US Legislature

US Legislature terms

1. "christmas tree" bill Informal nomenclature for a bill on the Senate floor that attracts many, often unrelated, floor amendments.
2. "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.
3. "must pass" bill A vitally important measure that Congress must enact, such as annual money bills to fund operations of the government.
4. Act The National Flood Insurance Act of 1968 and any amendments to it.
5. adjourn A motion to adjourn in the Senate (or a committee) ends that day's session.
6. adjourn for more than 3 days Under the Constitution, neither chamber may adjourn for more than three days without the approval of the other.
7. 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…
8. adjournment to a day and time certain An adjournment of the Senate that fixes the day and time for its next session.
9. advice and consent Under the Constitution, presidential nominations for executive and judicial posts take effect only when confirmed by the Senate, and international…
10. amendment A change in any part of a patent application made after it is filed. Also, the communication from the applicant to a patent office directing or requesting…
11. 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.
12. Appeal To call for a review of an IRS decision or proposed adjustment.
13. Appropriation The provision of funds, through an annual appropriations act or a permanent law, for federal agencies to make payments out of the Treasury for specified…
14. Authorization The issuance of approval, by a credit card issuer, merchant, or other affiliate, to complete a credit card transaction.
15. 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…
16. balanced budget A budget in which receipts equal outlays.
17. baseline An initial measurement that is taken at an early time point to represent a beginning condition, and is used for comparison over time to look for changes.
18. Bill Your bill is the statement of your account. Your bill will tell you the total amount that you owe us as of the end of the last billing period.
19. Budget Authority Authority provided by law to enter into obligations that will result in outlays of Federal funds.
20. budget resolution Legislation in the form of a concurrent resolution setting forth the congressional budget.
21. Calendar of Business A Senate publication sent to each lawmaker's office (and other offices) every day the Senate is in session.
22. 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…
23. 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…
24. chaplain (CHA-plin) A member of the clergy in charge of a chapel or who works with the military or with an institution, such as a hospital.
25. class Article I, section 3 of the Constitution requires the Senate to be divided into three classes for purposes of elections.
26. 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…
27. cloakroom Democratic and Republican cloakrooms adjacent to the Senate chamber serve as gathering places for party members to discuss chamber business privately.
28. cloture The only procedure by which the Senate can vote to place a time limit on consideration of a bill or other matter, and thereby overcome a filibuster.
29. committee Subsidiary organization of the Senate established for the purpose of considering legislation, conducting hearings and investigations, or carrying out…
30. committee amendment An amendment recommended by a committee in reporting a bill or other measure.
31. committee calendar Senate committees periodically publish a committee calendar that lists the bills and resolutions referred to them, action taken on those measures, and…
32. committee jurisdiction The subjects and functions assigned to a committee by rule, resolution, precedent, or practice, including legislative matters, oversight and…
33. committee membership Senators are assigned to specific committees by their party conference. Seniority, regional balance, and political philosophy are the most prominent…
34. committee on committees Committees formed in each party conference and responsible for nominating the party's Senators to committee membership and committee leadership positions.
35. committee print A publication used by committees for various purposes. For example, the rules of each standing committee may be published as a committee print, and drafts…
36. committee substitute Short for committee amendment in the nature of a substitute.
37. 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…
38. concurrent resolution A legislative measure, designated "S. Con. Res." and numbered consecutively upon introduction, generally employed to address the sentiments of both…
39. 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…
40. conferees Senators appointed to serve on conference committees. They are also called "managers.
41. 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…
42. conference report The compromise product negotiated by the conference committee. The "conference report," which is printed and available to Senators, is submitted to each…
43. conference, party The organization of all party members in the chamber. The conferences elect the party and committee leaders as well as rank-and-file committee members…
44. confirmation This written notice provided by a brokerage acknowledges completion of a securities transaction.
45. Congressional Record The substantially verbatim account of daily proceedings on the Senate floor. It is printed for each day the Senate is in session.
46. Consideration An item of value given in exchange for a promise or act.
47. 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…
48. controlled time When a unanimous consent agreement limits the time for debate on a bill or other measure and places it under the control of bill floor managers, the time…
49. deficit (surplus) The amount by which outlays exceed receipts in a given fiscal period. (A surplus would be the amount by which receipts exceed outlays.)
