Describe the process for passing legislation in Congress. What are the main steps in the process?

From the introduction of the bill, which is the first step in the process, the bill itself will be sent to subcommittees that have a vested interest in the bill. Most bills would be of interest to many of these subcommittees since legislation can often be broad and expansive. Finance committees would usually deal with budgetary bills and this is true for other types of bills that may have specific goals that match up with specific committees. This occurs in both the House and the Senate in similar fashions. From these subcommittees, bills can be altered, fixed, or even shut down if they are not strong enough or not needed or favored.

While the subcommittee stage is one that happens separately in the House and Senate, when and if a bill gets to the floor of Congress, there is a chance to debate the bill in its purpose, language and intent. This occurs for both the House and the Senate, and they are not an entirely separate process. Once a bill has been argued, and altered in ways that please a majority of the Congress, the bill is solidified, and then sent to the President for it to be signed into law. However, the President as the Chief Executive, has the option to veto any bills. This can be done through a normal veto, in which the president sends the bill back to Congress to be fixed, or through what is known as a pocket veto, where the president simply lets the bill sit and not be signed for a certain period, effectively vetoing it through non-action.