408 Chapter 11 | CongressFIGURE
11.7S. RES. 399In the Senate of the United States
February 7, 2018Congratulating the Philadelphia Eagles on their triumph in Super Bowl LII.
Whereas, on February 4, 2018, the Philadelphia Eagles became champions of the National Football League by defeating the New
England Patriots 41–33 in Super Bowl LII;
Whereas, with this victory the Philadelphia Eagles won their first Super Bowl in franchise history and fourth National Football
League Championship;
Whereas the Eagles, a franchise born in the depths of the Great Depression, forged in the furnace of South Philadelphia, has
come to represent the resiliency, ingenuity, and fortitude of the great people of the “City of Brotherly Love”;
Whereas the fans of the Eagles, whose devotion and enthusiasm is renowned throughout sport, have waited for this moment for
58 years;
Whereas this Eagles team, written off by the rest of the world after suffering numerous injuries to key players, took the field in
Minneapolis as the underdog, as they had been in every previous playoff game, despite having the best record in the National
Football League;
Whereas quarterback Nicholas Edward Foles, stepping in for injured star quarterback Carson James Wentz, commanded the field
with an uncanny precision, calmness, and leadership that earned him recognition as the Most Valuable Player of the Super Bowl;...
Whereas the vaunted Eagles defense... took charge in the waning moments of the fourth quarter when Brandon Lee Graham
forced the opposing quarterback to fumble the football into the waiting hands of rookie Derek Anthony Barnett;... Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Senate—
(1) congratulates the entire Philadelphia Eagles organization on their triumph in Super Bowl LII;
(2) commends the Philadelphia Eagles fans for their devotion, enthusiasm, and persistence over the past 58 years;...
Source: Congress.gov, http://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/senate-resolution/399/text (accessed 2/20/18).Taking Care of the Fans
The congratulatory resolution here is symbolic and commends the Philadelphia Eagles for winning the Super Bowl in 2018. Why
do you think members of Congress spend time passing seemingly trivial resolutions like this?gathers the information necessary to rewrite, amend, and edit the bill. The final language
of the bill is determined in a collaborative process known as the markup. During this
meeting, members debate aspects of the issue and offer amendments to change the
language or content of the bill. After all amendments have been considered, a final vote
is taken on whether to send the bill to the full committee. If it is sent, the full committee
then considers whether to pass it along to the floor. This committee also has the option
of amending the bill, passing it as is, or tabling it (which kills the bill). Every bill sent to the
floor by a committee is accompanied by a report and full documentation of all the hearings.
These documents constitute the bill’s legislative history, which the courts, executive
departments, and the public use to determine the purpose and meaning of the law.
When the bill makes it to the floor, it is placed on one of the various legislative
calendars. Bills are removed from the calendar to be considered by the floor under a
broad range of possible rules. When the bill reaches the floor, the majority party and
minority party each designate a bill manager who is responsible for guiding the debate
on the floor. In the House, debate proceeds according to tight time limits and rules
governing the nature of amendments. Senate debate is much more open and unlimited
in most circumstances (unless all the senators agree to a limit). If you have ever watchedmarkup
One of the steps through which a
bill becomes a law, in which the final
wording of the bill is determined.Full_12_APT_64431_ch11_374-417.indd 408 16/11/18 10:30 AM