The Introduction of Bills

A bill is a proposal for a change in the law that becomes a statute after it has been enacted.

In Congress, as in most legislative bodies, ideas for legislation are introduced in the form of a bill. Ideas for legislation can emanate from a variety of sources, for example, legislators, lobbyists, constituents, legislative staffs, and, perhaps most importantly, the executive branch.

Only members of a legislature can introduce bills. However, the budget processes in some states require the governor of that state to submit budget bills to the legislature. A member who introduces a bill is known as the bill’s sponsor. A bill may have a number of sponsors or cosponsors. For example, S. 1564 has 66 sponsors, enough to stop a filibuster and pass the bill. Part of the strategy of any lobbying campaign is the choice of a bill’s sponsors. A bill sponsored, for example, by a new member of the minority party would have little chance of passage or consideration. On the other hand, a bill sponsored by a senior member of the majority party or by a number of members of the majority party (see S. 1564) would be taken more seriously.

In the U.S. House of Representatives, bills are introduced by depositing a bill in the “hopper”, provided for that purpose in the chamber. In the Senate, bills are usually introduced in a similar manner. On occasion, if a senator seeks some particular procedural treatment for a bill, the senator rises and introduces the bill from the floor.

Only a small percentage of bills become law. The system, politically and administratively, winnows the number of bills enacted to a minimal percentage of those introduced. Bills occupy a number of cubbyholes that roughly bespeak their possibilities for passage: bills with little support, noncontroversial bills, controversial bills, major bills, and “must” bills.

Noncontroversial bills are bills that are expedited through the process without opposition, generally by the use of special calendars. They include bills to exchange real property, to rename parks or streets, or to name a building after a former legislator. Controversial bills are those around which swirls political controversy. They are usually major bills, those pieces of legislation that have broad redistributive or regulatory impact. The likelihood of their enactment is unpredictable. Legislative bodies focus most of their attention on these types of bills. “Must” bills are controversial bills that the legislature generally agrees must be resolved before the end of a legislative session. These bills generally garner the most attention as members struggle to find compromises to build majorities. The Voting Rights Act is an example of major, controversial, “must” legislation.

Language practice and comprehension check

Terms and notions

Lobby n. - in the British Parliament it is a hall where Members of Parliament and the public meet and hence "lobby" means a group of people who try to persuade a Member of Parliament or a Member of Congress to support or oppose certain actions.

Filibuster n. -1 obstruction of progress in a legislative assembly, esp. by prolonged speaking. 2 esp. US person who engages in this. —v. act as a filibuster (against).

Hopper n.– a box where the bills are deposited.

Cubbyhole n.– a category, a class.

Procedural treatment - a particular way of dealing with the subject.

TASK I a) Study the following words from the text:

Active Vocabulary

emanate v. – (usu. foll. by from) issue or originate (from a source).  emanation n.

expedite v. - hasten the progress of sth.

sponsor n. - 1 company etc. supporting a broadcast in return for advertising time. 2 person who introduces legislation. —v. be a sponsor for.  sponsorial adj. sponsorship n.

winnow v. - 1 make a list, group, or quantity smaller by getting rid of the things that you do not need or want.; examine to select desirable elements.

bespeak v. - 1 engage in advance. 2 suggest or indicate.

swirl v. - move, flow, or carry along with a whirling motion.

garner v. - 1 collect. 2 store.

b) .Use the active vocabulary and terms and notions to complete the sentences:.

1. The tobacco ... is trying to change the no smoking laws.

2. The new ideas ... from several groups of people.

3. People who officially introduce or support a proposal for a new law are known as ... .

4. The political and administrative system ... the number of bills enacted to a minimum percentage of the introduced bills.

5. The efficiency of the committee's work ... careful planning.

6. "Must" bills generally ... the most attention in the calendar.

7. Political controversy usually ... around controversial bills.

8. There were some new strategies to ... the decision-making process.

9. Bills occupy a number of ... that roughly bespeak their possibilities for passage.

10. In the House of Representatives bills are introduced by depositing them in a ... ,provided for that purpose in the chamber.

Task II a) Match the verbs on the left with their synonyms on the right:

expedite	influence
emanate	hasten
lobby	twist
winnow	collect
swirl	proceed
garner	concentrate
focus	select

b) Match the adjectives on the left with their antonyms on the right:

major	similar
senior	minor
opposite	junior
former	maximum
particular	narrow
minimal	general
broad	present

c) Make up sentences with the words on the left.

TASK III Make up sentences with the following phrases:

To introduce a bill; to submit budget bills; to filibuster a bill; to enact a bill; to deposit a bill; to sponsor a bill; a major bill; a “must” bill; to expedite a bill.

TASK IV In which of the following meanings are the words used in the text?

1. provided – a) on condition that, b) arranged, c) stated by law.

2. winnow .– a)to make a list, group, or quantity smaller by getting rid of the things that you do not need or want, b) to blow the current of air through grain.

3. focus – a) to concentrate, b) to arrange the lens so that to obtain a clear picture.

4. calendar – a) a table of the division of years, b) a schedule of appointments, c) a list of bills.

5. deposit – a) to put money in a bank, b) to put smth down in a particular place.

