Act : Legislation (a bill or joint resolution, see below) which has passed both chambers of Congress in identical form, been signed into law by the President, or passed over his veto, thus becoming law. Technically, this term also refers to a bill that has been passed by one house and engrossed (prepared as an official copy). Adjourn : A motion to adjourn in the Senate/House (or a committee) ends that day's session. Under the Constitution, neither chamber may adjourn for more than three days without the approval of the other. Adjournment Sine Die : The end of a legislative session "without day." These adjournments are used to indicate the final adjournment of an annual or the two-year session of a Congress. Advice and Consent : Under the Constitution, presidential nominations for executive and judicial posts take effect only when confirmed by the Senate, and international treaties become effective only when the Senate approves them by a two-thirds vote. Amendment: A proposal to alter the text of a pending bill or other measure by striking out some of it, by inserting new language, or both. Before an amendment becomes part of the measure, the Senate must agree to it. Amendment in the Nature of a Substitute : An amendment that would strike out the entire text of a bill or other measure and insert a different full text. Appeal : When the Chair rules on a point of order, any Member may appeal the ruling, in which case the full Senate makes a final decision on the point of order by voting whether to sustain or reverse the ruling. Appropriation : Provision of law that provides authority for Federal agencies to obligate funds and to make payments out of the Treasury for specified purposes. Appropriations for the Federal government are provided both in annual appropriations acts and in permanent provisions of law. Authorization : Statutory provision in an authorizations act that authorizes appropriations for a program or an agency. An authorization may be effective for one year, a fixed number of years, or for an indefinite period. An authorization may be for a definite amount of money or for "such sums as may be necessary." Authorizations Act : A law that establishes or continues one or more Federal agencies or programs, establishes the terms and conditions under which they operate, authorizes the enactment of appropriations, and specifies how appropriated funds are to be used. Authorizations acts sometimes provide permanent appropriations. Back to Top ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Balanced Budget : A budget in which receipts equal outlays. Baseline : Projection of the receipts, outlays, and other budget amounts that would ensue in the future without any change in existing policy. Baseline projections are used to gauge the extent to which proposed legislation, if enacted into law, would alter current spending and revenue levels. Bill : The principal vehicle employed by lawmakers for introducing their proposals (enacting or repealing laws, for example) in either Chamber. Bills are designated S. in the Senate or H. in the House depending on the order in which they are introduced. They address either matters of general interest ("public bills") or narrow interest ("private bills). Budget Authority : Authority provided by law to enter into obligations that will result in outlays of Federal funds. Budget authority may be classified by the period of availability (one-year, multiyear, no-year), by the timing of congressional action (current or permanent), or by the manner of determining the amount available (definite or indefinite). Budget Resolution : Legislation in the form of a concurrent resolution setting forth the congressional budget. The budget resolution establishes various budget totals, divides spending totals into functional categories (e.g., transportation), and may include reconciliation instructions to designated House or Senate committees. Back to Top ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Calendar of Business : A Senate publication sent to each lawmaker's office (and other offices) every day the Senate is in session. It contains information on, for instance, measures reported from the various standing committees, bills in conference, and the status of appropriation bills. Caucus : From the Algonquian Indian language, a caucus meant "to meet together." An informal organization of Members of the House or the Senate, or both, that exists to discuss issues of mutual concern and possibly to perform legislative research and policy planning for its members. There are regional, political or ideological, ethnic, and economic-based caucuses. Chairman : The presiding officer of a committee or subcommittee. In the Senate, chairmanship is based on seniority of committee tenure, but a Senator may not chair more than one standing committee. "Christmas Tree" Bill : Informal nomenclature for a bill on the Senate floor that attracts many, often unrelated, floor amendments. The amendments which adorn the bill may provide special benefits to various groups or interests. Clean Bill : Generally, after a committee has amended legislation, the chairman may be authorized by the panel to assemble the changes and what remains unchanged from the original bill and then reintroduce everything as a clean bill. A clean