From the Congressional Glossary – Including Legislative and Budget Terms Majority Leader The Majority Leader is elected by her party colleagues. In the Senate, the Majority Leader, in collaboration with the Minority Leader, directs the legislation schedule for the Senate. Each is her party’s spokesperson and chief strategist. In the House, the Majority Leader is … Read more
From the Congressional Glossary – Including Legislative and Budget Terms Executive Calendar This is a non-legislative calendar in the Senate on which executive business, presidential documents such as treaties and nominations are listed. The Senate’s Executive Calendar (PDF) is updated each day the Senate is in session. The executive calendar identifies executive resolutions, treaties, and … Read more
From the Congressional Glossary – Including Legislative and Budget Terms Clean Bill If a committee has approved extensive amendments, the committee may decide to report the original bill with one “amendment in the nature of a substitute” consisting of all the amendments previously adopted, or may introduce and report a new bill incorporating those amendments, … Read more
From the Congressional Glossary – Including Legislative and Budget Terms Caucus / Congressional Member Organization / CMO / Congressional Staff Organization / CSO Caucus is from the Algonquian Indian language, where caucus meant “to meet together.” An informal organization of members of the House or the Senate, or both, that exists to discuss issues of … Read more
From the Congressional Glossary – Including Legislative and Budget Terms Controlled Time photo credit: PopCultureGeek.com When a unanimous consent agreement limits the time for debate on a bill or other measure and places it under the control of bill floor managers, the time is said to be controlled. Each manager then allows any senator to … Read more
From the Congressional Glossary – Including Legislative and Budget Terms Floor Manager photo credit: karindalziel A member who has the task of steering legislation through floor debate and the amendment process to a final vote in the House or the Senate. Floor managers usually are the chairmen or ranking members of the committee that reported … Read more
From the Congressional Glossary – Including Legislative and Budget Terms Germane / Germaneness / Pastore Rule photo credit: mRio Pertaining to the subject matter of the measure at hand. All House amendments must be germane to the bill being considered. House Rule XVI, clause 7 specifies: 7. No motion or proposition on a subject different … Read more
From the Congressional Glossary – Including Legislative and Budget Terms Parliamentarian House Session 2012-03-27 (19:04:25-20:19:32) The Senate and the House each has an Office of the Parliamentarian to provide expert advice and assistance on questions relating to the meaning and application of that chamber’s legislative rules, precedents, and practices. House: The House Parliamentarian … Read more
From the Congressional Glossary – Including Legislative and Budget Terms Secretary of the Senate Chief administrative and budgetary officer of the Senate selected by the Senate per the Constitution (Article I, Section 3) responsible for overseeing the duties of Senate employees, educating Senate pages, administering oaths, handling the registration of lobbyists, and handling other tasks … Read more
From the Congressional Glossary – Including Legislative and Budget Terms Pair / Logrolling photo credit: dno1967b A pair is a voluntary, informal arrangement that two lawmakers, usually on opposite sides of an issue, make on recorded votes. In many cases the result is to subtract a vote from each side, with no effect on the … Read more