1. Making Law
Chapter 12
Sections 3 & 4

2. How a Bill Becomes a Law H.R. 1 introduced in the House
H.R. 1 goes to committee for study
House Rules Committee sets conditions for floor consideration
If passed, H.R. 1 goes to the Senate
Floor Action
S. 1 introduced in the Senate
S. 1 goes to committee for study
If passed, S. 1 goes to conference committee
Conference Committee resolves differences between H.R. 1 and S. 1
House and Senate vote on final version of the bill
If passed, it goes to the President
The President signs, vetoes, or allows the bill to become law without signing
If vetoed, the bill returns to Congress
Congress may override the President’s veto

3. Bills, Bills, Bills… Bill: idea for a new law or change in an old law.
Public bills: apply to the whole country
Private bills: local matters and individual people
Rider: addition, possibly unrelated, usually wouldn’t pass on its own

4. Resolutions
Resolution: usually deals with a matter in one house, not a law
Joint resolution: both houses, has the force of law
Concurrent resolution: both houses act together, not as strong as a law

5. Introduction and First Reading
Clerk of the House gives each bill a number and a short title
Recorded in the House Journal and the Congressional Record
Read, printed, and distributed to members
In the Senate, a bill is read twice
The bill goes to committee

6. Stuck in Committee
Standing committees decide which bills are important enough for floor consideration
Committees and subcommittees hold hearings and debates

7. Still Stuck in Committee
Recommend passing the bill
Pigeonhole the bill
Can be resurrected if the majority of the House signs a discharge petition
Change or amend the bill
Make unfavorable comments (rare)
Offer an entirely new replacement bill

8. Scheduling Debate Bills are put on one of 5 House calendars
House Rules Committee sets a day for discussion
In certain emergency cases, bills can jump to the head of the line, or be discussed immediately
In the Senate, the floor leaders schedule debate

9. On the Floor Read for a second time
Minor bills are often passed quickly
Some bills are considered by the Committee of the Whole
Read, debate, and vote on sections of the bill
Does not require a quorum (majority)

10. Debate in the House One hour limit
Members can demand a vote to stop debate
New amendments may require new votes
Members can vote to table the bill

11. Debate in the Senate
Senators may speak as long as they like on any topic
They may only give two speeches on the same topic in a legislative day
Bills that most senators agree on receive little floor time

12. Filibuster Filibuster is permitted in the Senate, but not in the House
The record for a filibuster by a single senator is held by former Sen. Strom Thurmond (SC): 24 hours, 18 minutes

13. Cloture
1917: Cloture Rule
If 3/5 of the Senate agrees, a specific measure may only be debated for 30 hours
The 110th Congress ( ) holds the record for the most cloture votes: 112
The 111th Congress ( ) holds the record for the most times cloture has been invoked: 63

14. Voting Since 1973, the House has voted on computers
Members vote “Yea,” “Nay,” or “Present”
If the bill receives enough votes, it is printed, read and voted on again
If it passes, it is sent to the other house of Congress

15. Conference Committees
If the House and the Senate pass different versions of a bill, the measure is sent to a conference committee
The committee settles the differences between the versions
Both houses vote again
The final bill is sent to the President

16. On to the Oval Office! Sign the bill into law Veto
Congress can pass a bill over the President’s veto with a 2/3 majority in both Houses (only 110 times in history)

17. Tricky Ones
If the President does not sign the bill within 10 days, it automatically becomes a law
Pocket veto
If Congress adjourns within the 10 days and the President doesn’t sign the bill, it dies
Line item veto
Passed 1996, allowed the President to reject single items
Declared unconstitutional in 1998, Clinton v. New York