Unorthodox lawmaking : new legislative processes in the U.S. Congress / Barbara Sinclair.

Includes bibliographical references (p. 289-292) and index.

Clean air : an introduction to how the legislative process has changed -- Multiple paths : the legislative process in the House of Representatives -- Routes and obstacles : the legislative process in the Senate -- Getting one bill : reconciling House-Senate differences -- Omnibus legislation, the budget process, and summits -- Why and how the legislative process changed -- The 2005 energy bill : about as orthodox as it gets -- Medicare/prescription drug legislation : making sweeping policy change in a highly partisan environment -- Medical malpractice caps : Senate rules and unorthodox lawmaking-or not -- The budget process as an instrument for policy change : Clinton's economic program -- Republican majorities, divided government, and budget politics -- The Republican tax-cutting agenda and the budget process : the Bush tax cuts of 2001 and 2003 -- The consequences of unorthodox lawmaking.