bill may expedite Senate action by avoiding separate floor consideration of each committee amendment. Cloture : The only procedure by which the Chamber can vote to place a time limit on consideration of a bill or other matter, and thereby overcome a filibuster. Committee : Subsidiary organization of the Chamber established for the purpose of considering legislation, conducting hearings and investigations, or carrying out other assignments as instructed by the parent chamber. Members are assigned to specific committees by their party conference. Seniority, regional balance, and political philosophy are the most prominent factors in the committee assignment process. The subjects and functions assigned to a committee by rule, resolution, precedent, or practice, including legislative matters, oversight and investigations, and nominations of executive officers. Committee Amendment : An amendment recommended by a committee in reporting a bill or other measure. Companion Bill or Measure : Similar or identical legislation which is introduced in the Senate and House. House and Senate lawmakers who share similar views on legislation may introduce a companion bill in their respective chambers to promote simultaneous consideration of the measure. Concurrent Resolution : A legislative measure, designated "S. Con. Res." and numbered consecutively upon introduction, generally employed to address the sentiments of both chambers, to deal with issues or matters affecting both houses, such as a concurrent budget resolution, or to create a temporary joint committee. Concurrent resolutions are not submitted to the President and thus do not have the force of law. Conditional Adjournment : When Congress adjourns for more than three days, authority is often provided the Speaker and President Pro Tempore (or the Senate Majority Leader) to reconvene Congress at an earlier date to address an emergency or important issue. This authority is provided in the concurrent resolution authorizing the conditional adjournment. Conferees : Members appointed to serve on conference committees. They are also called "managers." Conferees are usually appointed from the committee or committees that reported the legislation; they are expected to try and uphold the Senate's position on measures when they negotiate with conferees from the other body. Conference Committee : A temporary, ad hoc panel composed of House and Senate conferees which is formed for the purpose of reconciling differences in legislation that has passed both chambers. Conference committees are usually convened to resolve bicameral differences on major and controversial legislation. Conference Report : The compromise product negotiated by the conference committee. The "conference report," which is printed and available to Members, is submitted to each chamber for its consideration, such as approval or disapproval. Congressional Record : The substantially verbatim account of daily proceedings on the Chamber floor. It is printed for each day the Congress is in session. At the back of each daily issue is the "Daily Digest," which summarizes the day's floor and committee activities. Consideration : To "call up" or "lay down" a bill or other measure on the Chamber floor is to place it before the full Chamber for consideration, including debate, amendment, and voting. Measures normally come before the Chamber for consideration by the Majority Leader requesting unanimous consent that the Chamber take it up. Continuing Resolution/Continuing Appropriations : Legislation in the form of a joint resolution enacted by Congress, when the new fiscal year is about to begin or has begun, to provide budget authority for Federal agencies and programs to continue in operation until the regular appropriations acts are enacted. Back to Top ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Enacted : Once legislation has passed both chambers of Congress in identical form, been signed into law by the President, become law without his signature, or passed over his veto, the legislation is enacted. Engrossed Bill : The official copy of a bill or joint resolution passed by the Chamber and certified by the Secretary of the Senate/House. Enrolled Bill : The final copy of a bill or joint resolution which has passed both chambers in identical form. It is printed on parchment paper, signed by appropriate House and Senate officials, and submitted to the President for signature. Entitlement : A Federal program or provision of law that requires payments to any person or unit of government that meets the eligibility criteria established by law. Entitlements constitute a binding obligation on the part of the Federal Government, and eligible recipients have legal recourse if the obligation is not fulfilled. Social Security and veterans' compensation and pensions are examples of entitlement programs. Executive Business : Nominations and treaties; called executive business because these categories of business are received by the Chamber from the President, rather than introduced by Members. Back to Top ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Filibuster : Informal term for any attempt to block or delay Chamber action on a bill or other matter by debating it at length, by offering numerous procedural motions, or by any other