The Legislative Process: Appropriations Bills To Laws

The process of an appropriations bill becoming a law is a complex one, but it can be broken down into several key steps. Firstly, any member of Congress can introduce a bill, which is then assigned a number and sent to the Government Printing Office for copying. The bill is then referred to the appropriate committee, which may refer it to a specific subcommittee for further review. After hearings and a mark-up session, the bill is voted on by the full committee. If it passes, it goes back to the House or Senate floor for further debate and a final vote. If it passes this vote, it is sent to the other chamber to repeat the process. If both chambers pass the bill, it is sent to the President for review. The President can sign the bill into law, take no action for 10 days while Congress is in session (a pocket veto), or veto it. If vetoed, the bill is sent back to Congress, which can override the veto with a two-thirds majority vote in both chambers.

Introduction of Bill

The introduction of a bill is the first step in the legislative process. Any member of Congress can introduce a piece of legislation. In the House, legislation is handed to the clerk or placed in the hopper, while in the Senate, members must gain recognition from the presiding officer to announce the introduction of a bill during the morning hour. If a senator objects, the introduction is postponed until the next day.

Once introduced, the bill is assigned a number (e.g., HR 1 or S 1) and labelled with the sponsor's name. It is then sent to the Government Printing Office (GPO) for copying. Senate bills can be jointly sponsored, and members can cosponsor the legislation.

The introduction of a bill is a critical step in the legislative process, as it marks the beginning of a bill's journey towards becoming a law. It is during this stage that the bill is assigned key identifiers, such as a number and sponsor, and made accessible to other members of Congress through the copying process.

The introduction of an appropriations bill is particularly important as it deals with the allocation of federal funds to specific government departments, agencies, and programs. These bills provide funding for operations, personnel, equipment, and activities. With the introduction of an appropriations bill, Congress exercises its power to authorize the expenditure of government funds and set money aside for specific spending.

Committee Consideration

The committee consideration stage of an appropriations bill is a critical phase in the legislative process, where committees provide intensive scrutiny and offer the public an opportunity to be heard. The bill is referred to the relevant committee by the Speaker of the House or the presiding officer in the Senate, with the actual referral decision often made by the House or Senate parliamentarian.

The committee will seek input from relevant departments and agencies, and may also submit the bill to the Government Accountability Office for an official report on its necessity or desirability. The bill can be assigned to a subcommittee by the Chairman, which will then report its findings to the full committee. Hearings may be held, and witnesses who appear before the committee are usually required to file a written statement of their proposed testimony in advance.

After hearings are completed, the subcommittee will usually hold a "markup" session, where the views of both sides are studied in detail, and a vote is taken to determine the subcommittee's action on the bill. The subcommittee may report the bill favourably to the full committee, with or without amendments, or may suggest tabling it or postponing action. Each member of the subcommittee has one vote, regardless of party affiliation.

The full committee will then hold its own vote, and if the bill is voted through, it is "ordered to be reported". The committee will then hold a "mark-up" session of its own, where revisions and additions are made. If substantial amendments are put forward, the committee can order the introduction of a "clean bill" that includes these amendments, which will have a new number and supersede the old bill.

The committee staff will then prepare a written report explaining why they favour the bill and wish to see their amendments adopted. Committee members who oppose the bill may write a dissenting opinion to be included in the report. The report is then sent back to the whole chamber and placed on the calendar.

Bill is Reported and Debated

Once the bill is reported out of the committee, the process differs between the House and the Senate. In the House, the bill goes to the Rules Committee, where rules are given to the legislation that regulates time limits for debate and determines whether all members of the House can offer amendments. A "closed rule", for example, sets strict time limits on debate and forbids the introduction of amendments. The rules committee can be bypassed in three ways: 1) members can move rules to be suspended (this requires a two-thirds vote); 2) a discharge petition can be filed; or 3) the House can use a Calendar Wednesday procedure.

In the Senate, the bill moves from committee passage to floor debate. The Speaker of the House and the Senate Majority Leader hold great power due to their responsibility for scheduling floor debate. A common tactic for “killing” a bill is to delay scheduling of the bill so that it may not be voted on. After the bill is scheduled, floor debate occurs and amendments may be offered (if allowed by the rule in the House).

The bill is then voted on for final passage. If it passes, the same process occurs in the other chamber. The legislation passed individually by the House and Senate usually differs due to the amendments offered in the committees and on the floor.

Bill is Sent to the President

Once a bill has been passed by both the House and the Senate, it is sent to the President for review. The President can then take one of three actions:

• Sign and pass the bill, which is now a law.
• Veto the bill, sending it back to Congress with a note listing their reasons for doing so. If the House and the Senate still strongly believe the bill should be a law, they can hold another vote to override the veto, but this requires a two-thirds majority in both chambers.
• Do nothing, which is known as a "pocket veto". If Congress is in session, the bill will automatically become a law after 10 days. If Congress is not in session, the bill is dead.

The Bill Becomes Law or is Vetoed

Once a bill has been approved by both the House and the Senate, it is sent to the President for review. The President can either:

• Sign the bill, thus making it a law.
• Refuse to sign the bill within 10 days and send it back to Congress with a note listing their reasons for doing so. This is called a veto. If Congress is in session, the bill does not become law. This is known as a "pocket veto".
• Do nothing. If Congress is in session, the bill automatically becomes a law after 10 days.

If the President vetoes the bill, the chamber that originated the legislation can attempt to override the veto by a two-thirds vote of those present. If the veto is overridden in both chambers, the bill becomes law.

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