The Origination Clause
posted by Gerard Magliocca
Article I, Section 7, clause 1 provides that “[a]all bills for raising revenue shall originate in the House of Representatives; but the Senate may propose or concur with amendments as on other Bills.” This rule was carried over from the practice in Parliament, though in a much weaker form. The Glorious Revolution established a constitutional custom that the House of Lords could not propose or concur with amendments to revenue bills from the House of Commons. When the Lords rejected that limitation in in the early twentieth century, the threat of Lords-packing was used to end their absolute veto over all legislation. (Under the current version of the Parliament Act, revenue bills are still privileged — the Lords can delay all other legislation for up to a year but can only hold up revenue bills for a month.) Imagine a world when the House of Representatives had exclusive power over taxes and spending!
October 21, 2010 at 7:42 am
Posted in: Constitutional Law
Print This Post
Responses (2)
Brett Bellmore - October 21, 2010 at 7:41 pm
Unfortunately, we can merely imagine a world where all revenue bills orginate in the House, too, since current practice is for the Senate to originate revenue bills, and then put House bill numbers on them.
Gerard Magliocca - October 21, 2010 at 8:52 pm
Indeed. One of many parts of the Constitution that are ignored now.
Leave a Reply