delaying or obstructive actions. Fiscal Year : The fiscal year for the Federal Government begins on October 1 and ends on September 30. The fiscal year is designated by the calendar year in which it ends; for example, fiscal year 1996 begins on October 1, 1995 and ends on September 30, 1996. Floor : Action "on the floor" is that which occurs as part of a formal session of the full Chamber. An action "from the floor" is one taken by a Member during a session of the Chamber. A Member who has been recognized to speak by the Chair is said to "have the floor." Floor Amendment : An amendment offered by an individual Member from the floor during consideration of a bill or other measure, in contrast to a committee amendment. Floor Leaders : The Majority Leader and Minority Leader are elected by their respective party conferences to serve as the chief Chamber spokesmen for their parties and to manage and schedule the legislative and executive business of the Chamber. By custom, the Presiding Officer gives the floor leaders priority in obtaining recognition to speak on the floor of the Chamber. Floor Manager : Members designated to lead and organize consideration of a bill or other measure on the floor. They usually are the chairman and ranking minority member of the reporting committee or their designees. Back to Top ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Germane : On the subject of the pending bill or other business; a strict standard of relevance. Back to Top ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hearing : A meeting of a committee or subcommittee -- generally open to the public -- to take testimony in order to gather information and opinions on proposed legislation, to conduct an investigation, or review the operation or other aspects of a Federal agency or program. Hold : An informal practice by which a Member informs his or her floor leader that he or she does not wish a particular bill or other measure to reach the floor for consideration. The Majority Leader need not follow the Member's wishes, but is on notice that the opposing Member may filibuster any motion to proceed to consider the measure. Back to Top ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Item Veto : Authority to veto part rather than all of an appropriations act. The President does not now have item-veto authority. He must sign or veto the entire appropriations act. The item veto sometimes is referred to as a line-item veto. Back to Top ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Joint Committee : Committees including membership from both houses of Congress. Joint committees are usually established with narrow jurisdictions and normally lack authority to report legislation. Chairmanship usually alternates between the House and Senate members from Congress to Congress. Joint Meeting: An occasion, often ceremonial, when the House and Senate meet together to hear an address by various dignitaries, such as foreign leaders. Joint Resolution : A legislative measure, designated "S. J. Res." and numbered consecutively upon introduction, which requires the approval of both chambers and, with one exception, is submitted (just as a bill) to the President for possible signature into law. The one exception is that joint resolutions (and not bills) are used to propose constitutional amendments. These resolutions require a two-thirds affirmative vote in each house but are not submitted to the President; they become effective when ratified by three-quarters of the States. Joint Session : When the House and Senate meet together to conduct formal business or to hear an address by the President of the United States . Back to Top ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Lame Duck" Session : When Congress (or either chamber) reconvenes in an even-numbered year following the November general elections to consider various items of business. Some lawmakers who return for this session will not be in the next Congress. Hence, they are informally called "lame duck" Members participating in a "lame duck" session. Layover : Informal term for a period of delay required by rule. For example, when a bill or other measure is reported from committee, it may be considered on the floor only after it "lies over" for one legislative day and after the written report has been available for two calendar days. Layover periods may be waived by unanimous consent. Legislative Day : A "day" that starts when the Chamber meets after an adjournment and ends when the Chamber next adjourns. Hence, a legislative day may extend over several calendar days or even weeks and months. Legislative Session : That part of the Chamber's daily session in which it considers legislative business (bills, resolutions, and actions related thereto). Back to Top ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Majority Leader : See Floor Leaders. Majority Whip : See Whips. Markup: The process by which congressional committees and subcommittees debate, amend, and rewrite proposed legislation. Minority Leader : See Floor Leaders. Minority Whip: See Whips. Motion to Proceed to Consider : A motion, usually offered by the Majority Leader to bring a bill or other measure up for consideration. The usual way of bringing a measure to the floor when unanimous consent to do so cannot