From the Congressional Glossary – Including Legislative and Budget Terms Refer / Referral Muddy Waters – Champagne & Reefer Refer: Assignment of a measure to committee Once introduced in the House or Senate, or passed by one chamber and sent to the other, most measures are referred to committee. Referral to committee occurs … 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 Blue-Slip Resolution / Star Print / Blue Slip MITCH RYDER – DEVIL WITH THE BLUE DRESS (Live w / lyrics) Blue-Slip Resolution: House resolution ordering the return to the Senate of a Senate bill or amendment that the House believes violates the constitutional … Read more
From the Congressional Glossary – Including Legislative and Budget Terms Members’ Representational Allowance (MRA) / Legislative Assistant / Legislative Correspondent / Legislative Director Employment Summit – Three Skills You Can’t Do Without – Stacy Cervenka The first paid staff on Capitol Hill were hired by committees before the Civil War. By World War … 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
From the Congressional Glossary – Including Legislative and Budget Terms Conferees / Managers / Instruct Conferees Reid Announces Conferees to Negotiate One-Year Plan Conferees: The representatives and senators from each chamber who serve on a conference committee; also referred to as managers. Instruct Conferees: Formal action by one chamber urging its conferees … Read more
From the Congressional Glossary – Including Legislative and Budget Terms Speaker’s Lobby In the House chamber, the door to the Speaker’s left and another to the Speaker’s right provide access to the Speaker’s Lobby. After the House moved to the new south wing of the Capitol in 1857, the Speaker’s Office occupied space behind the … Read more
From the Congressional Glossary – Including Legislative and Budget Terms Mace Symbolism in the House Chamber The mace is the symbol of authority of the House of Representatives. The mace is 46 inches high and consists of 13 thin ebony rods representing the original 13 states of the union. The rods are bound … Read more
From the Congressional Glossary – Including Legislative and Budget Terms Motion to Recommit / Recommit to Committee / Table / Lay on the Table Rep. Cartwright Motion to Recommit Recommit: To send a measure back to the committee that reported it. A motion to recommit without instructions kills a measure; a … Read more