Question

Why is it so rare for a bill to be defeated in the floor vote in the House or Senate?

-Leadership makes sure that they have enough votes for passage before bringing it to a vote
-Bills that have been through the committee process have usually been altered enough to be agreeable to most memebers
-Bills that reach a floor vote almost always have the support of the president
-Only bills that are important and urgent reach a floor vote

Answer 1

The correct answer is: -Leadership makes sure that they have enough votes for passage before bringing it to a vote

In short, there is no way that leadership would let a bill get to a vote if they didn't know they could win. It would be too embarrassing otherwise.