How Does a Bill Become a Law? · 法案怎麼變成法律？

Big idea · 一句話看懂

A bill becomes law only after it passes both chambers in the same words and the President signs it, or Congress overrides a veto. Each stage is a chance to improve a bill and a chance to stop it, which is why most bills never become law.
法案必須以相同的字句通過兩院，再經總統簽署——或由國會推翻否決——才成為法律。每一關都是改進法案的機會，也是擋下法案的機會；這就是為什麼大多數法案都沒有成為法律。

3D Model · 3D 模型

Nine Stations Between an Idea and a Law 從一個想法到一條法律的九站

A road of nine stations runs in front of the Capitol and the White House. Choose a scenario and watch the bill, a sheet of paper, travel from station to station. Stations it clears turn gold; if it stops, that station turns gray and the paper falls. If it becomes law, the paper turns gold. Click any station below to read what happens there.
國會大廈與白宮前面有一條九站的路。選一個情境，看法案（一張紙）一站一站往前走：通過的站變成金色；停下來的那一站變灰、紙掉下來；成為法律時，紙變成金色。點下面任何一站，可以看那一站在做什麼。

Drag to look around · 拖曳轉動視角　Scroll or pinch to zoom · 滾輪／雙指縮放

This 3D model needs WebGL, which this browser does not support. The buttons and the panel still work, and so do the reading and the two activities below.
這個瀏覽器不支援 WebGL，無法顯示 3D 模型；按鈕和說明欄照樣能用，下面的課文和兩個小互動也都能用。

The bill's journey · 法案的旅程

The whole road走完全程

The bill clears both committees and both chambers, the two versions are reconciled into one text, and the President signs it.法案通過兩院的委員會與院會，兩院版本整合成一個，總統簽署。

Choose what happens to the bill · 選一種情境

The nine stations: click one to read about it · 九站：點一站看說明

Labels標示

The bill
法案
A station the bill has passed
法案已經通過的站
Where the bill stopped
法案停下來的站

A diagram of the usual path, not a map, and not to scale. Real bills can start in either chamber, skip stations (the Senate has nothing like the House Rules Committee's special rules, and minor bills often pass both chambers by unanimous consent), or go around the loop more than once. The vote counts in the veto scenarios are examples, not real votes.
這是常見路線的示意圖，不是地圖，也不照比例。真實的法案可以從任何一院開始、可以跳過某些站（參議院沒有像眾議院規則委員會那樣訂出辯論與修正案條件的特別規則，不重要的法案常常以無異議同意通過兩院），也可能來回走好幾趟。否決情境裡的票數是例子，不是真實的表決。

Reading · 英文閱讀 High school and up · 高中以上

6

Unit 6: How Does a Bill Become a Law?

Any member of Congress may introduce a bill, and thousands do every term. In the 117th Congress, which met in 2021 and 2022, members introduced 15,058 bills and 176 joint resolutions. During the 117th Congress, 362 public laws were enacted. Most bills that are introduced never become law, and many of those never reach a vote on the floor. The road from an idea to a law is long, and the Constitution, the rules of each chamber, and the calendar of a two-year Congress all shape where a bill stops.

任何一位國會議員都可以提出法案，每一屆都有數以千計的法案被提出。2021 到 2022 年的第 117 屆國會，議員共提出 15,058 件法案和 176 件聯合決議；第 117 屆國會期間，制定了 362 條公法。大多數被提出的法案都沒有成為法律，其中許多從未進入院會表決。從一個想法到一條法律的路都很長；憲法、兩院各自的議事規則，以及一屆國會兩年的時程，都決定了法案會停在哪裡。

The first and most common stopping place is a committee. Each chamber divides its work among standing committees: in the 119th Congress, the House has twenty and the Senate has twenty permanent committees. The committee chair decides which bills receive attention. A committee may hold hearings, rewrite a bill in a markup session, and vote to report it. It may also never act at all. In 1885 the political scientist Woodrow Wilson wrote that “Congress in session is Congress on public exhibition, whilst Congress in its committee-rooms is Congress at work.” He was describing the House of his day, but committees still decide which bills receive formal attention.

