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EQUITY Responds: WID Answers Your Questions
Q: OK, I know I should probably know this, but how exactly does a policy suggestion or idea become the law?
A: For a nostalgic look at how a bill becomes a law, click here.
An American federal law begins as an idea from anyone that is sponsored by a congressperson. The congressperson introduces the idea as a bill, sending it to the appropriate committee for discussion (Example: If the bill is in regard to farming, it will go to the Agriculture Committee.) If approved, the bill goes to the full house of Congress. (Note: A bill can begin in either the Senate or the House of Representatives. In this example, the bill begins in the House.)
All 435 members of the House discuss, debate, and vote on the bill. For the bill to be passed to the Senate, 218 members of the House must vote in favor if it. If the House doesn't approve the bill, they may send it back to the committee it came from or abandon it.
Once passed from the House to the Senate, a similar process is repeated. First, the bill is sent to the appropriate committee. For the farming bill example, this would be the Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee. If approved, the bill goes to the full Senate. All 100 Senators discuss, debate, then vote on it. In order for the bill to be passed to the President, 51 Senators are needed to vote in favor of the bill.
The President can sign the bill into law or veto it and send it back to Congress. Both houses of Congress then have three choices:
To override the President’s veto, two-thirds of the members of both houses must vote in favor of the bill; sixty-seven in the Senate, two-hundred and ninety in the House. If either house fails to get to that number, then the President's veto stands and the bill will not become a law.
From www.socialstudiesforkids.com
A: For a nostalgic look at how a bill becomes a law, click here.
An American federal law begins as an idea from anyone that is sponsored by a congressperson. The congressperson introduces the idea as a bill, sending it to the appropriate committee for discussion (Example: If the bill is in regard to farming, it will go to the Agriculture Committee.) If approved, the bill goes to the full house of Congress. (Note: A bill can begin in either the Senate or the House of Representatives. In this example, the bill begins in the House.)
All 435 members of the House discuss, debate, and vote on the bill. For the bill to be passed to the Senate, 218 members of the House must vote in favor if it. If the House doesn't approve the bill, they may send it back to the committee it came from or abandon it.
Once passed from the House to the Senate, a similar process is repeated. First, the bill is sent to the appropriate committee. For the farming bill example, this would be the Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee. If approved, the bill goes to the full Senate. All 100 Senators discuss, debate, then vote on it. In order for the bill to be passed to the President, 51 Senators are needed to vote in favor of the bill.
The President can sign the bill into law or veto it and send it back to Congress. Both houses of Congress then have three choices:
- They can change the bill and send it back to the President;
- They can agree that the bill will never be passed and let it go;
- They can vote to override the President's veto.
To override the President’s veto, two-thirds of the members of both houses must vote in favor of the bill; sixty-seven in the Senate, two-hundred and ninety in the House. If either house fails to get to that number, then the President's veto stands and the bill will not become a law.
From www.socialstudiesforkids.com