how are laws made

Federal laws are made through a legislative process in Congress where a bill must be passed in identical form by both the House of Representatives and the Senate before being signed by the President.

Committee Review. A bill is introduced by a member of Congress and assigned to a committee, where it undergoes research, public hearings, and potential revisions during a markup session.
Floor Action and Reconciliation. If a committee approves a bill, it moves to the chamber floor for debate and a vote. Both the House and Senate must agree on the exact same text before the bill can be sent to the President.
Presidential Action. Once both chambers pass the same version, the bill is presented to the President, who has 10 days (excluding Sundays) to sign it into law or veto it.
Veto Override. If the President vetoes a bill, Congress can attempt to override the veto with a two-thirds majority vote in both the House and the Senate.