第一個、也是最常見的停留地點，是委員會。兩院各自把工作分給常設委員會：第 119 屆國會，眾議院有二十個、參議院有二十個常設委員會。委員會主席決定哪些法案會被處理。委員會可以舉行聽證、在逐條審查（markup）會議裡改寫法案，再表決是否提報；它也可以完全不處理。1885 年，政治學者威爾遜寫道：「開會中的國會是公開展示的國會，而委員會會議室裡的國會才是在工作的國會。」他描述的是當時的眾議院，但直到今天，仍是由委員會決定哪些法案會被正式處理。

In the House, a reported bill usually needs a special rule from the Rules Committee, which sets the length of debate and decides which amendments may be offered. The House then debates and votes; a majority of those voting is enough to pass it. A committee's silence is not always final. If 218 members, a majority of the whole House, sign a discharge petition, the bill can be brought to the floor without the committee's approval. Gathering that many signatures is difficult, but the possibility is part of the balance between a committee and the full House.

在眾議院，被提報的法案通常需要規則委員會訂出一個特別規則，決定辯論多久、可以提出哪些修正案。接著全院辯論、表決；投票者過半數就通過。委員會不處理，也不一定就是終點：如果有 218 位議員——全院過半數——連署「解除審查」的請願，法案就可以不經委員會同意直接進入院會。要湊到這麼多連署並不容易，但這個可能性是委員會與全院之間權力平衡的一部分。

The Senate works differently. Many bills pass by unanimous consent, with little or no debate, when no senator objects. But Senate rules allow debate to continue for a long time. To end debate on most bills over objection, supporters need cloture, which requires three fifths of the senators chosen and sworn: sixty votes when every seat is filled. Lesson 5 explained how that rule developed. In practice it means that many bills need support from more than a simple majority of senators before they can reach a final vote, even though the final vote itself needs only a majority.

參議院的運作不一樣。沒有參議員反對時，許多法案以無異議同意通過，幾乎不經辯論。但參議院的規則允許辯論持續很久。有人反對時，大多數法案要結束辯論，支持者需要通過「終結辯論」，也就是已就任參議員的五分之三：席位全滿時是六十票。第五課講過這條規則的由來。實際上，這表示許多法案需要超過簡單多數參議員的支持才能進入最後表決，雖然最後表決本身只需要過半數。

Passing both chambers is not enough. The House and the Senate must agree to exactly the same text, down to the last word. When their versions differ, the chambers may send amendments back and forth, which is officially called “amendments between the houses,” or appoint a conference committee of members from both chambers to write a compromise, called a conference report. Each chamber then votes on that report without changing it. Only when both have agreed to identical text is the final version printed as the enrolled bill, signed by the presiding officers of both chambers, and sent to the President.

通過兩院還不夠。眾議院和參議院必須同意完全相同的條文，一字不差。兩院版本不同時，可以把修正案送來送去——正式的說法是「兩院之間的修正案」——或組成由兩院議員組成的協商委員會，寫出妥協版本，稱為協商報告；兩院再各自表決這份報告，不能再修改。只有兩院都同意了完全相同的條文，最後的版本才會印成正式文本（enrolled bill），由兩院的主席（眾議院議長與參議院的主持議事者）簽署，送交總統。

The President then has ten days, Sundays excepted, to act. Signing the bill makes it law. Returning it with objections is a veto. If the President does neither, the bill becomes law without a signature, unless Congress has adjourned and so prevented its return. In that case it does not become law, which is called a pocket veto, and Congress cannot override it. The House's own guide notes that Congress reads this power narrowly, as applying only when a Congress ends, and that the courts have not definitively decided how far it reaches.

接著，總統有十天（星期日不算）可以處理。簽署，法案就成為法律；附上反對理由退回，就是否決。總統兩樣都不做，法案不經簽署也成為法律——除非國會已經休會，使法案無從退回；這時它就不成為法律，稱為口袋否決，國會也無從推翻。眾議院自己的說明指出，國會對這項權力採狹義解釋，認為只適用於一屆國會結束時；法院則還沒有明確判定它的範圍。

A vetoed bill goes back to the chamber where it started. If two thirds of the members voting in each chamber, with a quorum present, vote to pass it again, it becomes law over the President's objections. That margin is hard to reach. According to the Senate's records, presidents have vetoed 2,599 bills since 1789, and Congress has overridden only 112 of those vetoes. Because overrides are rare, members who want a bill to become law usually try to address the President's objections earlier in the process, before the bill is sent to the White House.

