Why Doesn’t a Bill Become a Law?

LEARN MORE about how you can take action to protect your earned pay and benefits by reviewing NARFE Grassroots materials at www.narfe.org/advocacy.

Each year, NARFE compiles a list of its legislative accomplishments—the successes stemming from an incredible amount of work by its lobbying staff and a collaborative effort by federation and chapter leaders, advocacy leaders and the entire membership. Some legislative wins take years and can leave members feeling hopeless and defeated as they wait. But the reality is NARFE legislative wins are achievable.

So, the occasional “Why is it taking so long for Congress to pass this bill?” that we sometimes hear is expected. Members new to advocacy may not understand the complex nature of the legislative process and the politics that can lead to a stalemate.

One way of addressing members’ concerns is with data. According to www.Congress. gov, more than 12,000 bills and resolutions were introduced in the 117th Congress as of February 22, 2022. A little more than 900 of those became law. That means more than 11,000 bills and resolutions are sitting in their jurisdictional committees. Most will never receive even committee consideration.

Do you remember “I’m Just a Bill,” the 1970s Schoolhouse Rock video that taught children how a bill becomes law? This simple explanation was once an excellent resource for describing the legislative process. But its linear description doesn’t accurately illustrate a process frequently obstructed by partisanship.

In 2021, Politico Magazine made its own version of the video to try to reflect the more realistic, convoluted legislative process. It highlights some of the major

roadblocks that prevent bill passage, from the filibuster in the Senate, which allows the minority to block consideration of bills unless three-fifths of senators vote to end debate, to the lack of leadership or majority support in either chamber or committees.

Single-party control of Congress and the White House usually spurs action, but it doesn’t open floodgates. Different political makeups may make things more difficult, for instance, if one party controls Congress while another controls the White House. In this scenario, a bill can make it out of Congress and get sent to the president, where it gets vetoed and sent back to Congress. Or if each party controls a chamber, a bill sometimes never makes it to the president’s desk.

While the path is difficult, it’s not impossible. It just takes numbers, collaboration and persistence. That’s why member engagement in grassroots activities is an essential component of NARFE’s long-term advocacy strategy to influence Congress’ decision-making. When NARFE members communicate with their lawmakers—through meetings, letters and phone calls—about an issue relating to federal and postal employees’ and retirees’ earned pay and benefits, they humanize the problem and spur legislators to act in their constituents’ best interest.

NARFE’s success with postal reform legislation is one example of triumph through collaboration and persistence. After years of tireless lobbying and member grassroots activities, Congress passed an amended version of H.R. 3076, the Postal Service Reform Act of 2022, earlier this year. This bill provides financial relief to the agency and preservation of the mail service we all rely on. It also addresses the key NARFE concerns advocates have been fighting for (for more, see article on p. 8).

NARFE thanks its members for their commitment to longterm advocacy goals.

—BY MARSHA PADILLA-GOAD, DIRECTOR, GRASSROOTS