 (Music & Words by Dave Frishberg)
Wow! You sure gotta climb a lot of steps to get to this Capitol Building here in Washington!
Hey who's that sad little scrap of paper?
You really wanna know?
I'm just a bill
Yes, I'm only a bill
And I'm sitting here on Capitol Hill
Well, it's a long, long journey
To the capitol city
It's a long, long wait
While I'm sitting in committee
But I know I'll be a law someday
At least I hope and pray that I will
But today I am still just a bill
Gee, Bill, you certainly have a lot of patience and courage!
BILL: I guess. I mean,I got this far. But when I started, I wasn't even a bill. I was just an idea. Some folks back home decided they wanted a law passed, so they called their local congressman and he said, "You're right, there oughta be a law." Then he sat down and wrote me out and introduced me to Congress, and I became a bill. And I'll remain a bill until they decide to make me a law.
I'm just a bill
Yes I'm only a bill
And I got as far as Capitol Hill
Well, now I'm stuck in committee
And I'll sit here and wait
While a few key congressmen discuss and debate
Whether they should let me be a law
How I hope and pray that they will
But today I am still just a bill
Listen to these congressmen arguing! Is all that discussion and debate about you?
BILL: You know it is, I'm one of the lucky ones, as most bills never even get this far. If they don't report favorable on me, I'm gonna die.
Die?
BILL: Yeah, die in committee. (Billy, you're up) Yeah, looks like I'm gonna live! I'm gonna go to the House of Representatives and they're gonna vote on me.
If they vote yes, what happens?
BILL: Well, then I got the Senate and the whole thing starts all over again.
GIRL: Oh no!
BILL: Oh yeah!
I'm just a bill
Yes, I'm only a bill
And if they vote for me on Capitol Hill
Well, then I'm off to the White House
Where I'll wait in a line
With other bills
For the President to sign
And he signs me then I'll be a law
How I hope and pray that he will
But today I am still just a bill
You mean even if the whole Congress says you should be a law, the President can still say no?
BILL: Yes, that's called a veto. If the President vetoes me, I have to go back to Congress, and they vote on me again, but you know by that time...
By that time, it's very unlikely that you become a law. It's not easy to become a law, is it?
BILL: No!
But how I hope and pray that I will
But today I am still just a bill
CONGRESSMAN: He signed you, Bill! Now you're a law!
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