How a U.S. federal bill becomes law

Civics & Economics · Government · ages 14-16

Name ______________________ Date ____________

What can a congressional committee do while reviewing a bill?
- Examine the proposal and recommend amendments
- Sign the bill for the president
- Approve the bill for both chambers
Which order shows a typical route for an ordinary U.S. federal bill?
- Presidential action, draft, committee review, introduction, matching chamber votes
- Draft, introduction, committee review, matching chamber votes, presidential action
- Draft, matching chamber votes, presidential action, introduction, committee review
Only committees can change the text of a U.S. federal bill.
Circle one: True False
A committee votes to recommend a bill. Why is that not passage by its chamber?
- Committee approval removes the need for any presidential action
- A committee vote is not full-chamber approval
- Committee approval counts as final passage by the other chamber
Many legislators support a bill, but its committee chair does not schedule consideration. What can this show?
- Support replaces a chamber vote
- Committee inaction permanently ends every route
- Scheduling can delay a supported bill
The U.S. House passes text A. The Senate passes text B with a changed section. What must happen before this bill goes to the president?
- Send both texts for the president to combine
- Use the Senate vote to replace House approval
- Have both chambers approve the same final text
The U.S. president returns a bill with a veto. How can Congress make that bill law despite the veto?
- Repeat passage with a bare majority in both chambers, with quorums present
- Override with two-thirds voting in each chamber, with quorums present
- Obtain a two-thirds vote in one chamber while the other chamber takes no action
You are comparing an unfamiliar country's lawmaking system with the U.S. system. Which questions best map its procedure?
- Who proposes, amends and approves, and how can blocks be overcome?
- Who holds office and which parties are popular?
- How many chambers exist, assuming all remaining rules follow the U.S. federal process?

Answer key

For grown-ups. Fold this page away before handing over the rest.

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Examine the proposal and recommend amendments · A committee can examine a proposal and recommend changes. It does not replace the required chamber approvals or presidential action.
Draft, introduction, committee review, matching chamber votes, presidential action · A typical route moves from drafting and introduction through review and matching chamber votes to presidential action.
False · Amendments can be considered in committee and by the full chamber under its rules.
A committee vote is not full-chamber approval · The committee and the full chamber are different decision-making bodies. A recommendation does not supply full-chamber approval.
Scheduling can delay a supported bill · Scheduling can delay a proposal despite support. Whether another route is available depends on the chamber's rules.
Have both chambers approve the same final text · Different approved versions are not enough. Both chambers must pass the same final text before it goes to the president.
Override with two-thirds voting in each chamber, with quorums present · Each chamber must override by two-thirds of those voting, with a quorum present. Bare majorities or action by only one chamber are insufficient.
Who proposes, amends and approves, and how can blocks be overcome? · Identify the powers, required approvals and ways to overcome blocks. Popularity or chamber count alone does not establish the procedure.