The US Congress creates laws through the voting process. Bills are introduced by Senators and Representatives, studied by committees, and then placed on the congressional vote schedule. Voting methods include voice voting, split voting, and roll call voting. Both houses must pass legislation in the same form before the president can sign it into law.
The United States Congress is the branch of government with the power to make laws. These laws begin as bills, proposed pieces of legislation that Congress must amend and vote on. The congressional vote is therefore the means by which the legislature generates new laws. Congressional voting procedures are simple in their basic form, although there are some complexities. Congress can also vote on matters other than laws, such as whether to pass congressional resolutions or confirm incumbent executive nominees.
Both Senators and Representatives can introduce most types of bills, although Taxation and General Appropriations bills always originate in the House. After introduction, the bill goes to the appropriate committee, where members study it and decide whether it should be introduced as law. If the committee decides that the bill should be signed into law, it is placed on the congressional vote schedule. The Chamber assigns a deadline for the discussion of the bill; when this is concluded, voting takes place. Not all members of the chamber have to be present for the vote, but a minimum, called a quorum, must be present.
There are different types of voting in Congress. The simplest method is voice voting, which both the House and Senate use to pass legislation routinely. In a voice vote, members simply yell “yes” or “no” in response to a question. If this method gives an unclear result, a split vote may result. In this type of voting, each legislator is called to vote yes or no to verify the voice vote.
The best known type of congressional vote is the roll call vote, which occurs in both houses. In a roll call vote, each Senator or Representative casts their vote. The number of votes needed depends on the exact nature of the vote. Most legislation requires a simple majority, but some votes require a three-fifths or even two-thirds majority.
Both houses of the legislature must pass legislation in the same form before the president can sign it into law. Once a bill has passed one house, it then goes to the other for a vote. The other chamber can propose amendments; the house of origin can vote to accept them or not. If both houses pass the bill, it goes to the president, who signs it, enacts it, or vetoes it. In some cases, if the second chamber has a similar bill in committee, it will merge the two pieces of legislation.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