被否決的法案退回提出它的那一院。如果兩院各有出席投票議員的三分之二（且達法定人數）再次通過，它就不顧總統的反對成為法律。這個門檻很難達到。依參議院的紀錄，自 1789 年以來總統共否決 2,599 個法案，國會只推翻了其中 112 次。因為推翻否決很少見，想讓法案成為法律的議員，通常會在送交白宮之前，就先設法回應總統的反對意見。

The difficulty is deliberate. The framers built a system in which a law must win a majority in two chambers chosen in different ways and then win the President's signature or a supermajority. Supporters of the design say each stage catches mistakes and keeps laws stable. Critics say it lets a small number of people block what most want, and that problems go unaddressed while bills wait. Both sides agree on the facts: most bills never become law. Whether that is a strength or a weakness is the question in the design debate below.

這種困難是刻意設計的。制憲者打造的制度，要求一條法律必須在兩個以不同方式選出的議院各自過半，再得到總統簽署或絕對多數的支持。支持這個設計的人說，每一關都能抓出錯誤、讓法律保持穩定。批評的人說，它讓少數人能擋住多數人想要的事，問題也在法案等待時一直沒有處理。兩邊對事實沒有爭議：大多數法案都沒有成為法律。這是優點還是缺點，正是下面「制度的爭論」要討論的問題。

Read aloud · 課文朗讀

Questions · 閱讀理解

Why might a member introduce a bill that has little chance of passing?

A bill can signal a position to voters, start a public conversation, attract cosponsors over time, or stake out ground for a later compromise. Introducing a bill costs little, so members use it for purposes other than passing a law in the current Congress.

What does the discharge petition reveal about the balance of power between committees and the whole House?

Committees have great power to stop bills, but that power is borrowed from the House. If a majority of the whole House insists, it can take a bill away from a committee. The high threshold of 218 signatures means the House usually lets committees decide, but not without limit.

Why do overrides being rare give the President influence over bills that are never vetoed?

Because two thirds of each chamber is so hard to reach, members expect a veto to stand. So they adjust a bill in advance to avoid one, negotiating with the President's administration while the bill is still in Congress. The threat of a veto shapes laws even when no veto is cast.

Words & Phrases · 生字及片語

bill(n.)法案A bill must pass both chambers before it goes to the President.法案必須通過兩院才送交總統。sponsor(n.)提案人The member who introduces a bill is its sponsor.提出法案的議員就是它的提案人。refer(v.)交付（委員會）The bill was referred to the committee on agriculture.這個法案被交付農業委員會。hearing(n.)聽證會The committee held a hearing with expert witnesses.委員會邀請專家證人舉行聽證會。markup(n.)逐條審查During the markup, members changed several sections of the bill.逐條審查時，議員修改了法案的好幾節。report(v.)（委員會）提報The committee voted to report the bill to the full House.委員會表決把法案提報給全院。floor(n.)院會The bill reached the floor after months in committee.法案在委員會待了幾個月後才進入院會。amendment(n.)修正案The Senate added an amendment, so the House had to vote again.參議院加了一條修正案，所以眾議院必須再表決一次。cloture(n.)終結辯論Cloture requires three fifths of the senators chosen and sworn.終結辯論需要已就任參議員的五分之三。enact(v.)制定（法律）Congress enacted 362 public laws in the 117th Congress.第 117 屆國會制定了 362 條公法。veto(n./v.)否決A veto can be overridden by two thirds of each chamber.否決可以由兩院各三分之二推翻。adjourn(v.)休會If Congress adjourns and prevents the bill's return, a pocket veto results.如果國會休會使法案無從退回，就形成口袋否決。

Quick Check · 小測驗

1. A bill is introduced but its committee never holds a hearing or a vote. What happens to it at the end of the two-year Congress?

2. The House passes a bill 230 to 200, and the Senate passes a slightly different version 55 to 45. What must happen before the President can sign it?

3. A bill reaches the President, who does nothing for ten days (Sundays excepted) while Congress is in session. What is the result?

4. In the Senate, a bill has the support of 57 senators, and the other 43 oppose ending debate. With every seat filled, what is the most likely outcome?

5. Why do members of Congress often negotiate with the President before a bill is final?

Try It in the Model · 在模型裡試試

Four things to watch 四件值得看的事

Each card plays its scenario in the model above.
每張卡片都會在上面的模型裡播放它的情境。

The quiet ending無聲的結局

Station 2: committee · 第 2 站：委員會

Most bills never get past this station. Nobody votes the bill down; the committee simply never takes it up, and the bill dies when the Congress ends.
大多數法案都過不了這一站。沒有人投票否決它；委員會只是一直沒有處理，這一屆國會結束時法案就失效了。

Sixty, not fifty-one要六十票，不是五十一票

Station 6: the Senate floor · 第 6 站：參議院院會

A bill can have a majority of senators behind it and still never reach a final vote, if supporters cannot reach the sixty votes needed to end debate.
一個法案即使有過半數參議員支持，只要支持者湊不到結束辯論所需的六十票，就始終無法進入最後表決。

