THE Constitution does not provide for a bicameral conference committee. It is a mechanism of convenience devised by the legislature itself through the rules that each chamber is empowered to pass for the conduct of its affairs. Its necessity arises from the fact that a bill goes through each house separately — with the obvious result that there are differences between the measure passed by one chamber and that passed by the other.
The powers of the bicameral conference committee became the subject of scrutiny lately in relation to the enactment of the General Appropriations Act, the national budget. Rule 62 of the Rules of the House of Representatives, 19th Congress, provides that in regard to differences in the versions of the Senate and House, the differences "may be settled by conference committees composed of representatives from both chambers." Noteworthy is the fact that the Rules use the permissive "may" — implying that there may be other means resorted to so that differences might be resolved.
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