Who Has The Power To Enact Laws?

Bills are proposed new laws or changes to existing laws. They are created by legislators, who act as authors, and are then sent to the Legislative Counsel where they are drafted into an official bill. Once a bill is introduced, it is assigned to a committee, which will research, discuss, and make changes to the bill. The bill is then put before the chamber to be voted on. If the bill passes one body of Congress, it goes to the other body to go through a similar process of research, discussion, changes, and voting. 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 then has the choice to approve the bill and sign it into law, or refuse to approve it, which is called a veto. If the president chooses to veto a bill, Congress can vote to override that veto and the bill becomes a law.

The process of a bill becoming a law

• Idea and Drafting:
• Introduction:

Once the bill is drafted, it must be introduced. If a Representative authors the bill, it is introduced in the House. If a Senator authors it, it is introduced in the Senate. The bill is then given a number and assigned to a committee.

Committee Review:

The committee reviews, discusses, and makes changes to the bill. Committees are composed of groups of Representatives or Senators with expertise in specific areas, such as agriculture, health, or international relations. The committee may hold hearings, gather expert opinions, and make amendments to the bill.

Subcommittee Review:

The bill may be referred to a subcommittee for further specialised review and hearings. The subcommittee can make changes to the bill and must vote to refer it back to the full committee.

Committee Markup and Approval:

After the hearings and subcommittee review, the full committee meets to "mark up" the bill, making any necessary revisions and amendments. If the committee votes in favour of the bill, it is reported to the floor, also known as the chamber, for further debate and voting.

Floor Debate and Voting:

Once the bill reaches the floor, there is additional debate, and members of the chamber vote to approve any amendments. The bill is then voted on, and if it passes, it moves to the other chamber (Senate or House).

Second Chamber Review:

The bill goes through a similar process in the second chamber, including research, discussion, changes, and voting. If the bill passes in the second chamber, any differences between the two versions must be reconciled.

Presidential Review:

Once both chambers approve the bill, it is presented to the President for review. The President can choose to sign and pass the bill, in which case it becomes a law. Alternatively, the President may veto the bill, sending it back to Congress with their reasons for the veto.

Veto Override (if applicable):

If the President vetoes the bill, Congress can attempt to override the veto. If two-thirds of both the Senate and the House support the bill, the President's veto is overridden, and the bill becomes a law.

It is important to note that the process may vary slightly depending on the specific circumstances and the state in question. Additionally, there are different types of vetoes and procedural nuances that can impact the journey of a bill becoming a law.

The role of Congress

The United States Congress is made up of the House of Representatives and the Senate. Congress is the law-making branch of the federal government and has the sole authority to enact legislation.

The process of passing a bill begins with a representative sponsoring a bill. The bill is then assigned to a committee for study. If released by the committee, the bill is put on a calendar to be voted on, debated, or amended. If the bill passes by a simple majority, it moves to the Senate. In the Senate, the bill is assigned to another committee and, if released, debated and voted on. Again, a simple majority passes the bill. Finally, a conference committee made up of House and Senate members works out any differences between the House and Senate versions of the bill. The resulting bill returns to the House and Senate for final approval. The Government Publishing Office prints the revised bill in a process called enrolling. The President then has the bill for consideration.

The idea for a bill can come from a sitting member of the U.S. Senate or House of Representatives or 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. 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. If the bill passes one body of Congress, it goes to the other body to go through a similar process of research, discussion, changes, and voting.

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 can approve the bill and sign it into law, or they can refuse to approve a bill, which is called a veto. If the president chooses to veto a bill, in most cases, Congress can vote to override that veto, and the bill becomes a law. But 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. This action is called a pocket veto, and it cannot be overridden by Congress.

The role of the Senate

The Senate plays a crucial role in the process of passing a bill and transforming it into a law. The United States Congress, which comprises the Senate and the House of Representatives, holds the sole authority to enact legislation.

