3 ways that members of Congress try to bring federal government projects and money to their districts:
1. Pressure agency officials to give a favorable
hearing on their state’s requests
2. Encourage constituents to write, phone, or email agency officials to make their request or
needs known
3. Lawmakers assign one or members of their
staff to act as specialists in contracts and
grants
Private bill applies to few people
Public bill applies to whole nation
Joint resolution passed when they agree with a bill
Concurrent resolution is passing bill without the president’s approval
Reasons why few bills become public bills
a) it is a long, complicated process
b) sponsors must be willing to bargain and
compromise
c) bills are introduced knowing that they will never be
passed
New ideas for bills come from various people
In the house the members drop their bill in the hopper.
In the senate the senator must be recognized.
all important work on tax laws occurs in the
House Ways and Means Committee.
Groups involved in writing laws
Executive branch, interest groups, standing committees of congress, congressional staffs, private citizens.
Only a member of congress can introduce a bill
house
Place it in hopper
Give it a title, summary, a number and record it- 1st reading
Speaker forwards the bill to the appropriate standing committee
Committee or subcommittee can pigeonhole it or give it a bad recommendation
Can report on the bill favorably, amend it or release a committee bill
2nd reading- read in its entirety
3rd reading-read title and number only, final vote, if passed the bill is forwarded by the speaker
Senate
Bill introduced by senator
Titled and numbered
Referred to appropriate committee
2nd reading- read in its entirety. Filibuster may occur
3rd reading and final vote
Sent to president for action if passed in identical form as the house bill
If senate changes the bill house can accept the senate version and bill goes to president
Conference committee can settle the differences between the two versions
If conference committee cannot solve problems it dies
If president signs the bill it becomes a law
President can ignore the bill for 10 days
Any bill that is not approved during the congressional session the billd dies
President can veto it or pocket veto it
Congress can override a presidential veto by ⅔ vote in house and the senate
Only 3% of presidential vetoes are overridden
Filibuster- talking a bill to death can be stopped by cloture-60% of senators to agree to end the filibuster