The Senate's Power: Initiating Bills And Legislation

The process of lawmaking in the United States involves the participation of both the Senate and the House of Representatives, with a bill requiring approval from both bodies to become a law. While the majority of laws originate in the House of Representatives, a bill can be introduced in the Senate, and there are certain types of legislation that only the Senate can draft.

Bills can originate in the House of Representatives or the Senate

Bills are the most common form of legislation and can originate in either the House of Representatives or the Senate. A bill may be introduced by a single Member of Congress (the sponsor) or by a group of Members (sponsor and co-sponsors) in either chamber. The process of a bill becoming a law begins with its introduction to Congress.

Once a bill is introduced, it is assigned to a committee by the Speaker of the House or the Senate Majority Leader. Committees are groups of Representatives who are knowledgeable about specific topics such as education or foreign affairs. They exist in both the House and the Senate and play a crucial role in the legislative process. The committee may then take several actions, including releasing the bill with a recommendation to pass it, laying it aside, or voting not to report it out. If the bill is released, it goes on the House Calendar and is scheduled for floor debate in either the full House or Senate, depending on its origin.

After a bill has been debated and possibly amended on the floor of either the House or the Senate, it is voted on. If approved by one chamber, the bill is sent to the other chamber, where it again goes through the committee procedure and is voted on. Once the bill has passed in both chambers, it is sent to the President for approval. The President can approve the bill, veto it, or do nothing (pocket veto). If the President vetoes the bill, it is sent back to Congress, and if Congress still wants to pass it, another vote can be held to override the veto, requiring a two-thirds majority in both chambers.

The process of a bill becoming a law

Once a bill is drafted, it is introduced by the primary sponsor, who is the member of Congress who introduced the bill. Any member of Congress can cosponsor a bill, and there is no limit to the number of cosponsors. The bill is then assigned a legislative number and referred to a committee, which studies and debates the bill and may suggest amendments. The committee may then release the bill with a recommendation to pass it, or it may be laid aside.

If the bill is released, it goes on the House Calendar and is then considered on the floor of the House, where it is voted on. If the bill passes in one body of Congress, it goes through a similar process in the other body, including research, discussion, changes, and voting. Once both bodies have voted to accept a bill, they must work out any differences between the two versions and vote on the same version of the bill.

After both the House and Senate have approved an identical version of the bill, it is sent to the President for approval. The President can approve the bill and sign it into law, or they can veto it. If the President vetoes the bill, Congress may attempt to override the veto with a two-thirds majority vote in both the Senate and the House. If the President does not sign or return the bill within ten days while Congress is in session, the bill will automatically become law.

Committees and subcommittees study the bill

Once a bill is introduced, it is assigned to a committee. Committees are groups of representatives who are knowledgeable about specific topics, such as education or foreign affairs. They exist in both the House and the Senate and play a crucial role in the legislative process. Each committee has its own funding and staff, with the majority party controlling two-thirds of the funding and staff selection.

In the House, bills are referred to all committees with jurisdiction over the provisions in the bill. Most bills fall under the jurisdiction of one committee, but if multiple committees are involved, each committee works on the portion of the bill within its jurisdiction. One committee will be designated the primary committee and will lead on any actions. In the Senate, bills are typically referred to only the committee with jurisdiction over the predominant issue in the bill. In rare cases, a bill may not be referred to a committee but placed directly on the Senate Calendar of Business.

Committees may also refer measures to appropriate subcommittees, which can be numerous for committees on appropriations and oversight and government reform. Subcommittees may make reports on bills at full committee meetings. These reports are not binding on the committee, but they are given serious consideration. The committees then vote on whether to report the bill favorably, adversely, or without recommendation to the House. If the committee votes favorably, it may report the bill with or without amendments. If extensive amendments are approved, the committee may report the original bill with all amendments, or introduce a new "clean" bill incorporating the amendments.

After being considered by committees and subcommittees, the bill is voted on. If the majority supports the bill, it passes and is sent to the other chamber, where it undergoes a similar process of scrutiny and debate. If the bill is approved by both the House and the Senate in identical form, it is sent to the President for approval.

The bill is voted on

Once a bill is introduced, it is assigned to a committee whose members will research, discuss, and make changes to the bill. The bill is then put before that chamber to be voted on. There are three different ways a bill can be voted on:

• Voice Vote: The Speaker of the House will ask the members who support the bill to say "aye" and those who oppose it to say "no".
• Division Vote: The Speaker of the House will ask those who support the bill to stand up and be counted. After they are counted and seated, those who oppose the bill will be asked to stand.
• Recorded Vote: The Representatives will vote using an electronic voting system.

If the bill passes in one body of Congress, it goes to the other body to go through a similar process of research, discussion, changes, and voting. While the House processes legislation through a majority vote, the Senate does so through deliberation and debate prior to voting.

If the majority of Representatives vote yes on the bill, it passes and is sent to the U.S. Senate, where the bill will be scrutinized and debated once again. After being sent to a committee and debated on the Senate floor, it is voted on again. If the majority supports the bill, it passes and is sent to the President for approval.

The President can then choose to sign the bill, veto the bill, or do nothing (pocket veto). If the President vetoes the bill, it is sent back to the U.S. House of Representatives with the reasons why the President did not sign. If the House Representatives and Senate still strongly believe it should be a law, they can hold another vote to override the veto, but there must be two-thirds of the members from both chambers to support it. If the President does nothing and Congress is in session, the bill automatically becomes a law after ten days.

The President's approval is required

A bill can originate in either the U.S. House of Representatives or the U.S. Senate. However, any bill that deals with revenue must always begin in the House of Representatives. Once a bill is introduced, it is assigned to a committee by the Speaker of the House or the Senate Majority Leader. The committee then studies the bill and hears testimony from experts and interested parties. The committee can then release the bill with a recommendation to pass it, lay it aside, or take no action. If the bill is released, it goes on the House Calendar and is scheduled for floor debate in either the full House or the Senate, depending on its origin.

After a bill has been debated and possibly amended, it goes to a vote. If approved by one chamber, the bill is sent to the other chamber, where it again moves through the committee procedure. Once the bill has been approved by both the House and the Senate, it is sent to the President for approval.

The President can take one of three actions when a bill reaches them. Firstly, they can approve the bill, and it becomes a law. Secondly, they can veto the bill, sending it back to the House of Representatives with their reasons for not signing. If the House and Senate still strongly believe it should be a law, they can hold another vote to override the veto, but this requires a two-thirds majority in both chambers. Thirdly, the President can choose to do nothing. If Congress is in session, the bill will automatically become law after ten days. This is known as a pocket veto.

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