Silly question: Can the minority Party in Congress put forth a bill?

[Lone_Wolf_Moderate]

This is probably a really stupid question, but I was wondering. If, let's say Sen. Kerry wanted to propose a new bill, could he just do that? Would he need approval to even have the bill brought up? I know the majority party controls all the commitees, but do the Republicans control all the bills that are brought up?

[GetTheRightVote]

1. Yes, but does not mean it will be accepted either, I believe

:kick:

[Pepperbelly]

2. a bill can be filed but the majority determines what committee action

it receives as well as whether it ever makes it out of committee or even to hearings. The majority holds all the cards in this regard.

[unblock]

3. yes and no

member can "propose" a bill, but the committee leadership can keep it bottled up indefinitely; furthermore, each chamber has a committee that sets the rules and schedules debate; they can ensure that the bill receives unfavorable rules and scheduling, including, perhaps, preventing any floor vote at all.

[qwghlmian]

4. Here is an example:

http://tinyurl.com/5l5qa

[ashmanonar]

6. while on that site, look at the bill following the one you linked

and the one directly following that one...(hr 16 and 17)...

15, the one linked, was nat health care: referred indefinitely to the subcommittee on health...

16 was passed, a bill too adjust (ie raise) the salary of the justices and judges of the US, probably soon after it was put forth

17 referred to subcommittee on human resources, it was a bill for economic security for america's workers...

anyone sense a pattern?

so the bill that was effectively a salary raise for judges in the us (oh, those tortured and poverty ridden souls) was passed easily...and two bills, one that would establish a national health care system, and another that would ensure economic security for workers, were shunted into committee.

who's congress was this again?

[ginnyinWI]

5. Kerry and others have proposed several bills already

in this 109th Congress. But unless there are repubs on board, they won't stand much of a chance of passing.

It's still a good thing to do, because they go on record as being for something, so that later the repubs can't claim it as their own idea. That's why, for example, Kerry called for Rumsfeld to resign back in summer of 2003.

Kerry has proposed a childrens' health care bill, a bill helping small business, and the election reform bill, as well as voting for or against several issues and putting out many statements on different subjects, all since the start of this Congress after Jan.20th.

[gumby]

7. Another question

Can the Minority convene an investigative committee that has *subpoena* power?

[goobergunch]

8. Nope.

Not without Majority consent.

[BrklynLiberal]

9. Based on what happened with Conyers, I would say no.

[amjucsc]

10. As several people have noted...

Anyone can put forth a bill. However several thousand bills are presented every year, and Congress dosen't have time to get through all of them, so minority party bills can be bottled up through the simple expedient of putting them low down on the agenda. Congress simply dosen't get to them.