Two thirds of each chamber兩院各三分之二

Stations 8 and 9 · 第 8、9 站

Watch the bill go to the White House, come back, and become law anyway. Then try the “Vetoed” scenario, where the same path ends differently.
看法案送到白宮、被退回，最後還是成為法律。再試試「被否決」情境：同一條路，結局不同。

A veto without a veto message沒有否決咨文的否決

Station 8: the President · 第 8 站：總統

When Congress has adjourned and the bill cannot be returned, doing nothing for ten days kills it. There is no override vote, because nothing was returned.
國會已經休會、法案無從退回時，總統十天不處理就讓法案失效。也沒有推翻否決的表決，因為根本沒有退回任何東西。

Try It · 動手試試

Where Did the Bill Stop? 這個法案停在哪裡？

Ten situations, all invented for practice. For each one, decide where the bill's journey ended.
十個情境，都是為了練習而虛構的。每一題判斷：法案的旅程停在哪裡？

1 of 10 · 第 1 題（共 10 題）

Right on the first try · 第一次就答對 0 / 0

Try It · 動手試試

Put the Steps in Order 排出正確的順序

Nine steps for a bill that starts in the House and is signed by the President. Click them in the order they happen.
一個從眾議院開始、最後由總統簽署的法案，共九個步驟。照發生的順序點出來。

Click the next step · 點出下一步

What Does the Text Say? · 條文怎麼寫？

The Constitution's recipe for a law 憲法裡制定法律的配方

Article I, Section 7 is the main part of the Constitution that describes the path of a bill. The words are copied from the National Archives transcription, with its spelling and capitalization.
第一條第七項是憲法裡描述法案路線的主要地方。原文照美國國家檔案館的謄本逐字抄錄，保留原本的拼法與大寫。

Article I, Section 7 (first sentences of the second paragraph)第一條第七項（第二段的開頭）
Every Bill which shall have passed the House of Representatives and the Senate, shall, before it become a Law, be presented to the President of the United States; If he approve he shall sign it, but if not he shall return it, with his Objections to that House in which it shall have originated, who shall enter the Objections at large on their Journal, and proceed to reconsider it.
每一個經眾議院與參議院通過的法案，在成為法律之前，都應送交合眾國總統；總統若批准，就簽署；若不批准，就附上反對理由，退回原提出的那一院；該院應把反對理由全文記入議事錄，並重新審議。
“Passed the House of Representatives and the Senate”: both, not either. The veto goes back to the chamber where the bill started.「經眾議院與參議院通過」：兩院都要，不是任一院。否決退回的是法案最初提出的那一院。
National Archives: The Constitution of the United States, a transcription ↗
Article I, Section 7 (the override)第一條第七項（推翻否決）
If after such Reconsideration two thirds of that House shall agree to pass the Bill, it shall be sent, together with the Objections, to the other House, by which it shall likewise be reconsidered, and if approved by two thirds of that House, it shall become a Law. But in all such Cases the Votes of both Houses shall be determined by yeas and Nays, and the Names of the Persons voting for and against the Bill shall be entered on the Journal of each House respectively.
重新審議之後，若該院三分之二同意通過該法案，就連同反對理由送交另一院，由另一院同樣重新審議；若經該院三分之二批准，即成為法律。但在所有這類情形中，兩院的表決都應以贊成與反對記名決定，投票贊成與反對該法案者的姓名，應分別記入各院的議事錄。
An override vote must be a recorded vote: every member's name goes on the record. The two thirds is of the members voting, with a quorum present.推翻否決必須記名表決：每位議員的名字都留在紀錄上。三分之二指的是出席投票的議員，而且要達法定人數。
National Archives: The Constitution of the United States, a transcription ↗
Article I, Section 7 (ten days and the pocket veto)第一條第七項（十天與口袋否決）
If any Bill shall not be returned by the President within ten Days (Sundays excepted) after it shall have been presented to him, the Same shall be a Law, in like Manner as if he had signed it, unless the Congress by their Adjournment prevent its Return, in which Case it shall not be a Law.
任何法案送交總統後十日內（星期日除外）未經退回，即與經總統簽署一樣成為法律；除非國會因休會而使其無從退回，在此情形下，該法案不成為法律。
The pocket veto is not a separate power the Constitution names. It is what this sentence produces when Congress has adjourned.憲法並沒有另外寫一項叫「口袋否決」的權力；它是國會休會時，這一句話所造成的結果。
National Archives: The Constitution of the United States, a transcription ↗

