How a Bill Becomes a Law: Crash Course Government and Politics #9

Summary

In this Crash Course episode, Craig explores the intricate process of how a bill becomes a law in the U.S., highlighting the roles of Congress, committees, and the President. He explains the journey from bill introduction to potential veto, emphasizing the numerous 'veto gates' that can halt legislation. Craig also discusses the purpose of these procedural hurdles in preventing the passage of ill-considered laws and the rarity of overrides, providing a clear and engaging overview of the legislative process.

Takeaways

• 📜 The process of making a bill into a law begins with a legislator introducing a bill, often inspired by interest groups, the executive branch, or constituents.
• 🏛️ Bills are referred to a committee after introduction, where they are drafted in legal language, and voted on.
• 🏫 Revenue bills must originate in the House of Representatives, reflecting the Constitution's assignment of revenue-related powers.
• 🗣️ The Senate sets rules for debate, including time limits and whether amendments are allowed, which can influence the bill's passage.
• 🔄 If a bill passes in the Senate, it moves to the House, where it undergoes an additional review by the Rules Committee before a floor vote.
• 🤝 For a bill to become law, it must pass both the House and Senate in identical form, which is rare and often leads to negotiations.
• 🤔 The conference committee reconciles differences between House and Senate versions of a bill, aiming to produce a compromise version.
• ✍️ The President has three options upon receiving a bill: sign it into law, veto it, or neither sign nor veto it, allowing it to become law if Congress is still in session.
• 🚫 The President can also pocket veto a bill by not signing it and not vetoing it as Congress's term ends, preventing it from becoming law.
• 🔄 If the President vetoes a bill, Congress can override the veto with a two-thirds majority vote in both houses, a rare but possible occurrence.
• 🛑 Many bills fail to become laws due to the numerous 'veto gates' or hurdles, such as committee refusal, lack of majority votes, or filibustering.

Q & A

What is the primary topic of the video?

The video explains how a bill becomes a law in the U.S. government.

What is the role of a Congressman or Senator in the process of creating a law?

A Congressman or Senator introduces a bill, which begins the formal legislative process.

What happens after a bill is introduced in either house of Congress?

The bill is referred to a committee, which writes up the bill in formal legal language (markup) and votes on it.

What is the significance of the Senate Armed Services Committee in the example given in the script?

The Senate Armed Services Committee is responsible for marking up and voting on the example bill about naming helicopters in the military.

How does the House of Representatives handle bills differently from the Senate?

The House has an extra step where the bill must go through the Rules Committee, which determines how it will be debated on the floor.

What is a conference committee and why is it needed?

A conference committee, made up of members from both houses, reconciles different versions of a bill to create a compromise version that can be voted on again.

What are the three options the President has once a bill is sent to them?

The President can sign the bill into law, veto the bill, or do nothing, allowing the bill to become law if Congress remains in session for 10 days.

What is a pocket veto?

A pocket veto occurs when the President neither signs nor vetoes the bill, and Congress adjourns within 10 days, causing the bill to fail.

How can Congress override a Presidential veto?

Congress can override a veto with a two-thirds majority vote in both the House and the Senate, which makes the bill a law without the President's signature.

What are 'veto gates,' and how do they affect the lawmaking process?

'Veto gates' are procedural hurdles that make it difficult for bills to pass, allowing various points in the process where a bill can be killed, such as in committee or through filibuster.

Why is it so difficult for a bill to become a law, according to the video?

The difficulty arises from the many procedural steps and checks, which were designed to prevent dangerous or poorly thought-out laws from passing easily.