First watch the school house rock video to the right to get an overview of the process.
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When a bill reaches a committee it is placed on the committee’s calendar. A bill can be referred to a subcommittee or considered by the committee as a whole. It is at this point that a bill is examined carefully and its chances for passage are determined. If the committee does not act on a bill, it is the equivalent of killing it.
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Once a bill is passed out of committee and back to the whole House or Senate floor, it is ready to be debated by the whole floor, possibly amended even further if needed, and be voted on. This process is called floor consideration. Once a bill passes floor consideration in either the House or the Senate it is then sent to the other house where it will undergo the whole committee, floor consideration, and voting process again. A bill must pass both the Senate and the House floor consideration process to go to the next step.
When a bill reaches the floor of the House or Senate, there are rules or procedures governing the debate on legislation. These rules determine the conditions and amount of time allocated for general debate. |
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After a bill has been approved by both the House and Senate in identical form, it is sent to the President. If the President approves of the legislation he/she signs it and it becomes law. Or, the President can take no action for ten days, while Congress is in session, and it automatically becomes law. If the President opposes the bill he/she can veto it; or, if he/she takes no action after the Congress has adjourned its second session, it is a “pocket veto” and the legislation dies.
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If the President vetoes a bill, Congress may attempt to “override the veto.” This requires a two thirds roll call vote of the members who are present in sufficient numbers for a quorum.
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