Legislative Processes Quiz

Which of the following statements about motions for cloture is true?

• They force a bill out of committee so that the full House can vote on it.

• They are applied to bills that failed in the previous session of Congress.

• They are applied only to appropriation bills.

• They are used by senators to end a filibuster and bring a bill to a vote.

• They occur whenever a bill is reported out of committee.

Which of the following is true about the pocket veto?

• It is used to strike down a provision of a bill that the President finds disagreeable.

• It may be overridden by a two-thirds vote in Congress.

• It occurs when the President takes no action on a bill for ten days during which Congress is adjourned.

• It is used when the President expects to reach a compromise with Congress about how a bill should be modified.

• It is used when both houses of Congress pass separate versions of the same bill.

All of the following statements pertaining to the presidential veto are true EXCEPT:

• Congress overrides fewer than ten percent of presidential vetoes.

• A vetoed bill is often revised and passed in another form.

• Presidents often threaten to veto bills to increase their leverage with Congress.

• A President may veto part of a bill.

• Congress often places provisions the President wants into a bill the President dislikes to make a veto less likely.

The details of legislation are usually worked out in which of the following settings?

• a party caucus

• The majority leader’s office

• The floor of the House

• Legislative hearings

• A subcommittee

Which of the following are differences between the legislative process in the House of Representatives and that in the Senate?

I. Debate is more restricted on the House floor than on the Senate floor.

II. The amendment process is more restricted in the House than in the Senate.

III. Bills are more likely to bypass committee consideration in the House than in the Senate.

IV. A Rules Committee sets the guidelines for floor debate in the House but not in the Senate.

• III only

• I and II only

• II and IV only

• I, II, and IV only

• I, II, III, and IV

The House Rules Committee is an important part of the legislative process because it

• determines ethics rules for members’ conduct

• determines whether a bill should be referred to a policy committee for consideration

• determines the terms and conditions of debate when a bill goes to the House floor

• has the authority to limit the Speaker and Minority leader in their use of patronage

• negotiates compromises on bills with the Senate Rules Committee

The power of the Rules Committee in the House of Representatives rests on its authority to

• choose the chairs of other standing committees and issue rules for the selection of subcommittee chairs

• initiate all spending legislation and hold budget hearings

• place a bill on the legislative calendar, limit time for debate and determine the type of amendments allowed

• determine the procedures by which nominations by the President will be approved by the House

• Choose the President if no candidate wins a majority in the electoral college

According to the United States Constitution, all revenue bills must

• be passed by a conference committee

• originate in the House of Representatives

• be passed by two-thirds of the Senate

• be reviewed by the Supreme Court