1. The Legislative Branch
Continued Notes
The Legislative Branch

2. Congress 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
Preview!

3. Step One: Introduce the proposed legislation
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

4. Step Two: Send the bill to the appropriate committee
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

5. Step Two—continued
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

6. Still Step Two!
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

7. Step Three: Prepare the bill for debate in the sponsor’s chamber
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

8. Step Four: Debate the bill in the sponsoring member’s chamber
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

9. Step Four—continued 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

10. Step Four—continued
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

11. Filibuster
A Senator can delay a vote through filibuster, by hogging the floor and not allowing others to debate
If 3/5 of the Senators agree, a filibuster can be stopped through cloture, a request for a limited debate
If the senate majority denies it, there cannot be a filibuster
Filibuster Review!

12. Step Five: Vote in the sponsor’s chamber
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)

13. Step Six: Review the bill after it has been passed by the other chamber
Because both the House and Senate may pass similar bills with different amendments, a conference committee will meet to create a compromise bill

14. Step Seven: Both chambers vote on the compromise bill
If it passes in one chamber, it still must pass in the other chamber
If the compromise bill is defeated, it dies there

15. Step Eight: Send the Congress-approved bill to the president
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

16. 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
Review!

17. Nonlegislative Tasks of Congress
Temporary committees work to examine specific issues.

18. Nonlegislative Tasks
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