Read the Source · 讀原典

Where bills go to work, and where they wait 法案在哪裡被處理，又在哪裡等待

Two descriptions of Congress written 122 years apart. The first is from the House's own guide to lawmaking, written by its Parliamentarian. The second is from a political scientist in 1885. Read each slowly before you open the translation; the spelling is that of the sources.
兩段相隔 122 年、描述國會的文字。第一段出自眾議院自己的立法指南，由眾議院的議事專家撰寫；第二段出自 1885 年一位政治學者。先慢慢讀一遍，再打開中譯；拼法照出處原樣。

Official guide, 2007 · 2007 年的官方指南

How Our Laws Are Made (excerpts)《我們的法律是怎麼制定的》（節錄）

Revised and updated by the Parliamentarian of the House of Representatives. House Document 110-49, 2007. Some details, such as the number of committees, have changed since.由眾議院議事專家修訂。眾議院文件 110-49 號，2007 年。有些細節（例如委員會的數目）之後已經改變。

Any Member, Delegate or the Resident Commissioner from Puerto Rico in the House of Representatives may introduce a bill at any time while the House is in session by simply placing it in the ``hopper,'' a wooden box provided for that purpose located on the side of the rostrum in the House Chamber. Permission is not required to introduce the measure.

A committee may table a bill or fail to take action on it, thereby preventing its report to the House. This makes adverse reports or reports without recommendation to the House by a committee unusual. The House also has the ability to discharge a bill from committee.

眾議院的任何一位議員、代表或波多黎各常駐專員，在眾議院開會期間的任何時候，都可以提出法案：只要把它放進「hopper」——為此設置、位於議場主席台旁的一個木箱——即可。提出法案不需要經過許可。

委員會可以擱置一個法案，或不採取任何行動，使它無法被提報給全院。這使得委員會向全院提出反對報告、或不附建議的報告，成為不尋常的事。眾議院也有權把法案從委員會「解除審查」。

Text from the Government Publishing Office edition on govinfo.gov, including its doubled quotation marks. A work of the U.S. government, in the public domain. The Chinese translation is ours.原文依美國政府出版局 govinfo.gov 的版本，保留原文的雙引號寫法。美國政府的作品，屬公有領域。中譯為本站所譯。 govinfo: How Our Laws Are Made, H. Doc. 110-49 ↗

Hard words · 難字

Delegatea House member from a territory or the District of Columbia, without a full vote代表領地或哥倫比亞特區、沒有完整表決權的眾議員
Resident CommissionerPuerto Rico's member of the House波多黎各在眾議院的代表
rostrumthe raised platform at the front of the chamber主席台
table (a bill)to set aside without a decision擱置
adverse reporta committee report recommending against passage反對通過的報告

Three questions for a close reading · 三個導讀問題

Introducing a bill needs no permission. Why might Congress make introducing easy but passing hard?提出法案不需要許可。國會為什麼可能讓「提出」很容易、「通過」很困難？
Why are reports against a bill unusual? What does a committee usually do with a bill it does not support?為什麼反對法案的報告很少見？委員會對於它不支持的法案，通常怎麼處理？
How does the last sentence limit the committee's power?最後一句話怎麼限制了委員會的權力？

Political science, 1885 · 1885 年的政治學著作

Congressional Government (excerpt)《國會政府》（節錄）

Woodrow Wilson, Congressional Government: A Study in American Politics (1885), Chapter II, “The House of Representatives.” He wrote it as a young scholar, years before he entered politics.威爾遜，《國會政府：美國政治研究》（1885），第二章〈眾議院〉。這是他年輕時以學者身分寫的，比他從政早了許多年。

The House sits, not for serious discussion, but to sanction the conclusions of its Committees as rapidly as possible. It legislates in its committee-rooms; not by the determinations of majorities, but by the resolutions of specially-commissioned minorities; so that it is not far from the truth to say that Congress in session is Congress on public exhibition, whilst Congress in its committee-rooms is Congress at work.

