Legislative Process in Congress Chapter 13, Theme E

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Legislative Process in CongressChapter 13, Theme
E

• AP Government
• Selina Jarvis

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Paradox Functions of Congress

• Lawmaking
• Representation
• Are these two things compatible?
• Quick overview of process
• http//classic.hippocampus.org/course_locator?cour
  seAP Government and Politicslesson18topic1wi
  dth800height684topicTitleRoute20of20a20Bil
  l20through20CongressskinPathhttp//classic.hip
  pocampus.org/hippocampus.skins/default

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Lawmaking Trustee focus

• Goalsolutions to national problems
• Responsibilities
• Legislative Oversight- Oversee what Exec. Br.
  bureaucracy is doing
• Educate Public- Avenue through which public can
  be informed about pending legislationHearings
  held
• Resolves conflictTreaty approval, clarify
  through legislation
• Provide securityFunds military other security
  forces, creates new ones via laws.

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Representation Delegate Focus

• Goalrepresent constituents of their districts
  and protect their interests
• Responsibilities
• Services to constituents Exs?
• Protect districts generally protect interests
  within district Exs.?
• Pork-channel federal funds into their districts
  Exs.?

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How a Bill becomes a Law

• Step 1 Creation
• Draft a bill- anyone can draft a bill, only
  members of Congress can introduce one
• Ideas may come from lawmaker, constituents,
  special interest groups, etc.
• Factors to consider
• ideal law- Can it pass?
• What is content? How much money is asked for? Who
  is going to implement the bill? (Power)

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How a Bill becomes a Law

• Step 2 Introduction
• All appropriation bills begin in the HOR. This
  includes the federal budget.
• HOR bill is put in the hopper. Senator is
  recognized. After 1st reading, it is titled
  numbered. (HR or S)
• Referral- Speaker/Leaders decides which committee
  bill is sent to. Usually multiple committees
  (multiple referrals) look at new bill, esp. in
  HOR
• BCD bill can die!

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How a Bill becomes a Law

• Step 3 Committee Action
• Standing Committee Considers
• Vehicle by which bills are sorted throughreduce
  
• Senate committees consider confirmations of all
  appointments approval by 2/3 of all treaties.
• Committee Actions
• Sent to subcommittee to study recommend
• Pigeonhole bill
• Public Hearings held on bill
• http//www.youtube.com/watch?vdAOUTydryLofeature
  related
• Mark up session
• Full Committee vote to report out or not
• BCD

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How a Bill becomes a Law

• Step 4 Floor
• Senate uses unanimous consent to bring to floor
• House Rules Committee- important to leadership of
  Congress under direct control of Speaker. Makes
  rules regarding how bill will be debated on floor
  and when (and if) it reaches floor
• 3 types of rules
• Open- any amendments can be offered (Germane only
  in HOR)
• Closed- no amendments (typical of majority party
  nearly all appropriation bills in HOR)
• Modified- Combination of two- ex. Certain types
  of amendments

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How a Bill becomes a Law

• Step 5 Voting- complicated process
• Basic steps
• Adopt rules (HOR)
• Debate by paragraph
• HOR time limitsusually 5 minutes
• Filibuster/Cloture
• Amending phase, usually Senate
• Vote (HOR Roll Call/Teller Senate Voice,
  Standing or Roll Call/Teller)
• BCD

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How a Bill becomes a Law

• Step 6 Other House
• If bill makes it this far, it now goes to the
  other house for consideration.
• The process of steps 1-5 is repeated in the other
  house
• BCD

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How a Bill becomes a Law

• Step 7 Conference
• Conference Committee- composed of supporters from
  both chambers of both parties
• Must make compromise bill identical in language
  then send it back to House and Senate for
  re-approval. BCD

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How a Bill becomes a Law

• Step 8 Re-approval
• Vote on Conference Committee Bill must be
  successful in both chambers.
• If successful- Bill moves to Presidents desk
• BCD

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How a Bill becomes a Law

• Step 9 Presidential Approval
• President gets bill
• Can sign- bill becomes a law
• http//www.youtube.com/watch?vJYq9bZhIyrAfeature
  fvst
• Can veto- bill with veto message goes back to
  house of Congress that originated
• http//usgovinfo.about.com/od/thepresidentandcabin
  et/a/stemcellveto.htm
• Can set aside (Becomes law after 10 days w/o
  signature)
• Can pocket veto
• BCD

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How a Bill becomes a Law

• Step 10 Override
• If vetoed- 2/3 majority needed in both chambers
  to override
• If overridden, bill becomes law.
• According to the Congressional Research service,
  from 1789-2008, only 107 of 1,484 regular
  presidential vetoes were overridden by Congress.

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Results of the Legislative Process

• What Happened in the 110th Congress?
• Total number of bills introduced 11059 (3724 in
  Senate, 7335 in House)
• Total number of bills that became law 442 (134
  introduced in Senate, 308 introduced in House)
• Percentage of bills that became law 4
• Most popular stage for a bill to die Committee
  of the chamber bill is introduced in.
• http//assets.sunlightlabs.com/billvisualization/g
  raphs/stagehistogram.html

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More Results

• In the 111th Congress, the House and Senate
  passed 383 bills through both houses which were
  signed into law by the President.
• In the 111th Congress, the House and Senate
  passed 2 bills through both houses which were
  vetoed by the President. Neither were overridden.