1. How Congress Makes Laws

2. A bill is a proposed law that is being introduced to Congress.
What is a Bill?
A bill is a proposed law that is being introduced to Congress.

3. How a Bill Starts
A bill starts as an idea that can come from ANYBODY. (The average citizen, the politician themselves, a company, a political organization or the president)
The idea must then be drafted into a bill.

4. Congress: The Legislative Branch
Congress is made up of the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate.
They meet here, at Capitol Hill, a.k.a. the Capitol Dome, to decide what bills will become laws.
U.S. Senate
House of Representatives

5. The Power of the Majority Party
The Majority Party is the political party (Republicans or Democrats) that have more Reps. or Senators.
Currently, the Republicans are the Majority Party in the Senate, and the Democrats have the majority in the House.
The majority party gets to pick the “Speaker of the House” and the “Senate Majority Leader.”

6. The Speaker of the House (until last night)
The current Speaker of the House is me, Paul Ryan! I’m a Rep from Wisconsin!
I’m a Republican!
I get to pick who will chair committees.
If Trump and Pence die, I’m next in line to be President!

7. The Bill is Introduced
A bill can be introduced in either the House of Representatives, or the Senate.
It is then given a title H.R for example which stands for House Resolution.
It is then referred to a Committee.

8. The Committee System
Both the House and the Senate have Committees. Committees are in charge of specific duties, like education, armed services, transportation, banking, etc.
All Committees have:
A Chair
Subcommittees (smaller groups within larger committees – they are in charge of investigating and debating a proposed bill)

9. The Power of the Chair
The chair of a Committee usually comes from the Majority party.
The chair sets the agenda for each meeting of the Committee.
A bill can die in Committee if it is never put on the agenda.

10. Subcommittee If a bill is sent to a Subcommittee, it gets a hearing.
At the hearing, public testimony is heard, expert opinions are heard.
A report is drafted and the bill is sent back to the “floor” of the House of Reps.

11. The “Floor”
When a Bill is sent back to the floor it is often discussed, then amended (changed) .
If the bill is voted down, it dies.
If it is voted up it goes over to the Senate.

12. In the Senate… The bill will go through the entire process again.
FINALLY, if the bill is voted up in the Senate, it is sent to the President to signed into law.

13. The President’s Power
The President can sign the bill, making it a law or…
The President can veto the bill killing it.
A veto from the President is a rejection of the bill and it dies.
A veto can be overturned by Congress but only with a 2/3 majority vote. 13

14. Ways to Stop a Dominant Political Party – THE FILLIBUSTER
If a political party knows they will lose a vote, they can talk for a long period of time, so that the Senate never gets to call a vote
Ex: Strom Thurmond, a Senator from the South once spoke for 23 hours straight in 1957 so Congress would not be able to vote on Civil Rights legislation.
Can only be overridden by 60 votes in the Senate.

15. Connections…
What will it mean for bills now that congress is split between the two parties?
What could that mean for the president’s agenda?
Time to practice!