222 PART THREE • iNsTiTuTioNs oF AMERiCAN govERNMENT
the majority party will be the chairperson of a
committee.
8 The foremost power holder in the House of
Representatives is the Speaker of the House. Other
leaders are the House majority leader, the House
minority leader, and the majority and minority
whips. Formally, the vice president is the presiding
officer of the Senate. Actual leadership in the Senate
rests with the majority leader, the minority leader,
and their whips.
9 A bill becomes law by progressing through
both chambers of Congress and their appropriate
standing and joint committees before submission to
the president.
10 The budget process for a fiscal year begins
with the preparation of an executive budget by
the president. This is reviewed by the Office of
Management and Budget and then sent to Congress,
which is supposed to pass a final budget by the end
of September. Since 1977, Congress generally has
not followed its own time rules.
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