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To: Condor who wrote (2337)	11/5/2002 9:12:07 PM
From: Bilow	Respond to of 6901

Hi Condor; Re: "I would still like to know how bills are passed." The way I recall it, all spending bills have to start in the House. But that rule is not rigidly enforced, and the restriction does not apply to other laws. And the Senate has to do specific stuff associated with affirming treaties with foreign governments and with chewing the asses of whoever the President wants as advisors. What usually happens is that the House and Senate each pass a version of the bill, but the two versions are different. Then they set up a joint meeting where a few members from each chamber meet to iron out the differences. Then they put it back up for a vote at both chambers. There really isn't one or the other with the "juice". Or if there were, that juice has long ago been squeezed out by procedures. By the way, from what you read in the papers you'd think that the two parties do nothing but fight. This is not the case. In fact, compared to most nations parties, the two main US parties are relatively kind and gentle to each other when out of power. For example, the party in control of a chamber typically gets one more seat on the various "committees" which decide on what bills will be put up for vote by the whole chamber. A typical committee might have responsibility for the banking laws, for example. Maybe that is where the "juice" resides. Since the two parties each contain a whole spectrum of divergent opinions on any one issue, it is inevitable that their members cross party lines on votes. I guess that this is why they're so (relatively) kind and gentle, everyone knows that the Republicans will have to win a few votes from conservative Democrats to get one thing passed (to replace liberal Republicans who vote on that issue with the Democrats), and vice versa. They refer to each other with words like "esteemed" even when they're on fighting terms. I don't think that Congress has had anyone challenged to a duel for close to 200 years, though there was a famous somewhat more recent incident that involved a "caning": corvalliscommunitypages.com -- Carl

To: Condor who wrote (2337)	11/5/2002 9:31:08 PM
From: Nadine Carroll	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 6901

Here's a piece where Andrew Sullivan tries to explain the current election to the British that you might find helpful: andrewsullivan.com

To: Condor who wrote (2337)	11/5/2002 9:32:35 PM
From: Ilaine	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 6901

Hi Condor - Generally speaking, a bill can originate in either house. Anybody who really wants a bill to become law will get sponsorship in both chambers. The same bill will be given different numbers in either chamber, e.g., HR200 will be SB122, just pulling it out of the air. The important thing is whether there is support in both chambers, and the White House. In theory, the President doesn't write legislation, but we all know that those loyal to the President's agenda will do so.