2. What is a Bill?
A bill is a proposal
If passed, the bill becomes a law
Congress is in charge of lawmaking
Only a member of House of Senate can propose
a bill
A bill can start in either House or Senate
Bills starting in the House are typically revenue or
appropriations (so having to do with money)
Most other bills start in Senate
3. The Process
A bill is proposed by a member of Senate or
House
Whichever one then assigns the bill to a
committee
Committees are run based off of seniority
Standing Committees are permanent
committees divided into two sections:
Joint
Select
5. Senate
If the bill starts in Senate...
Bill assigned to a committee
There will be a Senate Floor Debate
The debate is controlled by the President
Pro Tempore
6. Strategies
Filibuster
When a person talks a
bill to death
Basically, everyone gets
tired of hearing the
person talk and just
gives in
Cloture
A vote to end a filibuster
Above is Strom Thurmond
with the record of longest
filibuster in 1957
7. House of
Representatives
In this case, if bill passed by senate where it
started it goes to the House
House assigns the bill to a committee
A debate is held controlled by the President of
the House
A vote is taken
8. President
If the bill is passed by BOTH House and
Senate, it is passed along to the President
If the President signs the bill, it becomes law
President can veto the bill
Bill goes back to Congress for potential pocket
veto
If 2/3 vote for it to be passed, becomes law
9. Example
Let’s follow a bill
through the system to
see how it all works
Bill: The drinking age
should be lowered
from 21 years of age
to 18 years of age.
10. The Debate
Lets acknowledge that we have one of the
highest drinking ages in the world excluding
countries that have prohibited all alcohol
consumption.
11. Exceptions
29 states allow underage alcohol consumption on private, non-selling,
premises with parental consent
6 states allow underage alcohol consumption on private, non-selling,
premises without parental consent
25 states allow underage alcohol consumption for religious purposes
16 states allow underage alcohol consumption for medical purposes
4 states allow underage alcohol consumption for government purposes
7 states allow underage alcohol consumption for education purposes
3 states allow underage alcohol consumption when reporting medical need
due to underage drinking of another minor
11 states allow underage alcohol consumption on selling-premises with
parental consent
12. The Debate
Only 10 states actually fully enforce no alcohol
consumption under 21 without exceptions
Only 6% of countries worldwide require an age
of 19 or higher for alcohol consumption
4% of countries prohibit alcohol consumption
and the remaining 90% are able to drink at
age 18 if not sooner
13. The Debate
“Legal Age 21 has not worked. To be sure,
drunk driving fatalities are lower now than they
were in 1982. But they are lower in all age
groups. And they have declined just as much
in Canada, where the age is 18 or 19, as they
have in the United States.”
14. Age 18 Rights
Voting
Work Full Time
Sue or Be Sued
Get Married
Adopt a Child
Join the Military
Gamble
Sign Legal Documents
15. Argument
So let me get this straight. At age 18 people
are considered responsible enough to get
married and raise children, enlist, handle
financial debts, get loans and live on their
own, gamble, and use tobacco products but
are not responsible enough to have an
alcoholic beverage? If you cannot trust an
individual with a drink, you should not be
trusting them with the above, much more
serious, responsibilities.
16. Picture Citations
The Modern-Day Filibuster is a Road to Gridlock. Newsday. Web. 9 Apr.
2013. <
http://www.newsday.com/opinion/the-modern-day-filibuster-is-a-road-to-gridlock-1.3724
>.
Civics Textbook
Higherground Brewery. Web. 9 Apr. 2013. <http://highergroundbrewery.com/
>.
Lower the Drinking Age; An Argument. The Constant Inconstant. Web. 9 Apr.
2013. <http://www.constantinconstant.com/2010/10/08/lower-the-drinking-
age-an-argument/>.