眾議院開會，不是為了認真討論，而是為了盡快認可各委員會的結論。它在委員會會議室裡立法；不是由多數人決定，而是由特別授權的少數人決議；所以，說「開會中的國會是公開展示的國會，而委員會會議室裡的國會才是在工作的國會」，離事實並不遠。

Text from the Project Gutenberg edition, with the original spelling (“whilst,” “committee-rooms”). Public domain. The Chinese translation is ours. Wilson was describing the House of the 1880s.原文依古騰堡計畫的版本，保留原本的拼法（whilst、committee-rooms）。公有領域。中譯為本站所譯。威爾遜描述的是 1880 年代的眾議院。 Project Gutenberg: Congressional Government (eBook #35861) ↗

Hard words · 難字

sanctionto approve officially認可；批准
determinationsdecisions決定
specially-commissionedgiven a special task被特別授權的
on public exhibitionon display for the public公開展示
whilstwhile (older spelling)而（較舊的寫法）

Three questions for a close reading · 三個導讀問題

Wilson says the House legislates by “specially-commissioned minorities.” Who are they?威爾遜說眾議院是由「特別授權的少數人」立法。他指的是誰？
Wilson hedges: “it is not far from the truth.” Why might a careful writer add that phrase?威爾遜留了餘地：「離事實並不遠」。一個謹慎的作者為什麼會加上這句話？
Compare Wilson with the 2007 guide. Do they describe the same thing? Does either one judge it?把威爾遜和 2007 年的指南比一比。它們描述的是同一件事嗎？哪一份有下評斷？

The Design Debate · 制度的爭論

Should making a law be this hard? 制定法律該這麼難嗎？

Everyone agrees on the facts: a bill must clear many stations, and most bills never become law. People disagree about whether that is a safeguard or an obstacle. Each side is stated here in its strongest form, and the card does not choose between them.
事實沒有爭議：法案必須通過許多關卡，大多數法案都沒有成為法律。爭的是：這是保障，還是障礙？這裡把兩邊各用最強的版本寫出來，不替它們分高下。

Is a system that makes laws hard to pass better than one that makes them easier?一個讓法律很難通過的制度，比讓法律容易通過的制度好嗎？

One position · 一種立場

Difficulty is a safeguard困難是一種保障

Every stage is another chance to catch mistakes, unclear wording, and unintended effects before a law binds everyone.每一關都是另一次機會，在法律拘束所有人之前，抓出錯誤、含糊的字句和意料之外的後果。
A law must satisfy majorities chosen in different ways, in two chambers and the presidency, so it reflects broad agreement.一條法律必須讓以不同方式選出的多數都滿意——兩院加上總統——所以它反映的是廣泛的共識。
Laws that change slowly let people plan, and keep each new majority from reversing the last one's work.變化緩慢的法律讓人能夠規劃，也避免每一個新的多數把上一個多數的成果推翻。

It may perhaps be said that the power of preventing bad laws includes that of preventing good ones; … The injury which may possibly be done by defeating a few good laws, will be amply compensated by the advantage of preventing a number of bad ones.Alexander Hamilton, The Federalist No. 73 (1788), answering an objection to the President's veto也許有人會說，防止壞法律的權力，也包括了防止好法律的權力；……擋下少數好法律可能造成的損害，將因防止了許多壞法律的好處而得到充分補償。——漢彌爾頓，《聯邦論》第 73 篇（1788），回應對總統否決權的一種反對意見

Library of Congress: Federalist Nos. 71–80 ↗

Another position · 另一種立場

Difficulty is an obstacle困難是一種障礙

When a small group can stop a bill at many points, the views of the many can be overruled by the few.當一小群人能在許多關卡擋下法案，多數人的意見就可能被少數人推翻。
Problems that need action can go unaddressed for years, and delay is itself a decision with consequences.需要處理的問題可能拖上好幾年，而拖延本身就是一個有後果的決定。
Voters struggle to hold anyone responsible when a bill dies quietly in committee instead of in a recorded vote.法案若是在委員會裡無聲無息地失效、而不是在記名表決中被否決，選民很難追究任何人的責任。

The public business must, in some way or other, go forward. If a pertinacious minority can control the opinion of a majority, … the majority, in order that something may be done, must conform to the views of the minority …Alexander Hamilton, The Federalist No. 22 (1787), on the Confederation's rules requiring more than a majority公共事務總得以某種方式向前推進。如果一個頑固的少數能控制多數的意見，……多數為了讓事情有所進展，就必須遷就少數的看法。——漢彌爾頓，《聯邦論》第 22 篇（1787），談邦聯要求超過多數的規則

Library of Congress: Federalist Nos. 21–30 ↗

Both quotations are by the same author, Alexander Hamilton, writing about different rules: the President's veto in No. 73, and the Confederation's requirement of more than a majority in No. 22. Which argument above do you find strongest? Does your answer depend on which kind of hurdle is being discussed?兩段引文出自同一位作者漢彌爾頓，談的是不同的規則：第 73 篇談總統的否決權，第 22 篇談邦聯要求超過多數的規定。上面的論點裡，你覺得哪一個最有力？你的答案會不會因為談的是哪一種關卡而不同？

