last year.)

First goes back to the House of origin.

Over Ride vote MUST be a roll call – recorded vote.

Significant overrides – War Powers Act, 1973 Taft Hartley Act, 1947

Pocket Veto

Line Item Veto

Signing Statements

16c.