Why Do Most Bills Fail To Become Laws?

The process of turning a bill into a law is a long and complex one. In the US, the legislative process begins with the introduction of a bill, which is a proposal for a new law or a change to an existing law. This can be done by any sitting member of the US Senate or House of Representatives, or even by citizens who petition their representatives. Once introduced, the bill is assigned to a committee, where it is researched, discussed, and amended. It is then put before the chamber for a vote. If it passes one body of Congress, it goes through a similar process in the other body. If both bodies vote to accept the bill, they must work out any differences and vote on the same version. If it passes, it is presented to the President, who can approve it or veto it. If the President chooses to veto the bill, Congress can vote to override the veto, and the bill becomes a law. However, if the President does not sign off on the bill and Congress is no longer in session, the bill is vetoed by default, in what is called a pocket veto, which cannot be overridden.

Bills are introduced by a member of the House or Senate

Bills are introduced by a member of the House of Representatives or the Senate, who is known as the primary sponsor. The idea for a bill can come from 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 people or citizen groups who recommend a new or amended law to a member of Congress that represents them. Citizens who have ideas for laws can contact their Representatives to discuss their ideas. If the Representatives agree, they research the ideas and write them into bills.

The process of introducing a bill differs slightly between the House and the Senate. In the House, a bill is introduced when it is placed in the hopper—a special box on the side of the clerk's desk. Only Representatives can introduce bills in the House. When a bill is introduced, a bill clerk assigns it a number that begins with H.R. A reading clerk then reads the bill to all the Representatives, and the Speaker of the House sends the bill to one of the House standing committees.

In the Senate, a bill is typically submitted to clerks on the Senate floor. Upon introduction, the bill will receive a designation based on the chamber of introduction, for example, H.R. or H.J.Res. for House-originated bills or joint resolutions and S. or S.J.Res. for Senate-originated measures. It will also receive a number, which is usually the next number available in sequence during that two-year Congress.

Bills are assigned to a committee

Once a bill has been introduced, it is assigned to a committee. The Speaker of the House or the presiding officer in the Senate will refer the bill to the appropriate committee. In the House, the Speaker may refer a bill to multiple committees, but must designate a primary committee of jurisdiction. In the Senate, a bill is usually referred to the committee with jurisdiction over the issue that predominates in the bill.

Committees are groups of Representatives who are experts on a particular topic, such as agriculture, education, or international relations. They will review, research, and revise the bill before voting on whether to send it back to the House floor. Committees may also hold hearings and request additional information from government agencies before deciding on a bill. If they require further information, they may send the bill to a subcommittee to be closely examined and for expert opinions to be gathered.

If the committee approves a bill, it is sent, or reported, to the House floor. A committee will also prepare a written report explaining why they favour the bill and why they wish to see their amendments adopted. Committee members who oppose a bill may write a dissenting opinion in the report.

In the House, most bills will go to the Rules Committee before reaching the floor. The Rules Committee will adopt rules that will govern the procedures under which the bill will be considered by the House. A "closed rule" sets strict time limits on debate and forbids the introduction of amendments. These rules can have a major impact on whether a bill passes.

In the House, the Speaker and Majority Leader decide what will reach the floor and when. In the Senate, scheduling of legislation is the job of the Majority Leader, and bills can be brought to the floor whenever a majority of the Senate chooses.

Bills are voted on by the chamber

Once a bill has been introduced, it is assigned to a committee whose members will research, discuss, and make changes to the bill. The committee members are groups of representatives who are experts on topics such as agriculture, education, or international relations. The committee will hold a "mark-up" session during which it will make revisions and additions. If substantial amendments are made, the committee can order the introduction of a "clean bill" which will include the proposed amendments. This new bill will have a new number and will be sent to the floor while the old bill is discarded. The chamber must approve, change or reject all committee amendments before conducting a final passage vote.

Once the bill has been reported, the committee staff prepares a written report explaining why they favor the bill and why they wish to see their amendments, if any, adopted. Committee members who oppose a bill sometimes write a dissenting opinion in the report. The report is sent back to the whole chamber and is placed on the calendar.

In the U.S. House of Representatives, there are three methods for voting on a bill:

• Viva Voce (voice vote): The Speaker of the House asks the Representatives who support the bill to say "aye" and those that oppose it say "no."
• Division: The Speaker of the House asks those Representatives who support the bill to stand up and be counted, and then those who oppose the bill to stand up and be counted.
• Recorded: Representatives record their vote using the electronic voting system. Representatives can vote yes, no, or present (if they don’t want to vote on the bill).

If a majority of the Representatives say or select yes, the bill passes in the U.S. House of Representatives. The bill is then certified by the Clerk of the House and delivered to the U.S. Senate.

In the U.S. Senate, senators vote by voice. Those who support the bill say "yea," and those who oppose it say "nay." If a majority of the Senators say "yea," the bill passes in the U.S. Senate and is ready to go to the President.

Bills are sent to the other chamber

Once a bill has been passed by one chamber of Congress, it is sent to the other chamber to go through a similar process of research, discussion, changes, and voting.

In the case of the U.S. House of Representatives, a bill is introduced when it is placed in the hopper—a special box on the side of the clerk's desk. Only Representatives can introduce bills in the U.S. House of Representatives. When a bill is introduced, a bill clerk assigns it a number that begins with H.R. A reading clerk then reads the bill to all the Representatives, and the Speaker of the House sends the bill to one of the House standing committees.

In the Senate, a Senator usually introduces a bill or resolution by presenting it to one of the clerks at the Presiding Officer's desk, without commenting on it from the floor of the Senate. However, a Senator may use a more formal procedure by rising and introducing the bill or resolution from the floor, usually accompanied by a statement about the measure.

Once a bill reaches the other chamber, it is discussed in a committee and then reported to the chamber's floor to be voted on. If the bill passes in the other chamber, both chambers must then work out any differences between the two versions. If they can agree on the same version, the bill is sent to the President for approval.

Bills are sent to the President

Once a bill has been passed by both the House of Representatives and the Senate, it is sent to the President for review. The President has three options: they can sign the bill into law, refuse to sign it (veto it), or do nothing. If the President chooses to veto the bill, Congress can override this decision with a two-thirds majority vote in both the House and the Senate. If the President does nothing, the bill will become law automatically if Congress is still in session, but if Congress is not in session, the bill will not become law. This is known as a "pocket veto".

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