Compare with Taiwan · 和台灣比一比

Two chambers, or three readings 兩院，或三讀

This card compares designs only. It quotes or summarizes the Constitution of the Republic of China, its Additional Articles, and the Legislative Yuan Functions and Powers Act from the official Laws and Regulations Database, and does not say which arrangement is better.
這張卡只比制度的設計，條文引自或摘要自全國法規資料庫的《中華民國憲法》、增修條文與《立法院職權行使法》；不評價哪一種安排比較好。

Topic · 項目	United States美國	Republic of China (Taiwan)中華民國（台灣）
Who may propose a bill誰可以提出法案	Only members of Congress.只有國會議員。	Government agencies and legislators (Article 8 refers to bills proposed by each).政府機關與立法委員（第 8 條分別提到兩者提出的議案）。
How many times it is considered要審議幾次	In each of two chambers, usually with committee work in each.兩院各審一次，通常兩院都有委員會審查。	One chamber. Statutory and budget bills go through three readings: the first sends the bill to committee (or, by vote, straight to the second reading), the second debates it article by article, and the third mostly corrects wording and then votes on the whole (Articles 7 to 11).一院。法律案與預算案要經三讀：一讀交付委員會審查（經表決也可逕付二讀），二讀逐條討論，三讀原則上只作文字修正，並將全案付表決（第 7 至 11 條）。
The executive's response行政部門的回應	The President may veto; two thirds of those voting in each chamber can override.總統可以否決；兩院各有出席投票者的三分之二即可推翻。	The Executive Yuan, with the President's approval, may ask the Legislative Yuan to reconsider; more than half of all legislators can uphold the bill (Additional Articles, Article 3).行政院經總統核可，可以移請立法院覆議；全體立法委員二分之一以上可以維持原案（增修條文第 3 條）。
Signing簽署或公布	The President signs within ten days (Sundays excepted), or the bill becomes law without a signature unless Congress has adjourned.總統十天內（星期日不算）簽署；不簽的話，除非國會已休會，否則法案也成為法律。	The President promulgates the law within ten days of receiving it (Constitution, Article 72).總統應於收到後十日內公布（憲法第 72 條）。

立法院職權行使法　第 7 條Legislative Yuan Functions and Powers Act, Article 7
立法院依憲法第六十三條規定所議決之議案，除法律案、預算案應經三讀會議決外，其餘均經二讀會議決之。
Our translation (the Database offers no English text of this Act): Bills that the Legislative Yuan decides under Article 63 of the Constitution are decided in two readings, except statutory and budget bills, which require three readings.
全國法規資料庫 ↗
中華民國憲法增修條文　第 3 條第 2 項第 2 款（節錄）Additional Articles, Article 3, paragraph 2, item 2 (excerpt)
行政院對於立法院決議之法律案、預算案、條約案，如認為有窒礙難行時，得經總統之核可，於該決議案送達行政院十日內，移請立法院覆議。……覆議時，如經全體立法委員二分之一以上決議維持原案，行政院院長應即接受該決議。
Official English translation: “Should the Executive Yuan deem a statutory, budgetary, or treaty bill passed by the Legislative Yuan difficult to execute, the Executive Yuan may, with the approval of the president of the Republic and within ten days of the bill's submission to the Executive Yuan, request the Legislative Yuan to reconsider the bill. … Should more than one-half of the total number of Legislative Yuan members uphold the original bill, the president of the Executive Yuan shall immediately accept the said bill.”
全國法規資料庫 ↗Laws & Regulations Database: Additional Articles (English) ↗

One thing to notice: reconsideration in Taiwan is not the same as an American veto. The request comes from the Executive Yuan, the threshold to uphold the bill is more than half of all legislators rather than two thirds, and if the Legislative Yuan does not decide within fifteen days, the original resolution lapses. The texts were checked against the Laws and Regulations Database in October 2026.有一點可以注意：台灣的覆議和美國的否決不是同一回事。提出覆議的是行政院；維持原案的門檻是全體立委二分之一以上，不是三分之二；而且立法院若在十五日內沒有作成決議，原決議失效。條文於 2026 年 10 月對過全國法規資料庫。

