Académique Documents
Professionnel Documents
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Types of Bills
Private Bills bills about individuals Public Bills bills that effect the whole country
Simple Resolution establish rules or procedures within houses Joint Resolutions to correct errors in previous laws Concurrent Resolutions both houses want to share a common opinion
Attached to a Bill or Resolution Provisions that have nothing to do with the bill being passed.
The process can have up to 100 steps People must be willing to bargain and compromise Some people introduce bills just so they can publicly stand against them
Committees Step 2
The Bill is then sent to a committee within congress Can then be sent to a subcommittee These committees can choose to ignore the bill in order to kill it = pigeonholing If a committee decides to discuss the bill they have hearings Committee makes a decision
Kill the bill Send it to the floor Change the Bill and then send it to the floor
Congressman argue for the bill on the floor and changes can be made again In any order . . .
House Argues Senate Argues
Filibuster The Senators can talk a bill to death if they choose. There are no rules in the Senate for forcing senators to vote. Senators are allowed as much time as they want to debates
Why? The filibuster was never used until the 19th Century. Our founding fathers envisioned the Senate as being the stable house, and the House of Representatives more susceptible to the will of the masses. Once again, our founding fathers fearful of Tyranny of the Masses
Conferencing Step 5
House and Senate could pass two different bills by the time the process is done, so a conference committee reconciles the differences between the two houses
If Vetoed congress can override with 2/3 vote in house and senate Step 8