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Published byMargaret Robertson Modified over 8 years ago
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Continued Notes
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Main purpose is to make laws The process created through the Constitution is slow and complicated It encourages compromise There are eight steps a proposed law, or bill, must travel through before it becomes a law
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Any member of Congress can introduce a bill—he or she is called the sponsor of the bill Bills can come from the executive branch, members of Congress, or interest groups Representatives drop their bills in the hopper (a box on the House clerk’s desk); in the Senate, the presiding officer must recognize a sponsor Once recognized, a bill receives a number and the prefix HR or S
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Standing Committees study the sponsored legislation Small groups of legislators who have specialized areas of knowledge These committees decide whether the bill should be presented to the full chamber Party members decide who will serve on which committees The House has 20 standing committees and the Senate has 16
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In the House, the Speaker assigns the new bill to the proper committee, including Armed Services Budget Rules Intelligence In the Senate, the presiding officer schedules the bills; their committees include Finance Judiciary Ways and Means Veterans’ Affairs
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If the committee decides not to consider the bill, it has no chance of becoming a law If the committee does decide to consider the bill, it is assigned to a subcommittee Hold hearings on the bill Mark-up the bill—change, amend, and rewrite the bill If the subcommittee approves the bill, it returns to the original committee to begin the process again
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When a bill is ready in the Senate, its sponsors schedule when the debate will begin through a unanimous consent agreement In the House, the bill is placed on one of four calendars The Union Calendar: for bills to raise taxes or for spending The House Calendar: bills that won’t need money The Consent Calendar: non-controversial bills The Private Calendar: for bills requiring the US to make a payment to a person or group of people
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In the House, the Rules Committee decides When the House will debate the bill If the bill can be amended during the debate How much time will be given to each Representative to speak on the bill
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This committee is very powerful They can delay a vote, making people lose interest They can help opponents add killer amendments, which are additions others won’t approve They can help supporters add sweetener amendments, to encourage members to vote for the bill
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The Senate can add riders to bills; these are amendments that have nothing to do with the original bill The Senate has no time limit on debates
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A Senator can delay a vote through filibuster, by hogging the floor and not allowing others to debate If 2/3 of the Senators agree, a filibuster can be stopped through cloture, a request for a limited debate
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Bills are voted on in several ways By voice vote (aye or no) By standing vote (stand to show yes or no) By roll call (recorded votes) In the Senate, a bill passes with a majority vote (51 out of 100 votes) In the House, a bill passes with a majority vote (218 out of 435 votes) Bills are then referred to a conference committee who will create a compromise bill
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Because both the House and Senate may pass similar bills with different amendments, a conference committee will meet to create a compromise bill
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If the compromise bill is defeated, it dies there If it passes in one chamber, it still must pass in the other chamber
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When both chambers approve a bill, it is signed by the Speaker of the House and the president of the Senate They then send it to the president
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If he signs it, it becomes law If he doesn’t act within 10 days, it becomes a law If Congress adjourns before he acts and before the 10 days, it doesn’t become a law (pocket veto) If he doesn’t sign it, it is vetoed and does not become a law Congress can override a veto by having 2/3 of its membership voting to do so
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Temporary committees work to examine specific issues.
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Oversight: it keeps an eye on the national government Public Education: they study government and societal problems Send out free mail through their franking privilege Helping citizens deal with their government
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