Chapter Twelve: Congress in Action

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Chapter TwelveCongress in Action

• Section Three
• The Bill in the Senate

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Introducing the Bill

• Introduced by senators
• Given a number and short title, read twice, and
  referred to committee
• Much less formal proceedings than the House
• Major difference? DEBATE

3
Rules for Debate

• Almost unrestricted debate in the Senate
• May speak as long as you wish, but
• Each senator has a two-speech rule
• Limited to no more than two speeches on one
  legislative day

4
The Filibuster

• An attempt to talk a bill to death
• Stalling tactic
• Minority of senators seeks to delay or prevent
  Senate action on a bill
• How is it done?
• Talking
• Motions
• Quorum calls

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The Cloture Rule

• The Senates check on the filibuster
• Adopted in 1917 after a three-week filibuster
  before the start of WWI
• Limits debate to 30 minutes
• VERY lengthy process to get heresee pg 344

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Conference Committees

• Meeting of representatives and senators to draft
  an identical copy of the bill
• Focus on the points of a bill that the sides
  disagree upon
• After a compromise, the bill is sent back to each
  house for a vote

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Presidential Action

• What four options does the president have?
• Sign the bill into law
• Veto the bill (can be overridden by Congress)
• Do nothingbill becomes law after 10 days
• Pocket veto if Congress adjourns within 10 days
  of submitting a bill and the president does
  nothing, then the bill dies