For a new law to be passed a bill must be introduced

How is a law created?

Before a law can be passed, a member of Congress must introduce a bill, a joint resolution, or a concurrent resolution. The most common form of proposed legislation is a bill.

A bill originating in the House is referred to by the abbreviation "H.R." for House of Representatives and then followed by a number. For example, H.R. 100 is the hundredth bill introduced in that particular session of the House of Representatives. A bill originating in the Senate is abbreviated "S." followed by a number.

Any member of Congress (the House or Senate) can introduce a bill when the body is in session. The bill must then pass both Houses of Congress in identical form. This can be a difficult process, as members of each House may have strong positions about particular language in a bill.

Once a bill has been passed with identical language in both Houses, it goes to the president for signing. If the president signs the bill, it becomes law. If the president refuses to sign the bill into law, he exercises his veto power. If the president vetoes the bill, then Congress can override the presidential veto by passing the measure with a two-thirds majority.

What happens after a bill is introduced?

After a member of Congress introduces a bill, the measure is often referred to a committee. The committee then will discuss the measure in a mark-up session. Many bills never make it out of the committee. The common saying is that the measure died in committee. However, if the bill makes it out of committee, it can reach the full House for an official vote.

What are public hearings?

If a bill is considered important enough, then the committee may hold a public hearing on the measure. The committee will hear testimony from experts who have specialized knowledge in the subject matter addressed in the bill.

How are presidents elected?

Presidents are elected by the electoral college, a process that has faced intense scrutiny in recent years, particularly after the disputed 2000 election between George W. Bush and Al Gore. In that election, Gore carried the overall popular vote but lost in the electoral college.

The vote of the electors has become a formality because if a candidate wins the popular vote in a state, then that candidate receives that state's electoral votes. However, some critics argue that the electoral college system should be discarded.

They point to the 2000 election as an example of the unfairness and undemocratic nature of the electoral college system. This has happened only a few times in American history when a candidate wins the popular vote and loses the election.

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