Very few bills go through committee debate without some amendment. In some cases, unrelated amendments are attached to bills as riders. The bill must then be passed on three votes before it is referred to the other chamber and finally to the President. The President must then consider the bill. The President may sign, veto or take no action on the bill.
Vetoed bills require a two-thirds vote of each chamber to be overturned.
A bill automatically becomes law if the President takes no action for ten days, exclusive of Sundays, unless Congress adjourns during that time. If Congress does adjourn within ten days of the President's receipt of a bill, the bill is automatically vetoed. In addition to conducting hearings on proposed legislation, Congressional committees may conduct hearings on topics of public importance such as the future of higher education, the need for student financial aid or the import of federal regulations on university research. These hearings may or may not result in specific legislative proposals, but they present a good opportunity to meet and provide information to Congressional decision makers. There is a significant gap between the textbook description of government and the way things really work.