The Lawmaking Process

1
The Lawmaking Process

• Whos who in this process?

2
Introduction

• The process of a bill becoming a law is a long
  and complicated process. Out of the thousands of
  bills introduced in Congress each year, only a
  small handful ever make it to the President for
  approval, and fewer still that are actually
  signed into law. So what exactly does it take for
  a bill to become law? And what parts do the
  House, Senate, committees, and specific
  individuals in Congress play in this confounding
  process?

3
Representative

• What role does a representative play in the
  lawmaking process?
• The life-cycle of a bill starts with a member of
  congress (either a Representative or a Senator).
  Often times, a Representative will introduce a
  bill into legislation because he (or she)
  promised to their specific region of citizens
  that they would do so if they won election to the
  House. So the idea for a bill can arise from
  elsewhere, but the actual, physical introduction
  of a bill ultimately starts with a Representative
  (or Senator).
• The House plays a large role in the legislation
  process. Once a Representative introduces a bill,
  it is passed on to a specific committee relating
  to the bill. If the committee approves the bill,
  it is moved on to the rest of the House to
  approve it (or kill it). If 2/3 of the House
  approves it, then it is passed on to the Senate
  for approval.

4
Senators

• What role do Senators play in the lawmaking
  process?
• Senators play many roles in the lawmaking
  process. For one, a Senator can introduce a bill
  if he (or she) wants to. A senator can also
  decide to not approve a bill, and if 2/3 Senators
  dont vote for a bill, then the bill is killed.
• When the Senate receives a bill from the House,
  it either rejects the bill (killing it), or it
  can amend that bill and send it back to the House
  for approval. The Senate can also approve a bill
  (with a 2/3 vote) without attaching any
  amendments and, if approved by the House as well
  (with a 2/3 vote), the bill is finally passed on
  to the President for approval. If, at any time, a
  bill fails to get a 2/3 vote from both the House
  and the Senate, then the bill is killed and is
  moved back to square one.

5
The President

• What role does the President play in the
  lawmaking process?
• The President, perhaps, plays the simplest, yet
  also the largest role in the lawmaking process.
  Once a bill has made it through the quagmire of
  Congress, it is passed on to the President for
  the last step in the process approval. If
  approved by the President, the bill finally
  becomes law. If vetoed, it does not become law
  unless a 2/3 vote from both the House and the
  Senate override the veto.

6
Vice President

• What role does the Vice President have in the
  lawmaking process?
• The Vice President really plays no role in the
  legislative process. That is, he plays no part in
  the actual debate in the House and Senate floors
  that determines whether a bill be passed on to
  the President for approval. He just signs the
  bill once it is ready to be passed on to the
  President for approval.
• He can also serve as a tie-breaker voter in the
  approval process, if need be.

7
Speaker of the House

• What role does the Speaker of the House play in
  the lawmaking process?
• The Speaker of the House usually doesnt take
  part in the floor debates that take place when
  the House and Senate are deciding on whether or
  not to pass a bill. The Speaker is like the Vice
  President, in that he (or she) signs the bill if
  the bill ends up making it to the President.

8
House Majority Leader

• What role does the House Majority Leader play in
  the lawmaking process?
• The House Majority Leader serves, as one may
  guess, a leader over both parties in the Senate,
  orchestrating proceedings, such as debate on a
  bill, the name and size of committees, and
  serving as a floor leader.

9
House Minority Whip

• What role does the House Minority Whip play in
  the lawmaking process?
• A House Minority Whip almost serves as a security
  agent in the House. His job in the legislative
  process is to make sure that elected
  Representatives are present when important votes
  are being taken, and also to make sure that they
  vote according to the party policy.

10
Lobbyist

• What role does a Lobbyist play in the lawmaking
  process?
• Lobbyists arent very influential in the actual
  lawmaking process, but they are influential when
  they think a certain bill should be introduced.
  The main purpose of a lobbyist is to persuade a
  member of congress to enact a bill that they
  think should be introduced.
• They are also, in a sense, the stepping-stone
  between a normal citizen and a member of
  congress. A citizen may want a bill to be
  introduced that they think would benefit them, so
  they take their case to a lobbyist and then the
  lobbyist will try and persuade a Representative
  or a Senator to introduce the proposed bill into
  legislation.

11
Citizens

• What role do citizens play in the lawmaking
  process?
• One may think that Citizens of the United States
  have no role in the lawmaking process. In fact,
  they actually do have no role in the actual
  process however, they do have some sway in what
  bills are introduced into legislation by having
  the power to vote for certain Representatives
  that promise to introduce certain bills into
  legislation. In that sense, they do have some say
  in what bills are introduced.
• They can also pay a lobbyist to persuade a member
  of Congress to enact a bill if they think it will
  benefit them.

12
Works Cited

• "The Legislative Process." The Center On
  Congress. Web. 4 Nov 2010. lthttp//www.centeroncon
  gress.org/backgrounders/the_legislative_process.ph
  pgt.
• "How a Bill Becomes a Law Board Game." Families
  USA. Web. 7 Nov 2010. lthttp//www.familiesusa.org/
  resources/tools-for-advocates/tips/board-game.html
  gt.

13
Picture Sources

• http//www.usnews.com/listings/obamas-congressiona
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• http//www.topnews.in/people/joe-biden
• http//bostondirtdogs.boston.com/2008/09/citizen_s
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• http//www.thelmagazine.com/TheMeasure/archives/20
  10/02/19/can-you-name-more-sitting-united-states-s
  enators-than-l-magazine-film-criticrain-man-mark-a
  sch
• http//www.washingtontimes.com/news/2010/mar/03/la
  wmakers-cry-jobs-to-push-through-bills/
• http//www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2009/04/revelatio
  n_in_extrenton_lobbyi.html
• http//www.consumerismcommentary.com/whats-in-hous
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• http//trueslant.com/rickungar/2009/09/30/why-no-e
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• http//www.mybanktracker.com/bank-news/2009/12/11/
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