Final answer:
Most of the work for considering legislative alternatives and drafting legislation is done within congressional standing committees, where hearings and debates take place before the bill is presented to the full legislative chambers.
Step-by-step explanation:
The heavy lifting of considering legislative alternatives and drafting legislation primarily occurs within congressional standing committees. These committees, which are chaired by members of the majority party, have significant power in shaping legislation.
They conduct hearings with experts, solicit comments from relevant agencies, debate amendments, and draft the legislative language. Afterward, they present the bill and an accompanying committee report to the respective chambers for a vote.