50. discretionary spending Spending (budget authority and outlays)controlled in annual appropriations acts.
51. 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…
52. engrossed bill The official copy of a bill or joint resolution passed by the Senate and certified by the Secretary of the Senate.
53. enrolled bill The final copy of a bill or joint resolution which has passed both chambers in identical form.
54. 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.
55. Ex officio By virtue.
56. executive business Nominations and treaties; called executive business because these categories of business are received by the Senate from the President, rather than…
57. Executive Calendar A list of executive business (i.e., treaties and nominations) available for Senate floor consideration.
58. executive communication A message sent to the Senate by the President or other executive branch official. Presidential veto messages are an example of an "executive communication.
59. executive session A portion of the Senate's daily session in which it considers executive business.
60. filibuster Informal term for any attempt to block or delay Senate action on a bill or other matter by debating it at length, by offering numerous procedural motions…
61. fiscal year The fiscal year is the accounting period for the federal government which begins on October 1 and ends on September 30.
62. Floor Action "on the floor" is that which occurs as part of a formal session of the full Senate.
63. floor amendment An amendment offered by an individual Senator from the floor during consideration of a bill or other measure, in contrast to a committee amendment.
64. floor leaders The Majority Leader and Minority Leader are elected by their respective party conferences to serve as the chief Senate spokesmen for their parties and to…
65. floor manager Senators designated to lead and organize consideration of a bill or other measure on the floor.
66. germane On the subject of the pending bill or other business; a strict standard of relevance.
67. Hearing A formal proceeding (generally less formal than a trial) with issues of law or of fact to be heard.
68. Hold Used to indicate that a certain amount of a customer's balance may not be withdrawn until an item has been collected, or until a specific check or debit…
69. item veto Authority to veto part rather than all of an appropriations act. The President does not now have item-veto authority.
70. joint committee Committees including membership from both houses of Congress. Joint committees are usually established with narrow jurisdictions and normally lack…
71. joint meeting An occasion, often ceremonial, when the House and Senate meet together to hear an address by various dignitaries, such as foreign leaders.
72. joint resolution A legislative measure, designated "S. J. Res." and numbered consecutively upon introduction, which requires the approval of both chambers and, with one…
73. 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.
74. journal A chronological record of data processing operations that may be used to reconstruct a previous or an updated version of a file.
75. 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…
76. leave to sit Permission for a committee to meet during the proceedings of the parent chamber.
77. legislative day A "day" that starts when the Senate meets after an adjournment and ends when the Senate next adjourns.
78. legislative session That part of the Senate's daily session in which it considers legislative business (bills, resolutions, and actions related thereto).
79. majority leader see Floor Leaders
80. majority whip See Whips.
81. mandatory spending Spending (budget authority and outlays) controlled by laws other than annual appropriations acts.
82. Markup When you buy securities from a broker-dealer or market maker, you pay a markup.
83. Measure A question or proposal submitted in an election for an expression of the voters’ will.
84. minority leader See Floor Leaders.
85. minority whip See Whips.
86. morning business Routine business that is supposed to occur during the first two hours of a new legislative day.
87. motion to proceed to consider A motion, usually offered by the Majority Leader to bring a bill or other measure up for consideration.
88. nomination An appointment by the President to executive or judicial office that is subject to Senate confirmation.
89. 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.
90. Obligation An order placed, contract awarded, service received, or similar transaction during a given period that will require payments during the same or a future…
91. off-budget entities The budget authority, outlays, and receipts of certain Federal entities that have been excluded from budget totals under provisions of law.
92. 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…
93. Outlays Outlays are payments made (generally through the issuance of checks or disbursement of cash) to liquidate obligations.
94. override of a veto The process by which each chamber of Congress votes on a bill vetoed by the President.
95. oversight Committee review of the activities of a Federal agency or program.
96. parliamentarian The Parliamentarian is the Senate's advisor on the interpretation of its rules and procedures.
97. parliamentary inquiry A question from the floor to the Presiding Officer by a Senator requesting a clarification of the procedural situation on the floor.
98. permanent appropriation Budget authority that becomes available as the result of previously enacted legislation (substantive legislation or prior appropriations act) and does not…
99. pocket veto The Constitution grants the President 10 days to review a measure passed by the Congress.
100. point of order A claim made by a Senator from the floor that a rule of the Senate is being violated.