6. treatment – a) a medical method of cure, b) entertainment, c) an act or behavior in a certain way.

7. variety – a) difference in quality, type, b) a form of theatre or TV, c) a particular type or sort.

TASK V Answer the following questions:

1. How does a bill become a statute?

2. Who can suggest ideas for legislation?

3. Who is entitled to submit bills to the legislature?

4. Which kind of bill requires the participation of governors?

5. What kinds of bills are most likely to become a statute?

6. What is the procedure of introducing a bill in the House of Representatives? In the Senate?

7. What are the categories of bills?

8. What subjects do noncontroversial bills deal with?

9. Which bills do legislative bodies largely concentrate on? Why?

10. How are “must” bills resolved?

TASK VI Translate the following passage. Ask five questions:

The order of business in the Senate is simpler than that of the House. While the procedure of both bodies is basically founded on Jefferson’s Manual of Parliamentary Practice, the practices of the two bodies are at considerable variance. The order and privileged status of motions and the amending procedure of the two are at less variance than their method of calling up business. The business of the Senate (bills and resolutions) is not divided into classes as a basis for their consideration, nor are there calendar days set aside each month in the Senate for the consideration of particular bills and resolutions. The nature of bills has no effect on the order or time of their initial consideration.

The Senate is a continuing body as contrasted with the House. Two thirds of the Senators of an old Congress return to the subsequent new one without having to be re-elected, but all Representatives must stand for re-election every two years. Thus the manner and extent of organizing each new Senate have not been established under the influence of definite breaks between each Congress as has been the experience of the House, nor have the parliamentary rules of the Senate been equally subjected to alterations. Representatives re-adopt their old rules of procedure at the inception of each Congress, often with slight modification, while Senators have not given a general reaffirmation to their rules since 1789. The rules adopted by the Senate in the first Congresses have remained in force continuously, with the exceptions of particular additions or abolishments from time to time. Any such changes are made by amending the rules to meet new needs of the body. Changes have not been frequent, as demonstrated by the fact that a codification of the accumulated alterations has occurred on only a few different occasions.

TASK VII Speak about

1. the procedure of the introduction of a bill.

2. the categories of bills.

TASK VIII Agree or disagree with the following quotations:

1. No government can be long secure without a formidable opposition.

B. Disraeli.

2. Important principles may and must be flexible.

Abraham Lincoln.

Text 8. THE PARTY ORGANIZATION

The party system is the most significant organizational unit in Congress and many state legislatures. Legislators run for office as Democrats or Republicans and, once in the legislature, organize themselves according to these labels. In each house of Congress, and in each house of most state legislatures, each party has a caucus (often referred to as a conference) made up of all legislators of that party. The U.S. House of Representatives, for example, has the Democratic Caucus and the Republican Conference. The U.S. Senate has the Democratic and Republican Conferences – these are formal organizations that meet regularly in most jurisdictions and adopt and operate under their own caucus by-laws and customs.

The caucuses also establish committees to aid in the performance of their functions. For example, the Democratic Caucus of the U.S. House of Representatives for the 103^rd Congress, 1993-1994 had the Democratic Personnel Committee (patronage), the Democratic Steering and Policy Committee (legislative scheduling and committee assignments), and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (campaign support for House seats). The Republican Conference of the House had the National Republican Congressional Committee (campaign support), the Republican Committee on Committees (committee appointments), the Republican Policy Committee (legislative strategy), and the Republican Research Committee (developments of policy alternatives).

Although the legislative caucuses bear the name of national and state political parties, to a substantial extent they exist separately from these parties. National and state parties are dominated by presidential and gubernatorial politics. Power for these parties is achieved through successful executive elections. This requires making choices among the many disparate views that constitute a single party in a two-party system in order to create a platform on which to run. If the national or state party elects a chief executive, that executive usually appoints the leader of the national or state party and totally controls its efforts. The executive’s programs become the national or state party’s programs. Power, for legislative caucuses comes from having as large a membership as possible. As discussed below, the majority party dominates the legislative process, and the larger the majority the greater this domination. This creates, within the legislative caucus, a distaste for ideological choices that might drive members from its ranks.

The legislative party system serves two functions; legislative governance and legislative consensus building or policy making. As an institution of governance, the party system determines legislative, committee, and subcommittee leadership; the allocation of staff and financial resources; and the daily flow of legislative activities. As a consensus builder, the caucus serves as a forum for policy and political debate, hammering out critical differences among party members on many issues in order to provide for a unified front to the opposite party on the floor of the chamber.

This unifying role is particularly important given American two-party system, in which legislators in one party may hold a variety of conflicting points of view. In fact, almost every view on every issue is represented in each party. Individuals choose to become Democrats or Republicans for a wide variety of reasons. Sometimes it has to do with support for particular legislative positions, but more likely these choices are determined by broader perceptions of the party’s views of defining events (the Vietnam War) or perceptions (pro-labor, pro-business), or by family tradition, culture, or opportunity. Democratic and Republican legislators may be for or against government regulation of abortion, for or against more aid to the poor, for or against higher or lower taxes, for or against more regulation of industry to protect the environment, or for or against free trade treaties. Such disparate interests and views must be melded to advance legislation.