Unlike other forms, Congressional Debate does not just debate a single-line resolution - we debate student-written bills and resolutions that could actually be proposed in the U.S. and Illinois congresses with the goal of helping constituents. Consequently, ICDA debate depends on having well-written, debatable, and understandable legislation.
Legislation Types
ICDA debates three different kinds of legislation: bills, resolutions, and constitutional amendments. Each one of these types is described below.
Bills
Bills, the most common piece of debate legislation, typically deal with domestic policy. They can take the form of setting certain standards, cutting or levying taxes, reallocating funding, or establishing new government programs.
Resolutions
Resolutions are simpler forms of legislation usually reserved for foreign policy, although they may be used for domestic policy in certain situations. Resolutions are most often used to either directly allocate money to a non-governmental organization, express congressional sentiments/commitments to a certain, or express congressional approval for ascension to a treaty.
Constitutional amendments
Constitutional amendments are incredibly uncommon in ICDA, but they are debated on occasion. While amendments can address a wide range of issues, they are most often used to either establish a certain federally-protected right or to alter the power of a certain governmental branch. Amendments are special in that they require a two-thirds majority to pass instead of a simple majority, although this has no bearing on the debate.
