From the Congressional Glossary – Including Legislative and Budget Terms
Executive Communication / Executive Document
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.”
Executive Document: A document, usually a treaty, sent to the Senate by the president for approval. Executive documents are referred to committee in the same manner as other measures. Unlike legislative documents, however, treaties don’t die at the end of a Congress but remain “live” proposals until acted on by the Senate or withdrawn by the president.
Prior to 1818, executive documents did not appear in printed form and prior to 1930 they were considered confidential with limited distribution. Even after 1930, they were not disseminated through the normal distribution channels.
Also see Executive Business; Executive Calendar; Executive Session; Treaties; § 6.180, Senate Calendars and Legislative
and Executive Business before the Senate, § 9.70 Laws and Their Codification, § 10.20 Floor Documents, in Congressional Deskbook.
More
- United States Congressional Serial Set – Library of Congress
- U.S. Serial Set: Selected Documents and Reports – Library of Congress
- American State Papers, 1789-1838 – Library of Congress
- Schedule of Volumes to the U.S. Serial Set: 1970 to Current – Law Librarians Society of DC
- Senate Printing and Document Services
- “Executive and Independent Agency Publications: Where to Get Official Documents,” CRS Report RL30173 (47-page PDF
) - “House Committee Markups: Manual of Procedures and Procedural Strategies,” CRS Report R41083 (220-page PDF)
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- Preparing and Delivering Congressional Testimony and Oral Presentations, a Five-Course series on CD
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Publications
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Pocket Constitution
Citizen’s Handbook to Influencing Elected Officials: A Guide for Citizen Lobbyists and Grassroots Advocates
Congressional Procedure
CongressionalGlossary.com, from TheCapitol.Net
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