The document provides an overview of the congressional lawmaking process in the United States, outlining the key steps and phases involved. It discusses how a new Congress is convened, with lawmakers choosing leadership and committee assignments. It then explains the working of committees, where bills are assigned, debated, amended, and voted on. The process of debating and voting on bills on the House and Senate floors is also outlined. The document concludes by noting the final steps of a bill becoming law, including reconciliation between the House and Senate versions, and presidential action or veto.

1. Congressional Lawmaking Day 11 TCI ch12 July 8, 2008

2. Notes - Day 11 (TCI Ch12) Essential Question: How do laws really get made? (do notes in sections with phases?)

3. Notes part 1 - Convening a New Congress before a new Congress convenes, lawmakers from each party meet to choose Congressional leadership

4. Committee Assignments leaders of each party decide number of seats each party gets on committees majority party ensures control of each committee some comtes more desired/important new members get less desired comtes

5. First Day of New Congress first day begins with series of ceremonies House votes for Speaker, gets oath of office, swears in all House members VP swears in Senate members

6. Notes part 2 - Working in Committee Cmtes choose chairpersons - often by seniority member of majority party

7. Assigning Bills to Comte bills must be introduced by a member of Congress - no matter who thought of it Congressperson who introduces bill is the Sponsor Speaker of House or presiding officer of Senate assigns bill to committee

8. Bills in Committee committee chair decides what to do with the bill ignore the bill - it won’t become law assign to subcommittee for study

9. Path in Subcommittee phase 1: hearings - gather info and hear testimony from “experts” phase 2: markup - members amend (make changes) to the bill phase 3: report - send bill back to full comittee full committee - more hearings, amendments, send to full House or Senate for floor vote

10. House Rules Comte In the Senate - a bill reported out of comte is ready to be voted on In House - bill must first go to House Rules Comte schedules bill for debate or vote influenced by Speaker of the House

11. Notes part 3 - Debating and Voting on House and Senate Floor

12. Majority Party Controls Debate Speaker of the House and Senate Majority Leader determine which bills will be debated and for how long

13. House Debate House Rules Comte has to limit floor debate - 435 members can take too much time usually 30 min for each party bill sponsor or main opponent usually determines who speaks

14. Senate Debate Senate allows unlimited debate (usually) filibuster - prolonged debate to prevent passing a bill (no vote taken) cloture - 2/3 of Senate can vote to cut off debate

15. Amendments amendments to bills should be related riders - amendment to bill with no relation to subject easy way to get pet projects passed

16. Voting on a Bill voice vote - aye or no - presiding officer decides who was louder standing vote - supporters/opponents stand to be counted roll-call vote - each members vote is recorded Senate - clerk calls name records vote House - electronic voting system

17. Influences on Legislators interest groups - try to get legislators to vote certain way party leaders - try to get legislators to vote certain way colleagues - “logrolling” - members vote for each other’s stuff

18. Notes - last part Final Steps in the Legislative Process

19. Congress Speaks as One a bill passed in the House must be passed in the Senate and vice versa must work out differences so bills are identical - joint conference comte up-or-down vote - bill gets voted on again, no more chances for changes

20. President Takes Action President has 10 days to: sign the bill into law veto the bill take no action - becomes law anyway at end of 10 days if not 10 days remaining - pocket veto

21. Override Veto Congress can override veto with 2/3 vote of House and Senate difficult to do