From the Congressional Glossary – Including Legislative and Budget Terms Frank / Franking Privilege A member’s facsimile signature, which is used on envelopes in lieu of stamps, for the member’s official outgoing mail. The “franking privilege” is the right to send mail postage-free. The congressional franking privilege, which dates from 1775, allows Members of Congress … Read more
From the Congressional Glossary – Including Legislative and Budget Terms Date Shifting / Fiscal Transparency / Fiscal Illusion One of the budgetary maneuvers used by Congress. Congress can shift scheduled payments for contracts, or even for federal employee salaries, by a few days in order to move expenditures from one fiscal year to another. For … Read more
From the Congressional Glossary – Including Legislative and Budget Terms Joint Committee Committees including membership from both the House and the Senate. A joint committee may be investigative or research oriented. Joint committees are usually established with narrow jurisdictions and normally lack authority to report legislation. As of 2018 only five joint committees remain: Joint … Read more
From the Congressional Glossary – Including Legislative and Budget Terms Reading of Bills Rand Paul Refuses to Vote Without Reading the Bill Traditional parliamentary procedure required bills to be read three times before they were passed. This custom is of little modern significance. Normally a bill is considered to have its first reading … Read more
From the Congressional Glossary – Including Legislative and Budget Terms Veto A veto is the disapproval by the president of a bill or joint resolution passed by Congress (other than a joint resolution proposing a constitutional amendment). After both chambers of Congress have passed a bill, it is enrolled, then is sent to the president … Read more
From the Congressional Glossary – Including Legislative and Budget Terms Override a Veto If the president disapproves a bill and sends it back to Congress with his objections, Congress may try to override his veto and enact the bill into law. Neither chamber is required to attempt to override a veto. The override of a … Read more
From the Congressional Glossary – Including Legislative and Budget Terms Oversight / Oversight Committee Oversight: Committee review of the activities of a federal agency or program. Oversight Committee: A congressional committee, or designated subcommittee of a committee, charged with general oversight of one or more federal agencies activities. Usually, the oversight panel for a particular … Read more
From the Congressional Glossary – Including Legislative and Budget Terms Recorded Vote / Roll Call Vote Roll Call Vote on H.R. 2126 Recorded Vote: A vote upon which each member’s stand is individually made known. In the Senate, this is accomplished through a roll call of the entire membership, to which each senator … Read more
From the Congressional Glossary – Including Legislative and Budget Terms Hopper Box attached to the House clerk’s desk where members place bills and resolutions to introduce them. Also called “bill hopper.” The term derives from a funnel-shaped storage bin filled from the top and emptied from the bottom, often used to house grain or coal. … Read more
From the Congressional Glossary – Including Legislative and Budget Terms Morning Hour / Morning Business The time set-aside at the beginning of each legislative day for the consideration of regular, routine business. The “hour” is of indefinite duration in the House, where a period is set aside at the beginning of the day for members … Read more