be obtained. For legislative business, the motion is debatable under most circumstances, and therefore may be subject to filibuster. "Must Pass" Bill : A vitally important measure that Congress must enact, such as annual money bills to fund operations of the government. Because of their must-pass quality, these measures often attract "riders" (unrelated policy provisos). Back to Top ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Nongermane Amendment : An amendment that would add new and different subject matter to, or may be irrelevant to, the bill or other measure it seeks to amend. Back to Top ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Off-Budget Entities : The budget authority, outlays, and receipts of certain Federal entities that have been excluded from budget totals under provisions of law. At present, off-budget entities include the Social Security trust funds and the Postal Service. Original Bill : A bill which is drafted by a committee. It is introduced by the committee or subcommittee chairman after the committee votes to report it, and it is placed directly on the Chamber's Calendar of Business. Outlays : Outlays are payments made (generally through the issuance of checks or disbursement of cash) to liquidate obligations. Outlays during a fiscal year may be for payment of obligations incurred in prior years or in the same year. Override of a Veto : The process by which each chamber of Congress votes on a bill vetoed by the President. To pass a bill over the President's objections requires a two-thirds vote in each Chamber. Historically, Congress has overridden fewer than ten percent of all presidential vetoes. Oversight : Committee review of the activities of a Federal agency or program. Back to Top ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Permanent Appropriation : Budget authority that becomes available as the result of previously enacted legislation (substantive legislation or prior appropriations act) and does not require current action by Congress. Budget authority is considered to be "current" if provided in the current session of Congress and "permanent" if provided in prior sessions. Pocket Veto : The Constitution grants the President 10 days to review a measure passed by the Congress. If the President has not signed the bill after 10 days, it becomes law without his signature. However, if Congress adjourns during the 10-day period, the bill does not become law. Point of Order : A claim made by a Member from the floor that a rule of the Chamber is being violated. If the Chair sustains the point of order, the action in violation of the rule is not permitted. Policy Committees : Each party policy committee provides research and other services to Members and also serves as a forum for discussion of party legislative strategy. Each policy committee holds weekly lunches for party members, and the Chamber normally takes a recess to allow Members to attend. President of the Senate : See Vice President. President Pro Tempore : A constitutionally recognized officer of the Senate who presides over the chamber in the absence of the Vice President. The President Pro Tempore (or, "president for a time") is elected by the Senate and is, by custom, the Senator of the majority party with the longest record of continuous service. Presidential Signature : A proposed law passed by Congress must be presented to the President, who then has 10 days to approve or disapprove it. The President signs bills he supports, making them law. He vetoes a bill by returning it to the house in which it began, usually with a written message. Normally, bills he neither signs nor vetoes within 10 days become law without his signature. Presiding Officer : A majority-party Member who presides over the Chamber and is charged with maintaining order and decorum, recognizing Members to speak, and interpreting the Chamber's rules, practices and precedents. Private Law : A private bill enacted into law. Private laws have restricted applicability, often addressing immigration and naturalization issues affecting individuals. Pro Forma Session : A brief meeting (sometimes only several seconds) of the Chamber in which no business is conducted. It is held usually to satisfy the constitutional obligation that neither chamber can adjourn for more than three days without the consent of the other. Proxy Voting : The practice of allowing a Member to cast a vote in committee for an absent Member. Public Law : A public bill or joint resolution that has passed both chambers and been enacted into law. Public laws have general applicability nationwide. Back to Top ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Quorum : The number of Members that must be present for the Chamber to do business. The Constitution requires a majority of Members (51 in the Senate, 218 in the House) for a quorum. Often, fewer Members are actually present on the floor, but the Chamber presumes that a quorum is present unless the contrary is shown by a roll call vote or quorum call. Quorum Call : A call of the roll to establish whether a quorum is present. If any Member "suggests the absence of a quorum," the Presiding Officer must direct the roll to be called. Often, a quorum call is terminated by unanimous consent before completion, which permits the Chamber