First published in 1953 by the Committee on the Judiciary of the House of Representatives, this 23rd edition of ‘‘How Our Laws Are Made’’ reflects changes in congressional procedures since the 22nd edition, which was revised and updated in 2000. This fiftieth anniversary edition was prepared by the Office of the Parliamentarian of the U.S. House of Representatives in consultation with the Office of the Parliamentarian of the U.S. Senate. The framers of our Constitution created a strong federal government resting on the concept of ‘‘separation of powers.’’ In Article I, Section 1, of the Constitution, the Legislative Branch is created by the following language: ‘‘All legislative Powers herein granted shall be vested in a Congress of the United States, which shall consist of a Senate and House of Representatives.’’ Article I, Section 5, of the Constitution provides that: ‘‘Each House may determine the Rules of its Proceedings, . . .’’. Upon this elegant, yet simple, grant of legislative powers and rulemaking authority has grown an exceedingly complex and evolving legislative process—much of it unique to each House of Congress. FROM THE INTRODUCTION: This book is intended to provide a basic outline of the numerous steps of our federal lawmaking process from the source of an idea for a legislative proposal through its publication as a statute. The legislative process is a matter about which every person should be well informed in order to understand and appreciate the work of Congress. It is hoped that this guide will enable readers to gain a greater understanding of the federal legislative process and its role as one of the foundations of our representative system. One of the most practical safeguards of the American democratic way of life is this legislative process with its emphasis on the protection of the minority, allowing ample opportunity to all sides to be heard and make their views known. The fact that a proposal cannot become a law without consideration and approval by both Houses of Congress is an outstanding virtue of our bicameral legislative system. The open and full discussion provided under the Constitution often results in the notable improvement of a bill by amendment before it becomes law or in the eventual defeat of an inadvisable proposal.

How Our Laws Are Made

Johnson, Charles W.

Koempel, Michael

Administrative Law

CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform

A description of how federal laws are made and the legislative process in the United States Congress. Table of Contents 1. How Our Laws Are Made, by Charles W. Johnson, Parliamentarian (retired), U.S. House of Representatives 2. The Legislative Process, by Michael Koempel and Judy Schneider, Ch. 8 in the Congressional Deskbook (TheCapitol.Net) 3. Introducing a House Bill or Resolution, CRS Report for Congress 98-458 4. The Legislative Process on the House Floor, CRS Report for Congress 98-563 5. Introducing a Senate Bill or Resolution, CRS Report for Congress 98-459 6. The Legislative Process on the Senate Floor, CRS Report for Congress 96-548 7. Procedural Distinctions between the House and the Committee of the Whole, CRS Report for Congress 98-143 8. Committee of the Whole: Stages of Action on Measures, CRS Report for Congress 98-564 9. House Committee Markup: Vehicle for Consideration and Amendment, CRS Report for Congress 98-188 10. House Committee Markup: Reporting, CRS Report for Congress 98-267 11. Provisions of Special Rules in the House: An Example of a Typical Open Rule, CRS Report for Congress 98-334 12. Bills and Resolutions: Examples of How Each Kind Is Used, CRS Report for Congress 98-706 13. Floor Consideration of Conference Reports in the House, CRS Report for Congress 98-736 14. The House Amendment Tree, CRS Report for Congress 98-777 15. Commonly Used Motions and Requests in the House of Representatives, CRS Report for Congress RL32207 16. Amendments Between the Houses, CRS Report for Congress 98-812 17. Parliamentary Reference Sources: Senate, CRS Report for Congress RL30788 18. The Committee System in the U.S. Congress, CRS Report for Congress RS20794 19. Other Resources from TheCapitol.Net Capitol Learning Audio Courses TM Understanding the Path of Legislation, ISBN 158733030X Congress, the Legislative Process, and the Fundamentals of Lawmaking, A Nine Course Series, ISBN 1587331241 Conference Committees: How the Work Gets Done, ISBN 1587330210 Live Training Understanding Congressional Budgeting and Appropriations CongressionalBudgeting.com Advanced Federal Budget Process BudgetProcess.com Congressional Dynamics and the Legislative Process CongressionalDynamics.com Capitol Hill Workshop CapitolHillWorkshop.com Congress in a Nutshell: Understanding Congress CongressInANutshell.com Complete Table of Contents at www.HowOurLawsAreMade.com

