In the United States, the legislative branch of government is responsible for creating laws. This branch consists of two houses: the House of Representatives and the Senate.
The process of creating a law starts with a member of Congress introducing a bill. A bill is a proposed law that is written in a specific format and given a number. Once a bill is introduced, it goes through several stages before it can become a law.
First, the bill is assigned to a committee in the house of origin (either the House of Representatives or the Senate). The committee studies the bill, holds hearings, and may make changes to it. If the committee approves the bill, it goes to the full house for debate and a vote. If the bill is passed by the house of origin, it goes to the other house for consideration. The process starts over in the other house, with the bill being assigned to a committee, studied, and possibly changed. If the second house passes the bill, it goes to a conference committee to work out any differences between the two versions.
Once the bill is finalized, it goes to the president for approval. If the president signs the bill, it becomes law. If the president vetoes the bill, Congress can override the veto with a two-thirds vote in each house.
Members of Congress can take various actions to create or block a law. They can introduce bills and work to get them passed by the full house. They can also use their position on committees to influence the fate of a bill. If they do not support a bill, they can work to prevent it from being passed by the full house by not allowing it to advance out of committee or by speaking against it during debate. They can also use the threat of a filibuster (in the Senate) to block a bill from being voted on. Conversely, if they support a bill, they can work to get it passed by the full house by using their influence to persuade other members to support it.