From the Congressional Glossary – Including Legislative and Budget Terms
Cloakroom / Hotline
Donnald K. Anderson: Running the Democratic Cloakroom
Democratic and Republican cloakrooms adjacent to the Senate and House chambers serve as gathering places for party members to discuss chamber business privately.
Each cloakroom operates a “hotline” (telephone cloakroom recording) for party members. From § 10.70 “Cloakroom Recordings” in Congressional Deskbook:
Each party in each chamber operates cloakroom recordings for members. Each cloakroom has one telephone line that provides recorded information about the upcoming schedule. A second taped message details the results of votes, ongoing proceedings, summaries of recent actions, and the times of adjournment and convening of the next session. Each of the four cloakrooms operates a hot line that automatically notifies members through pagers whenever a major floor action is imminent or, when the bells ring for a vote, the subject of that vote. Members can also call cloakroom staff to ask about pending and anticipated action in the chamber. The public can obtain the same recorded information that is provided to members by calling the following numbers:
- House Democratic Cloakroom: 202-225-1600 for advance schedule and 202-225-7400 for current proceedings, web site (Twitter)
- House Republican Cloakroom: 202-225-2020 for advance schedule and 202-225-7430 for current proceedings, web site (Twitter)
- Senate Democratic Cloakroom: 202-224-8541
- Senate Republican Cloakroom: 202-224-8601 (Twitter)
Also see: Chapter 5.D. Holds, in Congressional Procedure; §§ 8.22 and 10.70 in Congressional Deskbook.
Unwritten Rules of Congress | Ron’s Office Hours | NPR
More
- Congressional Leadership
- The House Democratic Cloakroom
- The House Republican Cloakroom
- Cloakroom: U.S. Congress – Wikipedia
- “Sponsorship and Cosponsorship of Senate Bills,” CRS Report 98-279 (8-page PDF
) - “Pairing in Congressional Voting: The House,” CRS Report 98-970 (7-page PDF)
- “Introducing a House Bill or Resolution,” CRS Report R44001 (13-page PDF)
- “Special Order Speeches: Current House Practices,” CRS Report RL30136 (12-page PDF)
- “Proposals to Reform ‘Holds’ in the Senate,” CRS Report RL31685 (26-page PDF)
- “Congress; Of Life In the Cloakroom,” NYT, January 21, 1986
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