Clean Bill (CongressionalGlossary.com)

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

Congressional Record (CongressionalGlossary.com)

From the Congressional Glossary – Including Legislative and Budget Terms Congressional Record The Congressional Record is the official record of the proceedings and debates of the United States Congress. It is published daily when Congress is in session. At the back of each daily issue is the Daily Digest, which summarizes the day’s floor and … Read more

Floor Manager (CongressionalGlossary.com)

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

Rider (CongressionalGlossary.com)

From the Congressional Glossary – Including Legislative and Budget Terms Rider photo credit: carterse An amendment, usually not germane, that its sponsor hopes to get through more easily by including it in other legislation. Riders become law if the bills embodying them are enacted. Amendments providing legislative directives in appropriations bills are outstanding examples of … Read more

Germane / Germaneness / Pastore Rule (CongressionalGlossary.com)

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

Five-Minute Rule (CongressionalGlossary.com)

From the Congressional Glossary – Including Legislative and Budget Terms Five-Minute Rule photo credit: Moe_ A debate-limiting rule of the House that is invoked when the House sits as the Committee of the Whole. Under the rule, a member offering an amendment is allowed to speak five minutes in its favor, and an opponent of … Read more

Committee of the Whole (CongressionalGlossary.com)

From the Congressional Glossary – Including Legislative and Budget Terms Committee of the Whole photo credit: flowercarole The Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union, more often referred to as the “Committee of the Whole,” is the House of Representatives operating as a committee on which all 435 House members serve. … Read more

Teller Vote (CongressionalGlossary.com)

From the Congressional Glossary – Including Legislative and Budget Terms Teller Vote photo credit: wjarrettc This is a largely moribund procedure in the House in the Committee of the Whole. Members file past tellers and are counted as for, or against, a measure, but they are not recorded individually. In the House, teller votes are … Read more

Hearing / Hearings (CongressionalGlossary.com)

From the Congressional Glossary – Including Legislative and Budget Terms Hearing / Hearings photo credit: The U.S. Army Committee sessions for taking testimony from witnesses. At hearings on legislation, witnesses usually include specialists, government officials and spokesmen for persons or entities affected by the bill or bills under study. Hearings related to special investigations bring … Read more

Secretary of the Senate (CongressionalGlossary.com)

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