How Laws Are Made: The House's Role

In the United States, a law cannot be created without going through the House of Representatives. All laws in the United States begin as bills, which can be proposed by a sitting member of the House of Representatives or petitioned by citizens or citizen groups. Once a bill is introduced, it is assigned to a committee, studied, and discussed before being put before the chamber to be voted on. If the bill passes in the House, it moves to the Senate, where it goes through a similar process. Once a bill has passed in both chambers, it is presented to the President, who can sign it into law or veto it. If the President vetoes the bill, Congress can override the veto with a two-thirds majority vote in both the House and the Senate.

Bills are proposed by citizens or members of the US Senate or House of Representatives

Bills are the most common form of legislation in the United States, and they can be proposed by citizens or members of the US Senate or House of Representatives. The House of Representatives is composed of 435 members, with each state receiving representation proportional to its population. Members of the House are elected every two years and must be at least 25 years old, US citizens for at least seven years, and residents of the state they represent.

The US Senate, on the other hand, is composed of 100 senators, with each state having two senators. Senators are elected to six-year terms by the people of each state and must be at least 30 years old, US citizens for at least nine years, and residents of the state they represent. Senators are referred to as either "senior" or "junior," depending on their election date and term length.

Citizens who have ideas for new laws or changes to existing ones can contact their representatives to discuss their proposals. If a representative agrees with a citizen's idea, they will research and draft it into a bill. This bill then requires a sponsor and the support of other representatives before it can be introduced. Once a bill is introduced, it is assigned to a committee that will research, discuss, and make changes to it.

Bills can also originate from members of the US Senate or House of Representatives, often during their election campaigns. These bills follow a similar process, being assigned to a committee for review and discussion before being put before the chamber to be voted on.

Both the House and the Senate must pass the same bill by a majority vote for it to become law. If the President vetoes a bill, Congress may override the veto by holding another vote, requiring a two-thirds majority in both chambers for the bill to pass.

Bills are assigned to committees for research, discussion and changes

In the US, a bill is a proposal for a new law or a change to an existing law. The idea for a bill can come from a sitting member of the US Senate or House of Representatives, be proposed during their election campaign, or be petitioned by citizens or citizen groups. Once a bill is introduced, it is assigned to a committee whose members will research, discuss, and make changes to the bill. The committee hearing and markup sessions are generally open to the public, except in rare cases, usually when discussing national security issues. Committees are subsidiary bodies established for the purpose of considering legislation, conducting hearings, and investigations.

Committees are composed of members who offer, debate, and vote on amendments to a bill. The members of a committee can be found on Senate.gov under the Committees Membership & Assignments section. Committees also provide access to the webcast of the hearing, which shows the hearing in its entirety. After a committee hearing has concluded, the archived webcast is posted on the committee's website and Congress.gov. Committees also produce reports that address investigations, committee business, and legislative or policy measures.

Once a bill has been discussed in a committee, it is reported to the Senate floor to be voted on. Senators vote by voice, with supporters saying "yea" and those opposed saying "nay". If a majority of the Senators support the bill, it passes in the US Senate and is ready to be presented to the President.

Bills must pass both bodies of Congress

In the United States, the process of creating a law starts with a bill, which is a proposal for a new law or a change to an existing one. A bill can be introduced by a sitting member of the U.S. Senate or House of Representatives, or it can be proposed during their election campaign. Bills can also be petitioned by citizens or groups who recommend a new or amended law to a member of Congress.

Once a bill is introduced, it is assigned to a committee that will research, discuss, and make changes to it. In the House, the Speaker assigns the bill to one of the 22 standing committees, each with jurisdiction over bills in certain areas. 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, or it can be tabled.

If the bill passes one body of Congress, it goes through a similar process in the other body, including research, discussion, changes, and voting. Once both bodies of Congress (the House and the Senate) have voted to accept a bill, they must work out any differences between the two versions. This is done by a conference committee, which is made up of members from each house. The revised bill is then sent back to both houses for their final approval.

After receiving approval from both houses, the bill is produced in print and digitally by the Government Publishing Office, a process called enrolling. The final version of the bill is certified by the Clerk of the House or the Secretary of the Senate, depending on where the bill originated. The enrolled bill is then signed by the Speaker of the House and the Vice President before being sent to the President for consideration.

Bills are presented to the President to be signed, vetoed or left unsigned

In the United States, a bill is a proposal for a new law or a change to an existing law. A bill can be introduced by a sitting member of the U.S. Senate or House of Representatives, or it can be proposed during their election campaign. Additionally, citizens can petition bills by recommending a new or amended law to a member of Congress that represents them. Once a bill is introduced, it is assigned to a committee, which researches, discusses, and makes changes to the bill. The bill is then put before the chamber to be voted on. If the bill passes in one body of Congress, it goes through the same process in the other body. Once both bodies vote to accept a bill, they must work out any differences between the two versions. Then, both chambers vote on the same version of the bill. If it passes, they present it to the President.

The President has three options when a bill is presented: they can sign and pass the bill, making it a law; they can veto the bill, sending it back to the U.S. House of Representatives with their reasons for doing so; or they can choose to take no action on the bill. If the President approves and signs the bill, it becomes a law. If the President vetoes the bill, it is returned to the congressional chamber it originated from, where members of Congress may attempt to override the veto. A successful override vote requires the support of two-thirds of those voting. If the override vote is successful, the bill becomes a law. However, if the President does not sign off on a bill and it remains unsigned when Congress is no longer in session, the bill will be vetoed by default in what is called a "pocket veto", and this cannot be overridden by Congress.

Congress can override presidential vetos

In the United States, laws begin as bills. These bills can be proposed by a sitting member of the U.S. Senate or House of Representatives, be a part of their election campaign, or be petitioned by citizens or citizen groups. Once a bill is introduced, it is assigned to a committee, which researches, discusses, and makes changes to the bill. The bill then goes through a process of research, discussion, changes, and voting in both the House and the Senate. If a bill passes both bodies of Congress, they must work out any discrepancies between the two versions and vote on the same version of the bill. If it passes, it is then presented to the President.

The President has the authority to veto legislation passed by Congress. This is one of the most powerful tools the President can use to prevent the passage of a bill. The President has 10 days (excluding Sundays) to act on the legislation; otherwise, it automatically becomes law. There are two types of vetoes: the "regular veto" and the "pocket veto." In the case of a regular veto, the President returns the unsigned legislation to the originating house of Congress within 10 days, usually with a memorandum of disapproval or a "veto message."

However, Congress can override a presidential veto with a two-thirds vote in both chambers. This means that if there is significant support for the bill, Congress can stop the President from blocking it. While Congress can override presidential vetoes, it does not happen frequently.

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