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APK: Activation of Prior Knowledge Write at least 3-5 sentences describing a time when… you felt pressure from different sides to make a decision [doesn’t matter how big or small]
Question of the Day
How do politics and outside forces influence legislation [the lawmaking process]?

2. How does a bill become law?
A member of Congress [Senator/Representative] proposes a bill [“Wannabe” law]
Members of that Chamber debate the bill.
Discuss the positives and negatives.
After debate on the bill it goes to committee for hearings
The law is “proofread,” edited and finalized
Bill is voted on in Senate, if passed, it goes to the HOR if passed…
It goes to the president for approval
If he signs it, it becomes a law.
If not he can veto [reject the bill]
What can Congress do in that case?
Override the veto [revote for a super majority]
A revote with 2/3 [66%] of both houses

3. How do riders and pork get added to legislation?
During the legislation process certain members of Congress add specific items to benefit their states.
Many of these items are considered discretionary [optional] and extra or unnecessary.
These items are called pork or pork barrel because they add fat to the budget.
Since this pork is added to a bill and must be accepted if passed they are also called riders [the items are considered to be catching a ride with the bill].
The proposed Alaskan Bridge to nowhere was a classic example of a pork barrel project

4. Lobbying can affect the lawmaking process too…
People can influence lawmakers.
Tell them about issues.
Even pay them to vote in a certain way.
People called who do these types of things are called lobbyists.
Groups who want to get certain laws passed hire lobbyists to convince legislators to pass laws that will favor them.
For example, a tobacco company pays a lobbyist to convince Congress to lower excise taxes on cigarettes.
Infamous and once highly influential lobbyist Jack Abramoff

5. Possible Detours for Bills
Conference Committee-
If there are differences of language and opinion in versions of the same piece of legislation [bill] leaders from both houses of Congress will get together and try to resolve them.
If they cannot the bill will likely die [not become a law].
Line-Item veto-
In 1996 Congress passed a law giving President Clinton to veto certain parts of a bill so he could eliminate pork.
That law was struck down by the Supreme Court in 1998 as unconstitutional [this is no longer a law].
Watchdog Groups-
Certain outside groups keep their eyes on what the Congress does and report the information to the press and/or the public. Many wasteful and harmful things have been uncovered by these groups.
Pocket Veto-a president can simply put a bill “in his pocket” if he does not wish to sign [must be within 10 days before the end of a Congressional session or the bill would become law].

6. RAFT paper
Based on what you learned today about How a bill becomes law, riders, pork and watchdog groups write about a hypothetical narrative about how this process works.
You must be one of the people involved in the law making process who is dealing with any aspect of this the best he/she can to get whatever he/she wants accomplished (lawmaker, lobbyist, watchdog, etc.).
Make sure you complete all of the outline boxes provided on the RAFT paper I have provided.
Be creative, realistic and be detailed. Good Luck!