After a certain amount of discussion the member in charge of the bill will generally move the previous question in order to cut short the debate and bring the House to a direct vote upon the question.
558. THE VOTE.—In the House voting may be by any one of three methods. Voting may be by "sound of voices." In this case the Speaker calls in turn for the "ayes" and "noes," and decides by the volume of the sound whether the motion has been carried or lost. This is usually the method first employed, but either of the other two methods may be demanded before or after voting by sound of voices has been employed.
Voting may be by tellers. When this is decided upon the members pass between tellers appointed by the Speaker—those in the affirmative first—and are counted. This method requires the demand of one fifth of a quorum.
Voting may be by yeas and nays. In this event, the clerk calls the roll and each member, as his name is reached, answers "aye" or "no," the vote then being recorded. The Constitution provides that one fifth of the members present may demand the yeas and nays. Since it takes a long time to call the roll of the House, demands for roll-calls are frequently employed by minorities with the intent of obstructing legislative business.
559. THE BILL GOES TO THE SENATE.—A bill defeated in the House never reaches the Senate, of course.
But if it receives a majority vote in the House, it is engrossed and sent to the Senate. Here the bill goes through practically the same stages as in the House. [Footnote: In the Senate, however, debate is unlimited.]If the Senate rejects the bill, the measure is dead. If the Senate passes the bill without amendment, it is returned to the House, and enrolled on parchment for signature by the President. If the Senate amends the bill, the bill and the attached amendments are returned to the House. If the House disagrees with the proposed changes, it may either ask for an inter-house conference, or it may simply send a notice of its disagreement to the Senate. In the latter case, the Senate either reconsiders its amendments, or asks for a conference. In case of a conference, each house appoints an equal number of "managers," who arrive at some sort of compromise, and embody this in a report. This report is acted upon by each house in separate session.
560. THE BILL GOES TO THE PRESIDENT.—Bills killed in Congress never reach the President, but a measure duly approved by both houses is then sent to the chief executive for his approval. If he signs it, the bill becomes law. If he does not approve it, he may return it with his objections to the house in which it originated. If this house votes for the passage of the measure by a two-thirds majority, and if this action is concurred in by the other house, the measure becomes law over the veto of the President. If the President neither signs nor returns the measure within ten days, it automatically becomes law. However, measures reaching the President during the last ten days of the congressional session become law only if signed by him. His failure to sign a bill reaching him under these circumstances constitutes a "pocket veto."
QUESTIONS ON THE TEXT
1. Distinguish between the two regular sessions of Congress.
2. Describe the internal organization of the houses of Congress.