to use the quorum call to obtain a brief delay to work out some difficulty or await a Member's arrival. Back to Top ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ranking Minority Member : The highest ranking (and usually longest serving) minority member of a committee or subcommittee. Members may not serve as ranking minority member on more than one standing committee. Recess : A temporary interruption of the Chamber's (or a committee's) business. Generally, the Chamber recesses (rather than adjourns) at the end of each calendar day. Recognize : The Chair permits a Member to speak by recognizing him or her; the Member then "has the floor." When time is controlled, a Member must have time yielded to him or her before he or she can be recognized. Reconciliation Bill : A bill containing changes in law recommended pursuant to reconciliation instructions in a budget resolution. If the instructions pertain to only one committee in a chamber, that committee reports the reconciliation bill. If the instructions pertain to more than one committee, the Budget Committee reports an omnibus reconciliation bill, but it may not make substantive changes in the recommendations of the other committees. Reconciliation Instruction : A provision in a budget resolution directing one or more committees to report (or submit to the Budget Committee) legislation changing existing law in order to bring spending, revenues, or the debt-limit into conformity with the budget resolution. The instructions specify the committees to which they apply, indicate the appropriate dollar changes to be achieved, and usually provide a deadline by which the legislation is to be reported or submitted. Reconciliation Process : A process established in the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 by which Congress changes existing laws to conform tax and spending levels to the levels set in a budget resolution. Changes recommended by committees pursuant to a reconciliation instruction are incorporated into a reconciliation measure Referral : After a bill or resolution is introduced it is normally referred to the committee having jurisdiction over the subject of the bill. Report : Chamber committees usually publish a committee report to accompany the legislation they have voted out. These reports are numbered consecutively in the order in which they are filed in the Chamber. Committee reports discuss and explain the purpose of measures and contain other, related information. Rescission : The cancellation of budget authority previously provided by Congress. The Impoundment Control Act of 1974 specifies that the President may propose to Congress that funds be rescinded. If both Houses have not approved a rescission proposal (by passing legislation) within 45 days of continuous session, any funds being withheld must be made available for obligation. Riddick's Senate Procedure : Named after Senate Parliamentarian Emeritus Floyd M. Riddick, this Senate document contains the contemporary precedents and practices of the Senate. It is updated periodically by the Senate Parliamentarian. Rider : Informal term for a nongermane amendment to a bill or an amendment to an appropriation bill that changes the permanent law governing a program funded by the bill. Roll Call Vote : A vote in which each Member votes "yea" or "nay" as his or her name is called by the Clerk, so that the names of Members voting on each side are recorded. Under the Constitution, a roll call vote must be held if demanded by one-fifth of a quorum of Members present, a minimum of 11 in the Senate and 44 in the House. Back to Top ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Scheduling : Senate/House practice today generally concedes to the Majority Leader the prerogative of arranging the floor schedule of the Chamber and making unanimous consent requests and motions to proceed to consider bills and other items of business. The Majority Leader is also chiefly responsible for negotiating unanimous consent agreements governing the consideration of items of business. Secretaries, Party : The Secretary for the Majority and the Secretary for the Minority are elected to serve as scheduling and information coordinators between the party floor leaders and individual Members within the party. The party secretaries may also assist their party conference with its work. Secretary of the Senate : The chief legislative officer nominated by the majority party conference and elected by the Senate. The Secretary affirms the accuracy of bill text by signing all measures that pass the Senate. The Secretary supervises the preparation and printing of bills and reports, the publication of the Congressional Record and Senate journals, and other matters. Select or Special Committee : A committee established by the Senate/House for a limited time period to perform a particular study or investigation. These committees might be given or denied authority to report legislation to the Senate/House. Session : The period during which Congress assembles and carries on its regular business. Each Congress generally has two regular sessions (a first session and a second session), based on the constitutional mandate that Congress assemble at least once each year. Simple Resolution : Designated "S. Res." or “H. Res.” simple