The Milk Bill
Written By Carol B.
Pretend a lobbyist at a convention has just pitched a new bill. The proposal, make it illegal for anyone to drink milk. The nation's safety could be at risk if this bill comes to pass. How would anyone ever be able to get enough calcium in his or her diet? What would happen to dairy farms and farmers? Where would all the dairy cows go? Fortunately, this bill has never been suggested, and, probably, never will be suggested. But, if this bill ever entered Congress, the United States of America happens to be privileged enough to have a well-developed legal system, encompassing Congress, the Supreme Court, and lower courts, to provide for the society's safety.
Whenever the bill first enters Congress it would be labeled. This particular bill will be called S. #999 since it enters in the Senate through the standing committee of agriculture, nutrition, and forestry. Often bills acquire a more common name, in this case, the "milk bill." The committee then has the chance to table or pigeonhole the bill and allow the bill to die. Since this bill is quite a popular bill, the committee instead holds hearings to listen to the pros and cons of passing the bill. Later the bill receives revisions from the committee during a markup session; in this case, the committee decides to make it illegal to drink milk only on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. After the changes on the milk bill, the committee resolves to report the bill to Congress and advise the bill be passed. At this point in time if the committee feels the bill to be unhealthy (how would people ward off osteoporosis without milk?) the bill could be ended so as to keep the community safe from the effects of no milk.
Now the bill needs support to be passed by the Senate. So the bill will be approved, legislators for the milk bill compromise with congressmen against the milk bill. The negotiations lead to another adjustment in the bill; now milk will only be illegal to drink on Mondays and Wednesdays. Finally the milk bill obtains a spot on the Senate calendar for 9-9-9999. When this day arrives the Senators hold long debates over the advantages (fewer kidney stones) and disadvantages (weaker bones) of the bill. Luckily for the milk bill the Senators voted on a cloture, limited debate time, for the bill so no one senator could filibuster the bill. After a lively discussion the bill passes from the Senate with a two-thirds majority and heads to the House of Representatives. If the Senators sense too many harmful side effects could stem from this bill they could vote against the bill to protect the health of the society.
In the House of Representatives a new debate arises. The Representatives feel it is necessary to make it illegal to drink milk on Tuesdays, not Mondays. Thus a conference committee forms with members from both the House and Senate. This committee agrees with the change and sends the bill back to the House to be voted on. The bill passes in the House, returns to the Senate, and passes the Senate floor again. After the milk bill clears both houses it goes on to the President where he chooses the final layout of the bill. The current President sees no harm in banning milk on Tuesdays (he suffers from kidney stones every Tuesday), so he signs the bill and makes it a law. Once again the President has the authority to end the milk bill, or any other bill, if he sees the bill harmful to the nation's overall well being.
Far away from Washington, in the nice town of Moline, Illinois, little Susie drives down the Avenue of the Cities on Tuesday and is hit by a driver drinking milk. The family of Susie immediately files a wrongful death case against the driver of the other vehicle. A personal injury lawyer (from the firm of VanDerGinst, Roche, and Westensee) takes poor Susie's case. Using the milk bill, the lawyer blames the other driver for killing Susie because he was illegally drinking milk on Tuesday and this distracted him from the road. The jury finds the defendant guilty, and Susie's family should become millionaires due to the milk bill, but, after a series of appeals, the case appears in the Supreme Court's docket. The Supreme Court hears the case out, and the justices enter their chambers. Later the Chief Justice issues a majority report finding the milk bill unconstitutional. Susie's family goes bankrupt, the lawyers of VanDerGinst, Roche, and Westensee become famous, the President continues to get kidney stones on Tuesdays, and milk can be drank any day of the week.
The life of this theoretical bill parallels the procedures and happenings surrounding any new law. A bill is made, and, frequently, challenged. These challenges allow the legal system to provide better safety to citizens. The legal system of the United States exists with so many checks and balances that the safety of the country is assured. Multiple times while in Congress a bill can be turned down. The President has the power to veto any bill he finds unfit. Cases from anywhere in the country can be listened to by the Supreme Court to determine the constitutionality of a law. Along the way each veto of a bill can be overturned. Overall, through the service of capable legislators, judges, political officials, lobbyists, and, of course, lawyers, the well being of the United States of America is assured.
