ABSTRACT
Any federal law starts as a bill and goes through a system of checks and bal-ances. The bill is first introduced into the House and the Senate. These billsthen pass by a subcommittee where they are reviewed and may or may not gain support. Almost 90% of bills fail to make it through this process. Bills that are recommended are brought through hearings where the committee makes comments and options. The committee meets to discuss the bill and to finally vote on it. If the committee in the Senate votes for the bill, it is sent to the full chamber where it is again debated and voted on. Before a bill is sent to the House, it must go to the rules committee where the bill receives a time limit for debate and they decide whether to allow floor amendments. Riders are sometimes attached to bills that do not have any relationship to the original bill. The riders tend to accompany popular bills so that they might be approved along with the primary bill.
