September 14, 2006 Ch6: Congress

1
September 14, 2006Ch6 Congress

• Sec 4 How a Bill Becomes a Law

2
BW1. Types of Bills

• Why might public bills take months to debate?
• They involve the entire nation, including matters
  such as taxation, civil rights, or terrorism.

3
BW2. From Bill to Law

• What happens when a bill is pigeonholed?
• It is ignored and dies.

4
HW1. Key Terms

• Sentences that relate to the lawmaking process
• Joint resolution passed by both houses
• Special-interest group try to influence
  government decisions
• Rider unrelated amendments
• Filibuster talk a bill to death

5
HW1. Key Terms

• Cloture used to limit debate
• Voice vote say Yea or No
• Roll-call vote voice votes in turn
• Veto refuse to sign
• Pocket veto do nothing for 10 days if Congress
  is adjourned, the bill dies

6
HW2. Contrast

• What is the difference between public and private
  bills?
• Public bills apply to the whole nation private
  bills concern individual people or places.
• What are resolutions?
• Formal statements expressing lawmakers opinions
  or decisions.

7
HW3. Summarize

• Describe what can happen to a bill once it passes
  Congress and reaches the presidents desk?
• Sign the bill into law, veto it, or do nothing

8
HW4. Making Inferences

• Why do you think members of the House of
  Representatives consider assignment to the Rules
  Committee an important appointment?
• The Rules Committee can give priority to a bill
  and speed its passage or kill a bill by
  preventing it from getting to the floor.

9
HW5. Determining Cause

• All the points at which a bill can be stopped or
  killed
• Committee chair can ignore bill stop it
• Standing committee can ignore bill or vote bill
  down
• Bill can be vetoed down on floor
• In Senate, bill can be filibustered
• President can veto or pocket veto bill

10
HW6. Conclude

• Review steps a bill goes through on pg. 160.
• What do you think is the step in which the bill
  is most closely examined by Congress?
• During the period of committee action

11
Class work

• How a Bill Becomes a Law
• Organize the steps a bill takes to become a law
  by writing the correct numbers on the lines of
  the worksheet.
• On the back or in the space on the front,
  illustrate how a bill becomes a law.
• This can be finished for homework.