resolutions are used to express nonbinding positions of the Senate/House or to deal with the Chamber's internal affairs, such as the creation of a special committee. They do not require action by the House of Representatives. Standing Committee : Permanent committees established under the standing rules of the Senate/House and specializing in the consideration of particular subject areas. There are currently 16 standing committees. Subcommittee : Subunit of a committee established for the purpose of dividing the committee's workload. Recommendations of a subcommittee must be approved by the full committee before being reported to the Chamber. Supplemental Appropriation : Budget authority provided in an appropriations act in addition to regular or continuing appropriations already provided. Supplemental appropriations generally are made to cover emergencies, such as disaster relief, or other needs deemed too urgent to be postponed until the enactment of next year's regular appropriations act. Back to Top ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Table, Motion to : A Member may move to table any pending question. The motion is not debatable, and agreement to the motion is equivalent to defeating the question tabled. The motion is used to dispose quickly of questions the Chamber does not wish to consider further. Back to Top ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Unanimous Consent : A Member may request unanimous consent on the floor to set aside a specified rule of procedure so as to expedite proceedings. If no Member objects, the Chamber permits the action, but if any one Member objects, the request is rejected. Unanimous consent requests with only immediate effects are routinely granted, but ones affecting the floor schedule, the conditions of considering a bill or other business, or the rights of other Members, are normally not offered, or a floor leader will object to it, until all Members concerned have had an opportunity to inform the leaders that they find it acceptable. Unanimous Consent Agreement : A unanimous consent request setting terms for the consideration of a specified bill or other measure. These agreements are usually proposed by the Majority Leader or floor manager of the measure, and reflect negotiations among Members interested in the measure. Many are "time agreements," which limit the time available for debate and specify who will control that time. Many also permit only a list of specified amendments, or require amendments to be to the measure. Many also contain other provisions, such as empowering the Majority Leader to call up the measure at will or specifying when consideration will begin or end. Back to Top ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Veto : The procedure established under the Constitution by which the President refuses to approve a bill or joint resolution and thus prevents its enactment into law. A regular veto occurs when the President returns the legislation to the house in which it originated. The President usually returns a vetoed bill with a message indicating his reasons for rejecting the measure. The veto can be overridden only by a two-thirds vote in both the Senate and the House. Vice President : Under the Constitution, the Vice President serves as President of the Senate. He may vote in the Senate in the case of a tie, but is not required to. The President Pro Tempore (and others designated by him) usually perform these duties during the Vice President's frequent absences from the Senate. Voice Vote : A vote in which the Presiding Officer states the question, then asks those in favor and against to say "Yea" or "Nay," respectively, and announces the result according to his or her judgment. The names or numbers of Members voting on each side are not recorded. Vote : Unless rules specify otherwise, the Chamber may agree to any question by a majority of Members voting, if a quorum is present. The Chair puts each question by voice vote unless the "yeas and nays" are requested, in which case a roll call vote occurs. Back to Top ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Whips : Assistants to the floor leaders who are also elected by their party conferences. The Majority and Minority Whips (and their assistants) are responsible for mobilizing votes within their parties on major issues. In the absence of a party floor leader, the whip often serves as acting floor leader. Back to Top ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Yield : When a Member who has been recognized to speak "yields" to another, he or she permits the other to speak while the first Member retains the floor. Technically, a Member may yield to another only for a question. Yield the Floor : A Member who has been recognized to speak yields the floor when he or she completes his or her remarks and terminates his or her recognition. Yield Time : When the Chamber has reached a unanimous consent agreement limiting the time for debate and placing it under the control of floor managers, a Member may be recognized to speak only if a manager yields the Member a specified amount of time to speak. The Chair then recognizes the Member receiving the time, not the manager who yields the time, to hold the floor. Back to Top
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