Congressional Dynamics and the Legislative Process How Congress really works: in practice, not in theory. If your job requires you to understand, follow, and impact legislation, or if you’re new to government affairs, here’s your chance to get up to speed in one information-packed day. This course shows you: How the House and Senate differ … Read more
From the Congressional Glossary – Including Legislative and Budget Terms Recognize / Recognition To speak on the floor of the House or Senate, a member must be “recognized” by the presiding officer. In the House, the presiding officer has considerable discretion in recognition and her rulings are rarely challenged (House Rule XVII – Decorum And … Read more
From the Congressional Glossary – Including Legislative and Budget Terms Sense of the Congress / Sense of the House / Sense of the Senate H. Res. 32 – Expressing The Sense of the House of Representatives On Tucson Shootings One or both chambers of Congress may formally express opinions about subjects of current … Read more
From the Congressional Glossary – Including Legislative and Budget Terms Budget Deficit / Budget Surplus Lesson 1 National Debt & Budget Deficit Explained The relationship between spending and revenues is reflected in the surplus or deficit figure. A surplus is an excess of revenues over outlays, while a deficit is an excess of … Read more
From the Congressional Glossary – Including Legislative and Budget Terms Political Action Committee / PAC / Leadership PAC PAC-MAN (REMI GAILLARD) Political Action Committee (PAC): A private group organized to elect or defeat government officials or to promote or defeat legislation. PACs are defined and regulated by state and federal law. A leadership … Read more
Congressional Dynamics and the Legislative Process How Congress really works: in practice, not in theory. If your job requires you to understand, follow, and impact legislation, or if you’re new to government affairs, here’s your chance to get up to speed in one information-packed day. This course shows you: How the House and Senate differ … Read more
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
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
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
From the Congressional Glossary – Including Legislative and Budget Terms Exclusion / Disorderly Behaviour / Censure / Reprimand / Expulsion Members of Congress are subject to disciplinary procedures in their respective chambers. The Constitution states (Article I, Section 5, cl. 2): “Each House may . . . punish its Members for disorderly Behaviour, and, with … Read more