House passed the bill: Remaining process

House passed H.R. 4241 by 217-215

The remaining process

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Once a bill is approved by one house, it is sent to the other, which may pass, reject, or amend it. In order for the bill to become law, both houses must agree to identical versions of the bill. If the second house amends the bill, then the differences between the two versions must be reconciled in a conference committee, an ad hoc committee that includes both senators and representatives. In many cases, conference committees have introduced substantial changes to bills and added unrequested spending, significantly departing from both the House and Senate versions. President Ronald Reagan once quipped, "If an orange and an apple went into conference consultations, it might come out a pear." If both houses agree to the version reported by the conference committee, the bill passes; otherwise, it fails.

After passage by both houses, a bill is submitted to the President. The President may choose to sign the bill, thereby making it law. The President may also choose to veto the bill, returning it to Congress with his or her objections. In such a case, the bill only becomes law if each house of Congress votes to override the veto with a two-thirds majority. Finally, the President may choose to take no action, neither signing nor vetoing the bill. In such a case, the Constitution states that the bill automatically becomes law after ten days (excluding Sundays). However, if Congress adjourns (ends a legislative session) during the ten day period, then the bill does not become law. Thus, the President may veto legislation passed at the end of a congressional session simply by ignoring it; the maneuver is known as a pocket veto, and cannot be overridden by the adjourned Congress.

所有跟帖： 

• how come there are 2 houses? i think there is only one house and -124- ♀ (0 bytes) () 11/18/2005 postreply 04:22:50

• he messed up with senate, all passed -7046- ♀ (2 bytes) () 11/18/2005 postreply 04:30:26

• 參 眾兩院。 -1571- ♀ (0 bytes) () 11/18/2005 postreply 06:45:42

• 回複：House passed the bill: Remaining process -maomao121- ♀ (476 bytes) () 11/18/2005 postreply 06:28:15

• I agree with your understanding. Then is there -124- ♀ (60 bytes) () 11/18/2005 postreply 06:32:09

• Good question. -Maomao121- ♀ (43 bytes) () 11/18/2005 postreply 06:35:59

• 如果總統簽字後，是立即生效還是需要些時間？ -123gan- ♀ (156 bytes) () 11/18/2005 postreply 07:00:36

• It depends on the text of -254245- ♀ (389 bytes) () 11/18/2005 postreply 07:12:52