How to Kill an Omnibus
Omnibus bills refer to extended forms of legislation that tie together many proposals into a single bill. Congress often passes these bills as a compromise between legislators, who agree to support undesirable proposals from other legislators in order to get their own proposal passed. Like any Congressional bill, there are a variety of ways to prevent omnibus bills from becoming law.
Other People Are Reading
Instructions
-
-
1
Contact legislators and urge them to vote against it. The easiest way to stop an omnibus bill is for either the House or Senate to vote it down. These bills require passage by both the House and the Senate, so do some research to find out which body is most likely to vote the bill down and contact legislators accordingly. Contact information for legislators is available on the official website of the United States Congress.
-
2
Urge a filibuster. Legislators who are particularly opposed to an omnibus bill may be willing to use the filibuster tactic, which involves speaking at length to prevent the bill from being brought up for consideration. Keep in mind that only legislators who are already decidedly opposed to the bill are likely to be willing to filibuster.
-
-
3
Contact the White House and urge the President to veto the bill. Once a bill has passed both houses of Congress, the President is the only person with the ability to prevent it from becoming law. Lobbying the White House for a Presidential veto is a popular way for bill detractors to try to prevent omnibus bills from becoming law. White House contact information is available on the official White House website.
-
1
References
Resources
- Photo Credit capitol image by Andrew Breeden from Fotolia.com
