Describe the stages of passing legislation in Congress. How does the flow of legislation through Congress differ from the “textbook” descriptions of the process?

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

The traditional path of a bill through Congress is for it to be introduced either in the House or the Senate, remembering that bills dealing with taxation or spending must start in the House. From there, the bill is assigned by partisan leadership to a committee and/or a subcommittee. Most bills (90%) die at this point. Some bills, especially those that are particularly important, may start in the House and the Senate simultaneously. Once out of committee, the bill is given a second reading and a floor vote. If the bill passes the House or Senate, it may then proceed to the other body for committee debate and, if reported favorably, a vote on the floor of that body. Simultaneous bills, if they pass in both houses, go directly to conference committee after a floor vote (if there are two differing versions of the bill). Alternately, a “ping-pong” session may take place in which compromises are made by the House and Senate until one single bill is prepared for the president’s signature. The president may then sign the bill, veto the bill (which can be overridden with a 2/3 vote in both houses) or may, if Congress is not in session, “pocket veto” the bill by doing nothing to it and letting it die after 10 working days. For this reason, the House and Senate may keep a small contingency in Congress during recess times in order not to allow for a pocket veto on important legislation. Nontraditional means of passing legislation have become a new norm in the House and the Senate, which often leads to “gridlock” and fewer, if any, pieces of legislation making it to the president’s desk for signature. For instance, the use or threat of filibusters in the Senate has had an impact on recent legislation, just as the threat of presidential veto has an impact on the actions of the House and the Senate.