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Glossary of Legislative Terms

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Glossary of Legislative Terms GLOSSARY OF LEGISLATIVE TERMS Act – A bill or measure after it passes Caucus – The meeting of members of a one or both chambers. Also used to denote a political party, usually to decide policy or law in place. select members to fill positions. Also, the group itself. Adjournment – To end a legislative day Recess does not end a legislative day. Chamber – Either the House of representatives or the Senate. Amendment – A proposal to change or an actual change to a bill, a motion, an act, Cloture – In the Senate, the only way to or the Constitution. end a filibuster is through a cloture vote. If a super majority of 60 Senators vote for the Apportionment – Allocation of cloture, time limits for debate will be set. legislative seats by law. The 435 seats in the House of Representative are apportioned to Conference Committee – A Committee states based on population. composed of Senators and Representatives named to work out differences between Appropriations Bill – Grants the actual same-subject bills passed by both chambers. monies approved by authorization bills, but If a compromise is reached, it must then be not necessarily to the total permissible under approved by both the Senate and the House. the authorization bill. Originates in the House, and is usually not acted on until the Congressional Record – The printed, companion authorization measure is passed. daily account of debates, votes and comments in the House and Senate Authorization Bill – Authorizes a published by the Government Printing program, specifies its general aim and Office and available online at conduct, and puts a ceiling on monies that www.gpoaccess.gov/crecord/index.html can be used to finance it. Usually enacted before an appropriations bill is passed. Continuing Resolution – If Congress has not enacted all the necessary Bill – A proposed law. appropriations bills when a fiscal year begins, it passes a joint resolution Budget – The document sent to Congress continuing appropriations at rates generally by the president in January of each year based on those of the previous year. estimating government revenue and expenditures for the ensuing fiscal year and Earmark – To specify funds for a recommending appropriations in detail. The particular purpose. president’s budget message forms the basis for congressional hearings and legislation on Filibuster – A device, used only in the the year’s appropriations. Senator, to delay or prevent a vote by time- consuming talk. It can be stopped only by a 60-member vote of the House or Senate. -2- Fiscal Year – Financial operations of the bill is extensively revised, the new the government are carried out in a 12- version may be introduced as a separate bill, month fiscal year, beginning on Oct. 1 and with a new number. ending on Sept. 30. The fiscal year carries the date of the calendar year in which it Minority Leader – Floor leader for the ends. minority party (See Majority Leader.) Germane - Pertaining to the subject of Minority Whip – Performs duties of the measure at hand. All House whip for the minority party. (See Majority amendments must be germane to the bill. Whip.) The Senate requires that the amendments be germane only when they are proposed to Motion – Request by a member for any general appropriation bills, bills being one of a wide array of parliamentary actions. considered under cloture, or, often, when He “moves” for a certain procedure, or the proceeding under an agreement to limit consideration of a measure or a vote, etc. debate. The precedence of motions, and whether they are debatable, is set forth in the House Hearings – Committee sessions for and Senate manuals. hearing witnesses. At hearings on legislation, witnesses usually include Nominations – Appointments to office specialists, government officials and by the executive branch of the government, spokesmen for persons affected by the bills subject to Senate confirmation on. Although under study. Hearings related to special most nominations win quick Senate investigations bring forth a variety of approval, some are controversial and witnesses. Committees sometimes use their become the topic of hearings and debate. subpoena power to summon reluctant Sometimes senators object to appoint to witnesses. The public and press may attend appointees for patronage reasons – for “open” hearings, but are barred from example, when a nomination to a local “closed” or “executive” hearings. federal job is made without consulting the senators of the state concerned. Then a Majority Leader – Chief strategist and senator may use the stock objection that the floor spokesman for the party in nominal nominee is “personally obnoxious” to him. control in either chamber. He is elected by Usually other senators join in blocking such his party colleagues and virtually program an appointment out of courtesy to their director for chamber, since he usually colleague. speaks for its majority. One Minute Speeches – Addresses by Majority Whip – In effect, the assistant House members at the beginning of a majority leader, in House or Senate. His job legislative day. The speeches may cover is to help marshal majority forces in support any subject, but are limited strictly to one of party strategy and legislation. minute’s duration. By unanimous consent, members may also be recognized to address Marking Up a Bill – Going through a the House for longer periods after measure, in committee or subcommittee, completion of all legislative business for the taking it section by section, revising day. Senators, by unanimous consent, are language, penciling in new phrases, etc. If permitted to make speeches of a -3- predetermined length during the Morning Constitution). When Congress is in session, Hour the President must veto a bill within ten days, excluding Sundays, of receiving it: Rescission – A bill rescinding or otherwise, the bill becomes law without the canceling budget authority previously made President’s signature. available by Congress. Whip – A legislator who is chosen to be Resolution – A formal statement of a assistance to the leader of the party in both decision or opinion by the House or Senate the House and Senate. or both. A simple resolution is made by one chamber and generally deals with that chamber’s rules or prerogatives. A Sources: Directory of the U.S. Senate and the concurrent resolution is presented in both U.S. House of Representatives 102nd Congress. chambers and usually expresses a Congressional view on a matter not within Congressional jurisdiction. A joint resolution also requires approval in both chambers and goes to the President for approval. Simple and concurrent resolutions do not go to the President. Roll-Call Vote – Senators vote as their names are called by the Clerk. Representatives electronically record their votes. Each House member has a running count of votes is displayed. Roll-call votes and recorded teller votes are the only votes of which a public record is made. Speaker – Speaker of the House of Representatives. Presides over the House. Elected, in effect, by the majority party in the House. Next in line of succession to the Presidency after the Vice President. Suspend the Rules – A motion in the House intended to quickly bring a bill to a vote. Table a Bill – A motion to, in effect, put a bill aside and thereby remove it from consideration or kill it. Veto – Disapproval by the President of a bill or joint resolution (other than one proposing an amendment to the .
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