Ping Pong and Conference Committees Resolving Legislative Differences in Congress - Congressional Policies, Practices & Procedures Series

The House and Senate must approve an identical version of a measure before it may be presented for the President's approval or veto. If the House and Senate approve differing versions of a measure, the differences must first be resolved. One way to do this is through an exchange of amendments between the houses. When the House or Senate considers an amendment of the other chamber, it does not yet formally disagree to that amendment. At this stage, the House or Senate may concur in the amendment, thus ending the process, or concur in the amendment with a further amendment of its own, proposing a new text to the other chamber. This book examines the procedures of amending, and in particular, the consideration of Senate Amendments by the House and House Amendments by the Senate. In addition, before a conference committee can convene, the two houses must complete the same three actions. These actions are discussed in this book, as well as the three steps that the Senate must take in arranging to send a bill to conference.