From the Congressional Glossary – Including Legislative and Budget Terms Closed Rule / Modified Closed Rule / Special Rule / Open Rule In the House, under a closed rule, no amendments can be offered to the bill. Permits general debate for a specified period of time but permits no floor amendments. Amendments reported by the … Read more
From the Congressional Glossary – Including Legislative and Budget Terms Pennsylvania Avenue Pennsylvania Avenue (NW) is a street in Washington, DC, the nation’s capital city. The Capitol sits at the eastern end of Pennsylvania Avenue NW, and the White House is located a little more than a mile to the northwest of the Capitol, at … Read more
From the Congressional Glossary – Including Legislative and Budget Terms Amending the Constitution How to Amend the U.S. Constitution One of the ways in which federalism is most clearly expressed in the Constitution is in the process for its amendment. Nine of the thirteen original states were required to ratify the … Read more
From the Congressional Glossary – Including Legislative and Budget Terms Presidential Succession President Gerald Ford – Remarks on Taking the Oath of Office, August 9, 1974 Under Article II and the Twelfth, Twentieth, and Twenty-fifth Amendments to the Constitution, Congress has critical roles to play in the selection of the president and vice … Read more
From the Congressional Glossary – Including Legislative and Budget Terms Senate The Senate, as distinct from the House of Representatives, although each body is a “house” or “chamber” of Congress. Established by the Constitution, Article I, Section 3. The size of the Senate, currently 100 members, is established by the Constitution (“The Senate of the … Read more
From the Congressional Glossary – Including Legislative and Budget Terms Impeach / Impeachment The House has sole power to impeach (Article. I. Section. 2.), and the Senate has sole power to try an impeachment (Article. I. Section. 3.). Senate deliberations during impeachment trials may be held in secret session. Also see Secret Session; § 8.100 … Read more
From the Congressional Glossary – Including Legislative and Budget Terms Precedents of the House of Representatives / Cannon’s / Deschler’s / Hinds’ / House Practice House Parliamentarian discusses congressional precedent and rules with Foxx Precedent: Previous ruling by a presiding officer that becomes part of the procedures of a chamber. Each chamber of … Read more
From the Congressional Glossary – Including Legislative and Budget Terms Electoral College The Constitution provided for electors in choosing the president and vice president; the states’ electors by long practice are collectively called the electoral college. The Constitution in Article II, Section 1, Clause 2, states in part: Each State shall appoint, in such Manner … Read more
From the Congressional Glossary – Including Legislative and Budget Terms Federal Register / Rulemaking / Unified Agenda In the course of its lawmaking, Congress often delegates quasi-legislative authority to executive departments and agencies so that they might effectively implement laws and carry out the broader policy determinations that Congress itself made. Departments and agencies engage … Read more
From the Congressional Glossary – Including Legislative and Budget Terms Code of Federal Regulations / CFR The Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) is the codification of the general and permanent rules published in the Federal Register by the executive departments and agencies of the federal government. It is divided into fifty titles that represent broad … Read more