Ryan Standifer

The CreationThe Review ProcessThe Oval OfficeConclusionReferences

The creation of a bill starts with something as simple as an idea.

Though most bills are created by congressmen, they can even come from the average citizen.

If a citizen would like to submit a bill, he or she would call their local congressman to pitch the idea.

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If accepted by the congressman, he will prepare the bill for committees.

It will be reviewed by a large committee and will then move to smaller sub-committees(Mount, 2011).

If the sub-committee approve the bill, it will start its perilous journey to the House.

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1.Who can create a bill?2.Who does one call to pitch a bill?3.Who is the first group that reviews a bill?

Answers1. Anyone.2. Their local congressman.3. A committee.

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Once the bill arrives in the House of Representatives it is reviewed by the entire House.

While in the House, the bill is debated and can even have amendments added to it(“How a bill”, 2010)

Once the House approves the bill, it is then moved to the Senate for further review.

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When the bill reaches the Senate it can either be voted upon right away or saved for a later date.

A simple voice vote is used when voting for the bill(Longley, n.d.).

If the bill is approved by the Senate it is on its way to its final test: The Oval Office.

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1. Can a bill have amendments added to it?2. Does the Senate review the bill first?3. What type of vote is used in the Senate?

Answers1. Yes.2. No, the House reviews it first.3. A voice vote.

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The Oval Office is the final place where a bill either lives or dies.

The President can either sign the bill into law, or he can veto the bill.

If the President vetoes the bill, it is sent back to congress for a revote(Mount, 2011).

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If Congress has a majority vote, they can override the veto.

If a bill goes unsigned for 10 days, then it automatically becomes law(“How a bill”, 2010).

Most of the time it is public knowledge if a President will veto a bill or sign it into law.

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1. Is a bill dead once the President vetoes it?2. If unsigned for 10 days does a bill die?3. Can Congress override a veto?

Answers1. No, it is sent back to the House.2. No, it becomes law.3. Yes, with a two-thirds majority vote.

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Every bill starts with an idea. This idea is transferred from an American citizen, to the House of Representatives, onto the Senate, and then finally to the Oval Office. Not every bill makes it. Many die somewhere in between the transfer and review process, but the ones that are deemed worthy live on to become law.

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Mount, S. (2011, January 24). Constitutional topic: how a bill becomes a law. Retrieved from http://www.usconstitution.net/consttop_law.html

How a bill becomes a law. (2010, December 29). Retrieved from http://www.genome.gov/12513982

Longley, R. (n.d.). The legislative process: how bills become laws or not. Retrieved from http://usgovinfo.about.com/od/uscongress/a/legprocess.htm

Yohe, T. (Artist). (1975). Schoolhouse rock bill. [Web]. Retrieved from http://www.astrobetter.com

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