Number: 98-708 Title: Conference Committee Deliberations Authors: Walter J. Oleszek, Government and Finance Division Abstract: The Constitution requires that proposed laws must pass the House and Senate in absolutely identical form before they can be sent to the White House for presidential consideration. Different procedural techniques are used to achieve "bicameral ignition," but the one usually employed for controversial measures is to establish a conference committee. Composed of conferees chosen from each chamber--usually from the committee(s) that reported the legislation--the conference committee's job is to iron out differences when the House and Senate pass dissimilar versions of the same bill. Because conference committees make significant policy decisions, it is little surprise that these bicameral units are sometimes called "the third house of Congress." Pages: 2 Date: May 19, 2008