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America is known as the country of freedom, but if we had no established laws, Americans would not be as prosperous as we are today. The process of making laws, known as the legislative process, is governed by rules, laws and procedures. Although the legislative process is long and complex, all laws begin as simple ideas. When a member of Congress has an idea for a new law they present it as a bill, which is the most common type of legislation. The path of a bill, from the time it is just an idea to the time it arrives at the President’s desk for approval, is paved with many detours. A bill must be passed through both houses of congress, the House of Representatives or the Senate, in identical form, before it can be made a law. This is achieved through a step-by-step process that begins in either house. When a bill originates in the House of Representatives the idea is presented to a representative. The Representative decides whether or not they want to sponsor the bill and introduce it to the rest of the house. If the Representative decides not to sponsor the bill, he sets it aside and does nothing, which is known as tabling the bill.
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