[mjydrafter]

I'm sure you congressional scholars can answer these questions for me or at the very least point me in the right direction to where I can find the answers. When a bill is refered to a commitee (for the sake of an example say the judicary commitee) what happens to the bill from there? Can the commitee just crumple it and toss in the trash bin? Is there a place where one can follow the progress of this process or does a guy just have to wait untill a descision is made? What is the recourse for the author of a rejected bill, if he or she believes the commitees descision is wrong?

[grampster]

Find out who your congresscritter is and call the local office they maintain. They will provide you with all the info you can stand.

[mjydrafter]

But he's a Demoncrat...

[Boats]

I'm just a bill,
Yes, I'm only a bill,
And I'm sitting here on Capitol Hill.
Well, it's a long, long journey
To the capital city,
It's a long, long wait
While I'm sitting in committee,
But I know I'll be a law someday...
At least I hope and pray that I will,
But today I'm still just a bill.

Voice: "Gee, bill, you certainly have a lot of patience and courage!"

Bill: "Well I got this far. When I started, I wasn't even a bill - I was just an idea. Some folks back home decided they wanted a law passed, so they called their local congressman and he said, "You're right, there ought to be a law." Then he sat down and wrote me out and introduced me to Congress, and I became a bill. And I'll remain a bill until they decide to make me a law."

I'm just a bill,
Yes I'm only a bill,
And I got as far as Capitol Hill.
Well now I'm stuck in committee
And I sit here and wait
While a few key congressmen
Discuss and debate
Whether they should
Let me be a law...
Oh how I hope and pray that they will,
But today I am still just a bill.

Voice: "Listen to those congressmen arguing! Is all that discussion and debate about you?"

Bill: "Yes. I'm one of the lucky ones. Most bills never even get this far. I hope they decide to report on me favorably, otherwise I may die."

Voice: "Die?"

Bill: "Yeah: die in committee. Oooh! But it looks like I'm gonna live. Now I go to the House of Representatives and they vote on me."

Voice: "If they vote "yes", what happens?"

Bill: "Then I go to the Senate and the whole thing starts all over again."

Voice: "Oh no!"

Bill: "Oh yes!"

I'm just a bill,
Yes I'm only a bill,
And if they vote for me on Capitol Hill,
Well then I'm off to the White House
Where I'll wait in a line
With a lot of other bills
For the President to sign.
And if he signs me then I'll be a law...
Oh, how I hope and pray that he will,
But today I am still just a bill.

Voice: "You mean even if the whole Congress says you should be a law, the President can still say no?"

Bill: "Yes, that's called a "veto". If the President vetoes me, I have to go back to Congress, and they vote on me again, and by that time it's. . . ."

Voice: "By that time, it's very unlikely that you'll become a law! It's not easy to become a law, is it?"

Bill: "No! But how I hope and I pray that I will, But today I am still just a bill!"

Voice: "He signed you, Bill! Now you're a law!"

Bill: "Oh yes!"

:rolleyes: Maybe they need to bring back Schoolhouse Rock?

[mjydrafter]

Thanks Boats, I have the video of all the school house rock shorts at home. Perhaps a more direct approach would be in order. How much of a chance does HR 276 have in the judiciary commitee? It's been refered to the subcommitee on Terrorism. It's the States rights and second and tenth restoration act. (ron Paul)

[Boats]

You can track the status of all bills via Thomas. (http://thomas.loc.gov/)

Looks like since HR 276 was referred to subcommittee back in March, the chances of this one getting reported out are pretty slim. One can always hope, because it looks like a good piece of legislation. I personally think more bills should be introduced with the aim to repeal garbage passed by the Democrats during their 40 year run of BS.

[BAB]

Oh man, Boats, you reminded me of the amendment-to-be song from the Simpsons. :D

Boy: Say, who left all this garbage on the steps of Congress?

Amendment-to-be:

I'm not garbage.
I'm an amendment to be.
Yes, an amendment to be.
And I'm hoping that they'll ratify me.

There's a lot of flag burners
Who have got too much freedom.
I want to make it legal for policemen to beat 'em.
'Cause there's limits to our liberties.
'Least I hope and pray that there are.
'Cause those liberal freaks go too far.

Boy: But why can't we just make a law against flag burning?

Amendment-to-be: Because that law would be unconstitutional. But if we change the Constitution...

Boy: Then we could make all sorts of crazy laws.

Amendment-to-be: Now you're catching on.

Boy: But what if people say you're not good enough to be in the Constitution?

Amendment-to-be:

Then I'll crush all opposition to me
And I'll make Ted Kennedy pay.
If he fights back, I'll say that he's gay.

Narrator: Good news, amendment. They ratified you. You're in the U.S. Constitution.

Amendment-to-be: Oh, yeah! Door's open, boys!