YOUR NAMEINSTITUTIONAL AFFILIATION

PROFESSOR’S NAMESUBMISSION DATE

American Government: The Legislative Branch

Portfolio

Table of Contents

CitizenLobbyistSpeaker of the HouseSenatePresident

Role of the Citizen

Approach elected

officials with issues and

concerns and work with them to

develop a proposed bill

Role of the Lobbyist

Educators

Find legislators to sponsor a bill

Meet with committee

members (work through

committee process)

Builds coalition

Write position papers

Manage the bill through the

committee and floor votes

Role of the Speaker of the House

Presides and keeps order Presides over all sessions of the House Appoints a temporary presiding officer Refers bills to the standing committees Rules on points of order Puts questions to vote Decides the outcome of most votes taken Debates and vote on any matter before the House Finally bill is signed

Role of the Senator

Checks on government by scrutinizing bills

Delegated legislation Government administration May pass a bill without

amendment, pass it with amendments (or, in the case of money bills, request amendments before passing it) or reject it

Role of the President

A bill becomes law if signed by the President or if not signed within 10 days and Congress is in session

If Congress adjourns before the 10 days and the President has not signed the bill then it does not become law ("Pocket Veto.")

If the President vetoes the bill it is sent back to Congress with a note listing his/her reasons. The chamber that originated the legislation can attempt to override the veto by a vote of two-thirds of those present. If the veto of the bill is overridden in both chambers then it becomes law

References

Chang, A. (2013). When Lobbyists Literally Write The Bill : It's All Politics : NPR. Retrieved October 15, 2015, from http://www.npr.org/sections/itsallpolitics/2013/11/11/243973620/when-lobbyists-literally-write-the-bill

United States House of Represenatives. (n.d.). The Legislative Process · House.gov. Retrieved from http://www.house.gov/content/learn/legislative_process/

West Virginia Legislature. (n.d.). The Legislative Process - Citizen's Guide. Retrieved from http://www.legis.state.wv.us/educational/citizens/process.cfm

All pictures are ClipArt from Microsoft Powerpoint