I don't understand why there are two bills, what is the point of having parallel bills in the two houses?

Hello gonzo:

They're not the same. However, both houses having passed a different bill, they'll confer with each other some more, and negotiate some more, but finally one bill will be submitted to the president for his signature.

excon

Correct, each part, house and senate has to come up with their own bill, they have some similar points but are also very different in many other ways. After that now they have to work out a compromise, This is where they break all the promises of the deals as they come out with one bill

Yes I know that they will merge the two bills.

What baffles me is why go through all the trouble of producing two separate bills and then all the trouble of merging them? Seems to me it would be more productive if they just concentrated on one bill all they way from the beginning. But then again, this is politics, its not suppose to make sense or have any hint of logic.

Hello again, g:

The two houses of congress are very different in WHO they represent. Therefore, the bills should be very different, and, of course, they are. When they reconcile, the idea is that the final product will be the best that the legislative branch can come up with.

Sometimes it works. Not all the time.

excon