1. How a Bill becomes a Law

2. Death lurks around every corner
Less than 10% of legislation introduced is passed into law.
Legislation may originate in either house (except tax measures).
Ultimately, a bill will need the consent of the House, Senate and President to become law (or 2/3rds of Congress to override a veto).

3. Types of Legislation Bill: a proposed law Joint Resolution
Concurrent Resolution
Simple Resolution
Rider (earmark): a measure that would not pass on it’s own is attached to a more popular bill to “ride” through the legislative process (pork barreling)
-joint resolution: have the force of law, deal with unusual or temporary matters, example get money for presidential inauguration
-Concurrent resolution: are not laws, do not need presidents signature, matters on which House and Senate must act together: Foreign affairs
Simple Resolution: taken up only in the specific house, example new rule of procedure
Rider: most attached to appropriations measures; depend on finance of bill so must pass

4. Naming Bills

5. Step 1 – House first legislation
Introduced by a member (thrown in the hopper)
After first reading, assigned to a standing committee.
Most bills are then referred to a subcommittee
Committee at work
Research and investigate
Hearings
Rewrite/ Edit
Can pass
Table it
-Fate of most bills lies in standing committees
-Subcommittees investigate, hold public hearings on measure, can make someone testify by threatening them with imprisonment
-Junkets: trips to investigate locations, national parks, made at publics expense; congress criticized for taking them

6. Step 2 – House Rules Committee
Puts the debate and vote on a bill on the House calendar.
Sets the rules for debate.
Step 3 – House Floor
On assigned date, the legislation is debated following the set rules.
Types of vote
Voice
Standing
Teller
Roll Call (most common)
-5 different calendars: public, private, etc; certain days set up for passing certain bills
-House Rules must approve passing and setting a time: can kill bill, give time limit on the debate, give privileges to certain bills

7. Step 4 – Senate “The Greatest Deliberative Body in the World”
Committee phase – same as in the House
Senate proceedings less formal, rules less strict
No Rules Committee
Hold used by senators to prevent debate on a bill till they consent.
Filibuster used by the minority to “talk” a bill to death.
Cloture vote of sixty senators to end a filibuster.
Floor Vote- pass by majority
-people can speak as long as they want, cant vote to move question
-filibuster: stalling tactic, senate forced to drop bill or change it
-strom thurmond 24 hours, 18 minutes, one person effort against civil right’s bill
-some bills arent proposed due to threat of filibuster
-cloture: limiting debate, 16 member petition, 60 senators vote, if voted cant talk about it for more than 30 hours anymore

8. Step 5 – Conference Committee
Goes to this step only if needed
Committee that works out language differences between the versions of a bill that passed the House and Senate.
Step 6 – Presidential Options
Sign the bill into law
Veto the bill – its is then returned for a possible 2/3rds vote of Congress to override
Take no action
Bill becomes law within 10 days if Congress is in session.
Pocket Veto the bill dies after 10 days if Congress is not in session.
-iron out difference
-changes must be accepted or rejected, cant be amended, rarely turned down, major compromises made

9. How do members of Congress vote?
Party
Constituents
Conscience
Expertise
What’s best for the country?

10. How to Kill a Bill The following are ways that a bill can be “killed.”
The following are ways that a bill can be “killed.”
Table the bill (Committees)
Floor vote (House) = FAIL
Filibuster
Floor Vote (Senate) = FAIL
Veto
Take no action = Pocket Veto

11. Obituary
You will be creating an obituary for a bill. This bill can be anything that you want. A made up bill or a real bill.
If you would rather, you can also make a Eulogy (Speech given at a funeral) of the bill.
Whichever you choose, you must address the bill itself and how it was killed.
This assignment is worth 10 pts.