“I’m Just a Bill”

View the video clip and record as may steps as you see in the lawmaking process… how many can you come up with?

I'm Just a Bill

Step 1: Idea/Introduction

- House: “hopper” by a rep.- Senate: senator introduces on the floor

Step #2: Committee Action

- New bills are sent to COMMITTEES and/or SUBCOMMITTEES

- Most work is done in committees

* Pigeonholing: committee ignores bill DIES!

Step #3: Floor Action/ DEBATE- House and Senate must pass identical

versions of the bill.** If one house accepts a different version of

the bill…- CONFERENCE COMMITTEE = house and

senate meet to compromise on the bill version

* There is no limit of time to debate the bill!

Step #4: Voting

House and Senate must BOTH have a 2/3 majority.

HOUSE votes firstSENATE votes second

Step #5: Presidential Action

** IF the bill passes in house and senate identically…

- President then signs or vetoes the bill- The bill can go for 10 days without signing it,

which it will become law

- * Pocket Veto

During Debate

- Filibuster: senator talks for an extended amount of time to prevent a vote on a bill from taking place

After Debate and Vote- Conference Committee:

conference of reps and senators to compromise on one version of a bill

- Veto: presidential rejection of a bill- Override Veto:

congress overcomes presidential rejection by 2/3 vote