News English · 新聞英語

Eight terms for following a bill 追法案新聞用得到的八個詞

Listen to each term and its example sentence, then try one of your own. The examples describe the process, not any current bill.
先聽每個詞和例句，再試著自己造一句。例句只描述程序，不涉及任何現在的法案。

to introduce a bill提出法案
to formally present a bill in one chamber of Congress在國會的一院正式提出法案
A senator introduced a bill to rename a post office.一位參議員提出法案，要替一間郵局改名。
a sponsor提案人
the member who introduces a bill; others who join are cosponsors提出法案的議員；加入支持的其他議員是共同提案人
The bill has one sponsor and forty cosponsors.這個法案有一位提案人和四十位共同提案人。
a committee委員會
a group of members that studies bills in one subject area審查某一領域法案的一群議員
The bill is still in committee.這個法案還在委員會。
a markup逐條審查
a committee meeting where members amend a bill line by line委員會逐條修改法案的會議
The committee scheduled a markup for Thursday.委員會把逐條審查排在星期四。
a floor vote院會表決
a vote by the whole chamber全院的表決
Leaders hope to hold a floor vote next week.議會領袖希望下星期舉行院會表決。
a conference committee協商委員會
a temporary committee of members from both chambers that writes one version of a bill由兩院議員組成、寫出單一版本法案的臨時委員會
A conference committee settled the differences between the two versions.協商委員會解決了兩個版本之間的差異。
to veto否決
(of the President) to refuse to sign a bill and return it to Congress with objections (a pocket veto is the exception: nothing is returned)（總統）拒絕簽署法案，並附上反對理由退回國會（口袋否決例外：不退回任何東西）
The President vetoed the bill and explained why in a message.總統否決了法案，並在咨文中說明理由。
to override推翻（否決）
to pass a vetoed bill again by two thirds of each chamber兩院各以三分之二再次通過被否決的法案
Congress failed to override the veto.國會未能推翻這項否決。

Myth vs. Fact · 常見迷思

Four things people get wrong 四個常見的誤會

✗ Myth · 迷思Most bills get a vote.大多數法案都會被表決。

✓ Fact · 事實Committees do not formally consider every bill referred to them, and many are never brought to the floor. In the 117th Congress, more than 15,000 bills were introduced and 362 public laws were enacted.委員會不會正式處理每一個交付給它的法案，許多法案也從未進入院會。第 117 屆國會提出了超過一萬五千件法案，制定了 362 條公法。

✗ Myth · 迷思The President can propose a bill directly to Congress.總統可以直接向國會提出法案。

✓ Fact · 事實The President can recommend legislation, but only a member of Congress can introduce a bill.總統可以建議立法，但只有國會議員可以提出法案。

✗ Myth · 迷思If the President does nothing, the bill dies.總統什麼都不做，法案就會失效。

✓ Fact · 事實If Congress is in session, the bill becomes law after ten days (Sundays excepted) without a signature. It dies only if Congress's adjournment prevents its return, a pocket veto.如果國會還在開會，十天（星期日不算）後法案不經簽署就成為法律。只有在國會休會使法案無從退回時才會失效，也就是口袋否決。

✗ Myth · 迷思A conference committee can rewrite a bill and send it straight to the President.協商委員會可以改寫法案，直接送給總統。

✓ Fact · 事實Its conference report must be approved by both chambers before the bill can be enrolled and presented to the President.它的協商報告必須經兩院同意，法案才能印成正式文本、送交總統。

Activity 1 · 課堂或自學活動一

Follow a Bill You Invent 跟著你發明的法案走

You need · 準備材料

The model above and the nine station cards上面的模型和九站的說明
Paper for a one-page bill寫一頁法案的紙

Steps · 步驟

In small groups, write a short, uncontroversial bill (for example, creating a national library week).分小組，寫一個簡短、沒有爭議的法案（例如設立「全國圖書館週」）。
Assign roles: sponsor, committee chair, Rules Committee, senators, conferees, President.分配角色：提案人、委員會主席、規則委員會、參議員、協商代表、總統。
Move the bill through each station. At each one, the role-player decides whether it moves on, changes, or stops, and gives a reason.讓法案走過每一站。每一站由扮演的人決定：往前、修改，還是停下來，並說明理由。
Compare where each group's bill ended with the scenarios in the model.把各組法案的結局和模型裡的情境比一比。

Choose a topic no one feels strongly about, so the discussion stays on the process.
選一個大家都沒有強烈立場的題目，讓討論集中在程序上。

Activity 2 · 課堂或自學活動二

Read a Bill's History 讀一個法案的履歷