How a Bill Becomes a Law

If you have an idea for a new law, what can you do to get the government to consider passing it?

• Schedule an appointment to meet with the President

• Write to you local U.S. Representative

• Make a presentation in front of Congress

• Sue the government in federal court

What happens if a bill receives 210 "yea" votes is the House of Representatives?

• The bill is sent to the President for his signature

• The bill is defeated in the house

• The bill is sent to the Supreme Court

• The Supreme Court must decide whether the bill is Constitutional or not

Which of the following is true in a statement about the US Senate?

• The Senate is the only house of Congress that contains committees

• The Senate cannot override a Presidential veto

• Bills cannot be introduced in the Senate

• The Senate contains fewer members than the House of Representatives

Place the following events in sequence: A) A Congressional committee votes on a bill; B)The entire house votes on a bill; C) A Congressman sponsors the bill

• C A B

• B A C

• C B A

• B C A

From the information in the movie, what can you infer about Presidential vetos?

• Presidents almost never veto bills sent to them by congress

• The constitution prevents the President from vetoing too many bills

• The president is more likely to veto bills that originate in the House of Representatives

• When the President vetoes a bill, it is very rarely overridden by Congress

Which of the following is most likely a real congressional committee?

• A committee made up of the wealthiest members of Congress

• A committee that discusses laws that deal with agriculture

• A committee that decided whether or not the US will go to war

• A committee that nominates Supreme Court Justices.

Congress considers a lot of bills every year. How many are passed?

• Slighlty less than half

• Slightly more than half

• Very few

• The vast majority of them

Which of the following votes requires the largest majority?

• A committee vote to approve a bill

• A vote in the House to approve a bill

• A vote in the House or Senate to override a veto

• A vote in the Senate to approve a bill

Why does getting a bill passed require so many steps? Choose the best answer

• To make sure that every bill is thoroughly examined, and has the support of a lot of people

• To make sure that every member of Congress supports a bill before it is passed

• To make sure that the Supreme Court will deem the bill Constitutional

• To prevent too many laws from being passed

What happens after the President signs a bill?

• It goes back to a Congressional committee for final approval

• It goes back to the full House of Representatives for final approval

• It goes back to the full Senate for final approval

• It becomes a law