Wow! You sure gotta climb a lot of steps to get to this Capitol Building here in Washington!
Hey who's that sad little scrap of paper?
You really wanna know?
I'm just a bill
Yes, I'm only a bill
And I'm sitting here on Capitol Hill
Well, it's a long, long journey
To the capitol city
It's a long, long wait
While I'm sitting in committee
But I know I'll be a law someday
At least I hope and pray that I will
But today I am still just a bill
Gee, Bill, you certainly have a lot of patience and courage!
BILL: I guess. I mean,I got this far. But when I started, I wasn't even a bill. I was just an idea. Some folks back home decided they wanted a law passed, so they called their local congressman and he said, "You're right, there oughta be a law." Then he sat down and wrote me out and introduced me to Congress, and I became a bill. And I'll remain a bill until they decide to make me a law.
I'm just a bill
Yes I'm only a bill
And I got as far as Capitol Hill
Well, now I'm stuck in committee
And I'll sit here and wait
While a few key congressmen discuss and debate
Whether they should let me be a law
How I hope and pray that they will
But today I am still just a bill
Listen to these congressmen arguing! Is all that discussion and debate about you?
BILL: You know it is, I'm one of the lucky ones, as most bills never even get this far. If they don't report favorable on me, I'm gonna die.
Die?
BILL: Yeah, die in committee. (--Billy, you're up--) Yeah, looks like I'm gonna live! I'm gonna go to the House of Representatives and they're gonna vote on me.
If they vote yes, what happens?
BILL: Well, then I got the Senate and the whole thing starts all over again.
GIRL: Oh no!
BILL: Oh yeah!
I'm just a bill
Yes, I'm only a bill
And if they vote for me on Capitol Hill
Well, then I'm off to the White House
Where I'll wait in a line
With other bills
For the President to sign
And he signs me then I'll be a law
How I hope and pray that he will
But today I am still just a bill
You mean even if the whole Congress says you should be a law, the President can still say no?
BILL: Yes, that's called a veto. If the President vetoes me, I have to go back to Congress, and they vote on me again, but you know by that time...
By that time, it's very unlikely that you become a law. It's not easy to become a law, is it?
BILL: No!
But how I hope and pray that I will
But today I am still just a bill
CONGRESSMAN: He signed you, Bill! Now you're a law!
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