American Government Ch. 12.3 - 12.4

What happens to a bill immediately after it is introduced in the House?

It is numbered.

How is a resolution different from a bill? Describe the different type of resolutions.

A resolution is deals with matters concerning either house alone and are taken up only by that house. Joint - Simalar to bills, have the force of law. Usually deal with unusual or temporary matters. Concurrent - deal with matters which the House and Senat

What options does a committee have when reviewing a bill?

1) Report the bill favorably, "Pass" 2) Refuse to report the bill 3) Report the bill in amended form 4) Report the bill with an unfavorable recomendation. Not common. 5) Report a committee bill.

How have debate and voting rules in the House changed in the past two centuries? What are the benefits of these changes?

Forbidding any member from holding the floor for more than one hour without unanimous consent to speak for a longer time. Speaker has the power to force any member who strays from the subject at hand to give up the floor. New computerized system for votin

Explain what a filibuster is and how it works. (Make sure your answer includes why it is used.)

An attempt to "talk a bill to death

What is cloture and why is it hard to achieve?

Limiting debate. There is a large procedure. Also senators hesitate because they have dedication to the tradition of free debate and they have a worry that the frequent use of cloture will undercut the value of the filibuster that they may someday want to

What is the purpose of a conference committee?

A temporary joint committee of the two houses used to iron out the differences and come up with a compromise bill.

What are the President's options when he (and someday she) receives a bill from Congress?

1) To sign it - becomes a law 2) To veto it - refuse to sign it, must be returned to original house with a veto message 3) To allow the bill to become a law without signing - not acting on it for 10 days 4) Pocket Veto - If congress adjours its session wi

What is the effect of a Presidential veto? How can Congress respond?

It is sent back to the house it originated in with a veto message. Can be passed over the president's veto by congress by a 2/3 vote.