The Constitution says that Congress makes federal laws. A "law" is another word for a "rule" that people must follow. A "federal law" is another word for a "rule" that everyone in the United States must follow.
When members of Congress want to make a new law, they write a "bill." A bill is a proposal for a new law. For Congress to pass a bill, a majority of both the House of Representatives and the Senate must vote for it. This means that more than half of the voting members in the House of Representatives and U.S. Senators must vote in support of the bill.
For example, there are 435 voting members in the House of Representatives. For a bill to pass the House of Representatives, 218 members (or the majority of those voting and present) must vote in favor of the bill.
There are 100 U.S. Senators in the Senate. For most bills to pass the Senate, 51 U.S. Senators (or the majority of those voting and present) must vote in favor of it.
If both parts of Congress pass the bill, then the bill is sent to the President of the United States.
If the President agrees with the bill, then the President signs the bill into law. This means that everyone in the country must follow the law that the President signed.
If the President does not agree with the bill, then the President vetoes the bill. The word "veto" means that the President did not sign the bill. Then the bill does not become a law unless Congress votes to override the veto.
How Congress Makes a Federal Law
A bill starts with an idea that people want to become a law
NO YES
NO YES
House of Representatives A majority of the 435 voting members approve
Congress writes a bill
Senate A majority of the 100 voting members approve
The Oval Office of the White House. Photo by Cecil Stoughton. Courtesy of the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum.
ONE NATION, ONE PEOPLE: THE USCIS CIVICS TEST TEXTBOOK