PASSING LEGISLATION: THE CONVENTIONAL METHOD

HOUSE FLOOR*† SENATE FLOOR*†HOUSE BILL SENATE BILL

SPEAKER OF HOUSE RECEIVES BILL

PRESIDENT OF SENATE

RECEIVES BILL

COMMITTEE*† COMMITTEE*†

SUBCOMMITTEE*† SUBCOMMITTEE*†

RULES COMMITTEE*†

MAJORITY LEADER*†

PASSING LEGISLATION: THE CONVENTIONAL METHOD

HOUSE AMENDS SENATE BILL*†

SENATE AMENDS HOUSE BILL†

HOUSE FLOOR*† SENATE FLOOR*†

CONFERENCE COMMITTEE*†

CONFERENCE REPORT*†

ADOPTION BY BOTH HOUSES†

HOUSE APPROVESSENATE AMENDMENT†

SENATE APPROVESHOUSE AMENDMENT†

PASSING LEGISLATION: THE CONVENTIONAL METHOD

WHITE HOUSE*†

VETO APPROVE

HOUSE AND SENATE FLOOR†

VETO OVERRIDE

LAW

DEVIATIONS FROM THE CONVENTIONAL METHOD: AN EXAMPLE

THE 2010 AFFORDABLE CARE ACT (ACA)

In the House, 3 committees crafted the bill. 5 committees worked on the Senate version.

Speaker Nancy Pelosi assumed a central role in shaping the final bill, adding things

that weren’t in the committee version.

After a deadlock between two committees, Majority Leader Harry Reid pushed

through a merged version of the bill, adding things

that weren’t in the committee version.

President Obama was intensely involved. The White House held daily meetings with the committees.

DEVIATIONS FROM THE CONVENTIONAL METHOD: AN EXAMPLE

Floor Action Floor Action

No conference committee. Instead, committee leaders, White House staff, and party leadership negotiated the details of the bill.

The Senate version of the bill was passed by the House, but then

the House also passed a separate reconciliation bill that included many amendments to the Senate version.

That reconciliation bill was then passed by the Senate.

President Obama signed the ACA into law.

PASSING LEGISLATION: POP QUIZ!

1. A conference committee’s job is to

a. draft an original bill.b. determine whether a bill should be considered

by Congress.c. determine whether a bill is constitutional.d. reconcile differences between House and

Senate versions of a bill.e. convince the president to sign the bill.

PASSING LEGISLATION: POP QUIZ!

1. A conference committee’s job is to

a. draft an original bill.b. determine whether a bill should be considered

by Congress.c. determine whether a bill is constitutional.d. reconcile differences between House and

Senate versions of a bill.e. convince the president to sign the bill.

PASSING LEGISLATION: POP QUIZ!

2. One way the passage of the ACA differed from the conventional process is that

a. committees were not involved.b. President Obama and party leaders were

directly involved in shaping the bill.c. no floor action took place.d. only one house voted on the bill.e. the president signed it into law.

PASSING LEGISLATION: POP QUIZ!

2. One way the passage of the ACA differed from the conventional process is that

a. committees were not involved.b. President Obama and party leaders were

directly involved in shaping the bill.c. no floor action took place.d. only one house voted on the bill.e. the president signed it into law.