The Journal

During sessions of Congress major bills may be the object of great interest for many months or even years before they are finally enacted into law. People who want certain bills passed can not understand this long delay. During my time in congress many bills introduced by me have been enacted into law and I do not hesitate to affirm that one of the most difficult things in this world is that of becoming the author of a federal law.

It requires patience, a knowledge of the machinery of congress and hard work.

The pattern of our congress was adopted by the framers of our Constitution. There was no telegraph system to carry news to the papers of the country. There were no radio stations to immediately inform the people of legislation being considered or acted upon by the congress.

Our forefathers wisely established a House and a Senate in the belief that if one body acted hastily and unwisely, the other body might discover and correct the mistake.

They were anxious that the people have time to protest bills that would destroy their liberties or work against their common good. Practically all the rules of the House and Senate were adopted years ago and rulings of the Speaker of the House and President of the Senate were accepted as precedents that are rigidly followed today

I think it will be interesting and profitable for me to list the steps most bills take in their journey through Congress. I believe it will help adults to better understand the daily news from Washington and I know it will be of value to thousands of grade and high school students who are taking courses in civics and government.

The steps a bill takes are as follows:

(1) A Congressman introduces the bill.
(2) The bill is referred to the proper committee.
(3) A subcommittee is appointed to study the measure.
(4) Public hearings are held. Persons for and against the bill are heard
(5) The subcommittee reports the bill to the full committee.
(6) The full committee considers the measure and finally reports it to the House.
(7) The bill is placed on the proper House calendar
(8) The measure is debated in the House. It can be passed, defeated or sent back to committee for further consideration.
(9) If the bill passes, it is sent to the Senate.
(10) In the Senate the measure is referred to the proper committee.
(11) A Senate subcommittee studies the measure.
(12) Public hearings are again held.
(13) The Senate subcommittee reports the bill to the full committee.
(14) The full committee considers the measure and approves it.
(15) The bill is reported and placed on the Senate calendar.
(16) The Senate debates the measure and may also add amendments of its own.
(17) If amendments are made, the bill goes to a conference committee made up of Senators and Representatives.
(18) The conference committee agrees on a compromise measure which it thinks will be acceptable to both Houses.
(19) The bill agreed upon by the conference committee goes back to the House and Senate.
(20) The House must vote on the conference report.
(22) If both the House and Senate pass the bill submitted by the conferees, the final bill goes to the President.
(23) The President can sign bill, making it a law or veto it.
(24) If the bill is vetoed, the House and Senate can enact it into a law by overriding the veto by a two-thirds majority of both houses.

Anywhere along the line the bill may be killed by the vote of a subcommittee, the full committee, or either the House or the Senate. Like an obstacle course in basic training, or a fraternity initiation where the pledge skips through a double line of brothers armed with over-sized barrel staves, the journey of a bill through congress is long and tough.

In the 80th Congress, 8,561 bills and resolutions were introduced and only 1,363 became law.

Photo Developing-Gillespie's