Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs / OIRA (CongressionalGlossary.com)

From the Congressional Glossary – Including Legislative and Budget Terms Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs / OIRA The Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA, pronounced “oh-eye-ruh”) is a federal office established by Congress in the 1980 Paperwork Reduction Act. It is part of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), which is an … Read more

Office of Management and Budget / OMB (CongressionalGlossary.com)

From the Congressional Glossary – Including Legislative and Budget Terms Office of Management and Budget / OMB The core mission of OMB is to serve the president of the United States in implementing his vision across the executive branch. OMB is the largest component of the Executive Office of the President. It reports directly to … Read more

“Land of Dreams”

A new YouTube video – “Land of Dreams” – featuring Rosanne Cash and other musicians, shows different tourist experiences in the United States. From Discover America. More Chinatown Bus Amtrak Hostels.com hostelworld.com CouchSurfing.org AirBnB Washington DC U.S. National Park Service – Experience Your America Visiting Washington, DC

Thomas / Congress.gov / Library of Congress / Govinfo (CongressionalGlossary.com)

From the Congressional Glossary – Including Legislative and Budget Terms Thomas / Congress.gov (Library of Congress)   Thomas The Tank Engine – Accidents Can Happen   “THOMAS: In the spirit of Thomas Jefferson, legislative information from the Library of Congress” THOMAS is now Congress.gov THOMAS / Thomas was launched in January of 1995, at the … Read more

Seniority / Junior Senator / Senior Senator (CongressionalGlossary.com)

From the Congressional Glossary – Including Legislative and Budget Terms Seniority / Junior Senator / Senior Senator Cartoon explanation here. The status given members according to their length of service in the chamber, which entitles a member with greater seniority to preferential treatment in matters such as committee assignments. In the House, the Press Gallery … Read more

Gang of Four (CongressionalGlossary.com)

From the Congressional Glossary – Including Legislative and Budget Terms Gang of Four “Gang of Four” intelligence notifications generally are oral briefings of certain particularly sensitive non-covert action intelligence activities, including principally, but not exclusively, intelligence collection programs, that the intelligence community typically limits to the chairmen and ranking members of the two congressional intelligence … Read more

Bipartisan (CongressionalGlossary.com)

From the Congressional Glossary – Including Legislative and Budget Terms Bipartisan When members from two different political parties (in the contemporary Congress, Democrats and Republicans) work together to find a common solution, or when members from both parties work together in a group or jointly sponsor or co-sponsor legislation. In the House, the Speaker consults … Read more

At-large Representative (CongressionalGlossary.com)

From the Congressional Glossary – Including Legislative and Budget Terms At-large Representative An at-large representative is a member of the House whose congressional district is their entire state. Under the Constitution, seats in the House of Representatives are apportioned among the states. They are reapportioned every ten years following the decennial census. Every state is … Read more

Government Printing Office / Government Publishing Office / GPO / Federal Depository Libraries (CongressionalGlossary.com)

From the Congressional Glossary – Including Legislative and Budget Terms Government Printing Office / Government Publishing Office / GPO / Federal Depository Libraries The Government Printing Office (GPO) is a legislative branch agency. The name changed in 2014 to Government Publishing Office. GPO’s core mission of “Keeping America Informed,” dates to 1813 when Congress determined … Read more

Legislative Branch Agencies / Architect of the Capitol / AOC / Legislative Branch Appropriations (CongressionalGlossary.com)

From the Congressional Glossary – Including Legislative and Budget Terms Legislative Branch Agencies / Architect of the Capitol / AOC To ensure that Congress has independent sources of information from the executive branch to support it in its legislative and oversight responsibilities, Congress formed several legislative branch agencies.   Stone Preservation on Capitol Hill   … Read more