Legislative Process

Enacting new legislation is a multistep process that involves both the:

• Committee and Commission

• Courts and Congress

• House and Senate

• President and Vice President

What is the process for creating new laws?

• The president writes the law → Congress approves → Supreme Court reviews

• A bill is introduced → sent to committee/subcommittee → debated/voted on in House and Senate → differences reconciled in conference committee → sent to president to sign or veto

• Committees vote on ideas → president signs → law is enforced

• Senators introduce a bill → filibuster → veto → override

Which type of bill must originate in the House of Representatives?

• Foreign policy bills

• Revenue bills

• Judicial bills

• Military bills

After introduction, a bill is first sent to a:

• Party leader

• Committee

• Conference committee

• Commission

Which statement best describes the difference between committees and commissions?

• Committees only exist in the Senate; commissions only in the House

• Committees enforce laws; commissions pass laws

• Committees are temporary; commissions are permanent

• Committees are made up of lawmakers; commissions may include outside experts

In the House of Representatives, debate is:

• Unlimited, like in the Senate

• Limited by the Rules Committee

• Controlled by the Supreme Court

• Decided by the president

In the Senate, a senator who speaks endlessly to delay a vote is using which tactic?

• Veto

• Cloture

• Filibuster

• Override

To stop a filibuster in the Senate, how many senators must vote for cloture?

• 50

• 60

• 51

• 67

Standing committees are important because they:

• Handle permanent subject areas such as defense or agriculture

• Reconcile differences between House and Senate bills

• Enforce laws after they are passed

• Approve or reject presidential vetoes

What is the main effect of the cloture rule in the Senate?

• It ensures bills automatically pass with majority support

• It allows the president to stop debate on a bill

• It ends unlimited debate if 60 senators vote to limit it

• It guarantees equal speaking time for every senator