Crash Course GoPo #9
What are the options for the President when it comes to signing bills into law?
1. The President can sign the bill (which after this happens it will go to the judicial branch). 2. The President can veto the bill (will go back to the legislative branch and veto can be overwritten by ⅔ vote). 3. (ONLY AVAILABLE AT THE END OF A CONGRESSIONAL TERM) If the President neither signs or vetoes the bill and then in the next 10 days, Congress goes out of session, the bill does not become a law (CALLED POCKET VETO).
How many votes are needed for the House to approve a bill?
238 votes or more are needed for the House to approve a bill.
After the bill is introduced where does it go?
After the bill is introduced, it is referred to a COMMITTEE. **REMEMBER REVENUE BILLS ONLY IN THE HOUSE
What is the one check on the President regarding bills?
Congress can get 2/3rds vote in both houses to override the President's veto regarding the bills.
If the mark-up bill receives a majority from the committee, where does it go?
If the mark-up bill receives a majority from the committee, it moves to the floor of the full Senate for consideration (USING SENATE AS AN EXAMPLE IF THE BILL BEGAN IN THE SENATE... IT CAN BEGIN IN THE HOUSE IF IT STARTED AT THE HOUSE).
What is an open rule and closed rule? What are their implications?
OPEN RULE: Allows for amendments to be done. IMPLICATION: Make it much less likely for bills to pass because the proponents of the bill can add clauses that will make it hard for the bill's proponents to vote for. CLOSED RULE: Does not allow for amendments to be done. IMPLICATION: Makes it to where there can not be anything added on which makes it solid.
If both houses are required to pass the same version of a bill, how often does that happen? What is the solution if they don't have the same version?
Oftenly, some changes will be wanted to made on the bill and it will go to a conference committee, which is made up of members of both houses. The conference committee attempts to reconcile both versions of the bill and come up with a new version, sometimes called a COMPROMISE BILL.
What is the one difference in the step-by-step process of how a bill becomes a law in the House?
The House has an EXTRA STEP in that all bills before they out to the floor of the House must go to the Rules Committee, which reports it out to the house.
What is the first step (formal) on how a bill becomes law? Who can help with the idea of a law?
The first step (formal) on how a bill becomes a law is BILL INTRODUCTION from legislator (by Congressman or Senator introducing a bill). Interest groups, the executive branch, or constituents can help with the idea of a law.
When it comes to floor debate in the Senate, what types of rules do they determine?
When it comes to floor debate in the Senate, the type of rules they determine is HOW LONG the debate will go on and whether or not there will be AMENDMENTS.