The legislative process begins with the introduction of a bill to Congress. A bill is a proposal for a new law or a change to an existing one. The idea for a bill can come from a sitting member of the Senate or the House of Representatives, or it can be proposed during their election campaign. Additionally, bills can be petitioned by citizens or groups who recommend new or amended laws to their Congressional representative.

Once a bill is introduced, it is assigned to a committee. There are 17 Senate committees with 70 subcommittees, and each committee oversees a specific policy area. The subcommittees take on more specialized policy areas. The bill is first considered in a subcommittee, where it may be accepted, amended, or rejected. If the subcommittee agrees to move the bill forward, it is reported to the full committee, where the process is repeated. During this stage, committees and subcommittees call hearings to investigate the merits and flaws of the bill, inviting experts, advocates, and opponents to provide testimony.

If the full committee approves the bill, it is reported to the floor of the Senate, and the majority party leadership decides when to place the bill on the calendar for consideration. The bill is then debated and voted on. The Senate typically processes legislation through deliberation and debate prior to voting. Senators can speak as long as they want and can bring up issues beyond the scope of the bill under consideration. Amendments can also be introduced freely. Senators can use this process to filibuster a bill, delaying a vote and, by extension, its passage. A supermajority of 60 Senators can, however, break a filibuster by invoking cloture and forcing a vote. A simple majority (51 of 100) is required to pass a bill in the Senate.

If a bill passes in the Senate, and a similar bill also passes in the House of Representatives, then a conference committee, consisting of members from both chambers, is formed to reconcile any differences between the two versions. The resulting bill returns to the House and Senate for final approval.

The Senate, therefore, plays a vital role in the legislative process, from the introduction of bills to committee reviews, debates, votes, and the final approval of reconciled legislation.

The role of the House of Representatives

The House of Representatives is one of two bodies that form the United States Congress, the other being the Senate. The House has 435 elected members, divided among the 50 states in proportion to their total population. There are also six non-voting members, representing the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and four other US territories.

The House of Representatives has several powers that are exclusive to it. These include the power to initiate revenue bills, impeach federal officials, and elect the President in the case of an Electoral College tie. Only the House can initiate tax and revenue-related legislation. The House is also responsible for levying and collecting taxes, duties, imposts, and excises, and providing for the common defence and general welfare of the United States.

The House plays a crucial role in the legislative process, which begins with the introduction of a bill. 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 House of Representatives or 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. The committee will hold hearings, inviting experts, advocates, and opponents to provide testimony. If the committee votes to approve the bill, it is reported to the floor of the House, where it will be debated and amended. The House has a very structured debate process, with each member wishing to speak given only a few minutes, and the number and kind of amendments usually limited.

If the bill passes the House by a simple majority (218 out of 435), it moves to the Senate, where the process of committee review, debate, and voting is repeated. If the bill passes the Senate, a conference committee made up of members from both chambers works out any differences between the House and Senate versions. The resulting bill returns to the House and Senate for final approval.

In summary, the House of Representatives plays a key role in the legislative process by initiating and passing bills, which then move to the Senate for further consideration. The House has exclusive powers in certain areas, such as revenue legislation and impeachment, and its members actively participate in shaping and approving legislation through committee work and floor debates.

The role of the President

The President plays a crucial role in the process of turning a bill into a law. Once a bill has been introduced, assigned to a committee, voted on, and passed by both bodies of Congress, it is presented to the President for review.

The President has several options when it comes to the bill. They can choose to approve the bill and sign it into law. On the other hand, the President can also refuse to approve a bill by vetoing it.

If the President chooses to veto a bill, Congress has the power to override that veto and pass the bill into law anyway. However, if the President does not sign off on a bill and Congress is no longer in session, the bill will be vetoed by default, known as a "pocket veto." This type of veto cannot be overridden by Congress.

Additionally, if a bill contains items of appropriation, the President may eliminate or reduce those items while approving the rest of the bill. This is known as a line-item veto.

Once a bill is signed by the President or has its veto overridden by both houses of Congress, it becomes a law and is assigned an official number.

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