An Important Legislation

by Rujul s.

Laws are an essential part of our government. We require laws in order to efficiently run a country. Our class is trying to make an invertebrate a national symbol. Rachel Jacobs, one of the assistants of the well known representative Geoff Davis came to our classroom to assist us to do it.

Government and the general welfare of the people all rest around laws. Laws bring order to the state. Laws enable an effective government which is powerful enough to control its people. For the same reason laws have to go through rigorous tests to prove efficient. If the wrong law is passed the community ceases to exist. We believe that our bill is effective enough to be passed. Our bill is to make an invertebrate a national symbol. That is where Ms.Jacobs came in.


As she came in, you could observe that all the members in our class were brimming with excitement. We all were anxious and needed all the help that we could get. She started off by telling us about the Senate and the House of Representatives. “To pass a bill you first need a senator or representative to propose it” she quoted. She assumed that Geoff Davis might be able to help if it is a bill worth proposing.


Next she explained the steps to enforcing a bill after it has already been introduced into Congress. She explained that the bill next goes to the committee. The committee studies the bill and it either dies or goes to distribution. Many laws die in this part of the process. This is the most crucial point that a bill has to be accepted.” If the bill cannot get past the committee it will die”, she said. After it is distributed she told us that it goes to the calendar. The calendar is a waiting list for bills to be voted on.

The bill then goes to voting in either the House or the Senate. A majority is needed or the bill will die. One student asked, “What happens next?” She told us “It (the bill) goes to the Senate if it was voted in the House and it goes to the House if it started in the Senate.” If the bill is approved it goes to the president for signing. If it is not the House and the Senate will keep making amendments until it is accepted”. If the president signs it we will have a new bill. If he vetoes it (does not sign) it has to be voted on and if two thirds of the vote in Congress say yes it is passed without the president’s signing. If the vote is less than two thirds the bill dies.



Finally she had us play an exciting game. We all nominated an invertebrate and debated. One student alleged, “The butterfly should be the national symbol because it is beautiful”. Another disagreed. We finally voted and the worm won. As Ms.Jacobs left we thanked her. We were all awestruck with all the complicated steps to passing bills. From all the bills through all the years we are presenting one that is unique, one that will alter history forever.