Why Does Congress Reject More Taxes Essay
Why does Congress reject more legislation than it passes?
One of the primary functions of Congress is to pass legislation, but by its very nature, compromise and bipartisanship is necessary to achieve this. The process is complex and lengthy, with many hurdles and hoops presented by the constitution that it’s surprising that even more legislation doesn’t get rejected. Currently, only about 3-5% of the 10,000 annual bills make it through the legislative labyrinth and made into law.
However, Congress was deliberately faced with a difficult legislative process. First bills are read to Congress, more as just a formality, as no vote or debate takes place. Then they are passed onto the Committees, which is the most important stage and where as Professor Vile stated, “bills go to die.” They can become de-prioritized and pigeonholed for a later date. They are then passed to a timetabling session where it is decided …show more content…
Members of Congress hold more loyalty towards their home states than to their party, because it is the appeasement of the state that will ensure their careers. Also, along with the “folks back home” attitude, there is the influence of pressure groups on various members of Congress, more so than the pressure to vote along party lines. A President can try to combat this with the coattails effect, though this is only effective if a President is well liked. A Congress member endorsed by a well-liked President can ensure is re-election, at the price of toeing party lines. However, the United States system prides itself on a strict separation of powers and does not suffer from the elective dictatorships such as Tony Blair in the United Kingdom, even the Presidential veto of a bill can be overturned by a two-thirds majority. However, these are difficult to achieve, but if they are, they can make a President look weak or
One of the primary functions of Congress is to pass legislation, but by its very nature, compromise and bipartisanship is necessary to achieve this. The process is complex and lengthy, with many hurdles and hoops presented by the constitution that it’s surprising that even more legislation doesn’t get rejected. Currently, only about 3-5% of the 10,000 annual bills make it through the legislative labyrinth and made into law.
However, Congress was deliberately faced with a difficult legislative process. First bills are read to Congress, more as just a formality, as no vote or debate takes place. Then they are passed onto the Committees, which is the most important stage and where as Professor Vile stated, “bills go to die.” They can become de-prioritized and pigeonholed for a later date. They are then passed to a timetabling session where it is decided …show more content…
Members of Congress hold more loyalty towards their home states than to their party, because it is the appeasement of the state that will ensure their careers. Also, along with the “folks back home” attitude, there is the influence of pressure groups on various members of Congress, more so than the pressure to vote along party lines. A President can try to combat this with the coattails effect, though this is only effective if a President is well liked. A Congress member endorsed by a well-liked President can ensure is re-election, at the price of toeing party lines. However, the United States system prides itself on a strict separation of powers and does not suffer from the elective dictatorships such as Tony Blair in the United Kingdom, even the Presidential veto of a bill can be overturned by a two-thirds majority. However, these are difficult to achieve, but if they are, they can make a President look weak or