Describe the Basic Process by Which Bills Become Laws Answers

POL 101 Video worksheet-How a bill becomes a law Answer the following questions as you watch this video. Describe the basic process by which bills become laws. After both the house and senate have approved a bill in identical form, the bill is sent to the president. If the president approves of the legislation, it is signed and becomes law. If the president takes no action for ten days while congress is in session, the bill automatically becomes law. What does the House Rules Committee do? The house rules committee considers all bills reported from policy and fiscal committees and determines whether, and in what order, to schedule their consideration on the floor of the house. The rules committee also reviews, adopts, and schedules consideration of floor resolutions. What is a conference committee? Committees are essential to the effective operation of legislative bodies. Committee membership enables members to develop specialized knowledge of the matters under their jurisdiction. What is a pocket veto? A legislative maneuver that allows a president or other ofÏcial with veto power to exercise that power over a bill by taking no action, thus effectively killing the bill without afÏrmatively vetoing it. How can Congress avoid pocket vetoes? The president returns the unsigned legislation to the originating house of congress within a 10day period usually with a memorandum of disapproval or a “veto message.” Congress can override the president’s decision if it musters the necessary two-third vote of each house What are some of the reasons why the majority of bills don’t get passed? If the president refuses to sign it, the bill does to become a law. When the president refuses to sign the bill, the result is called a veto. What are veto gates? Points in the legislative process where a proposed bill can be defeated, so that if fails to become a law. Why would Congress want to kill a bill by not voting on them? Failure to act on a bill is equivalent to killing it. Bills in the house can only be released from committee without a proper committee vote by a discharge petition signed by a majority of the House membership. Why does the Constitution make passing laws so difÏcult? The law making process in congress is designed to make passing laws more difÏcult due to the checks and balances within system where the bill is checked by house, senate, and goes through a committee system, and president before it can become legislation.