legislative process

• Introduction of legislation (can be introduced in either house)

  Must be introduced by the speaker/majority leader or else it will die

  President's bill must be sponsored by a member of Congress
• First reading

  Formality in the Senate - title read out

  In the House it is placed in a ‘hopper’ on the clerk’s desk

  Nothing fails at this stage
• Committee stage

  In both Senate and House, and the party with the majority leads the committee

  Usually where bills go to die - only 1/4 bills make it out of the committee stage, both houses must agree at this stage

  Bills that do not pass are 'pigeon holed'
• Timetabling

  Deciding the timeline for a debate

  House rules committee = House of Representatives

  Senate majority leader = Senate
• Floor action

  Debates time limited in the House

  Right on unlimited debate -> filibusters
• Second/third reading

  Amendments are knows as 'mark ups'
• Conference committee

  Representatives from the House and the Senate reconcile the two different bills and come up with a compromise bill, if this works, it goes to the President
• Presidential action

  President can sign it/veto/pocket veto

  Congress can override the President’s veto with a ⅔ vote in both houses