How Our Laws Are Made: The Legislative Process, Introducing a Bill or Resolution, Parliamentary Reference Sources, Committee of the Whole, Co (Government)

Johnson III III, Charles W

TheCapitol.Net

The Congressional Deskbook, now in its Sixth Edition, explains the legislative and congressional budget processes along with all aspects of Congress. Many of the sections are expanded online at CongressProfile.com And an expanded legislative and budget glossary is available online at TCNLG.com This comprehensive guide to Congress is ideal for anyone who wants to know how Congress really works, including federal executives, attorneys, lobbyists, media and public affairs staff, government affairs, policy and budget analysts, congressional office staff and students. Complete Table of Contents with links to other material at CongressionalDeskbook.com

Congressional Deskbook: The Practical and Comprehensive Guide to Congress, Sixth Edition (Congressional Deskbook (Legislative Series))

Politics & Social Sciences

Schneider, Judy

Politics & Government

Sunwater Institute

Part of the Government Series from TheCapitol.Net Detailed description of how congressional committees and subcommittees debate, amend, and rewrite proposed legislation, including the House Committee Markups Manual of Procedures and Procedural Strategies. Summary of Contents Ch. 1, "Committee Markup" from the Congressional Deskbook Ch. 2, "The Committee System in the U.S. Congress," by Judy Schneider, CRS Report for Congress RS20794, March 21, 2007 Ch. 3, "House Committee Markups: Manual of Procedures and Procedural Strategies," by Michael L. Koempel and Judy Schneider, CRS Report for Congress R41083, February 25, 2010 Ch. 4, "House Committee Markup: Vehicle for Consideration and Amendment," by Judy Schneider, CRS Report for Congress 98-188, July 17, 2008 Ch. 5, "House Committee Markup: Reporting," by Judy Schneider, CRS Report for Congress 98-267, July 17, 2008 Ch. 6, Other Resources From TheCapitol.Net Publicationswww.AllOfOurBooks.com Congressional Deskbook: The Practical and Comprehensive Guide to Congress, by Michael L. Koempel and Judy Schneider, ISBN: 1587330970 Capitol Learning Audio Courses TMwww.CapitolLearning.com Understanding the Path of Legislation, ISBN: 158733030X Congress, the Legislative Process, and the Fundamentals of Lawmaking, A Nine Course Series, ISBN: 1587331241 Conference Committees: How the Work Gets Done, ISBN: 1587330210 House Floor Procedures, ISBN: 1587330377 Congressional Committees and Party Leadership: Who Controls the Congressional Agenda, ISBN: 1587330318 Live Training, www.CapitolHillTraining.com Congress In A Nutshell: Understanding Congresswww.CongressInANutshell.com Congressional Dynamics and the Legislative Processwww.LegislativeProcess.com Capitol Hill Workshopwww.CapitolHillWorkshop.com Complete Table of Contents at www.CommitteeMarkup.com

Committee Markup in the U.S. House of Representatives: Including the Committee System, House Committee Markup Manual of Procedures and Procedural Stra

TheCapitol.Net, Inc.

The Congressional Deskbook, now in its Sixth Edition, explains the legislative and congressional budget processes along with all aspects of Congress. Many of the sections are expanded online at CongressProfile.com And an expanded legislative and budget glossary is available online at TCNLG.com This comprehensive guide to Congress is ideal for anyone who wants to know how Congress really works, including federal executives, attorneys, lobbyists, media and public affairs staff, government affairs, policy and budget analysts, congressional office staff and students. Complete Table of Contents with links to other material at CongressionalDeskbook.com

Congressional Deskbook: The Practical and Comprehensive Guide to Congress, Sixth Edition