From the Congressional Glossary – Including Legislative and Budget Terms Federal Debt The Debt Ceiling Explained: Why You Should Care The federal debt consists of public debt, which occurs when the Treasury of the Federal Financing Bank (FFB) borrows money directly from the public or other funds or accounts, and government debt / … Read more
From the Congressional Glossary – Including Legislative and Budget Terms Nongermane Amendment photo credit: bfelice An amendment that would add new and different subject matter to, or may be irrelevant to, the bill or other measure it seeks to amend. Senate rules permit nongermane amendments in all but a few specific circumstances. The amending process … Read more
From the Congressional Glossary – Including Legislative and Budget Terms Amendment Tree / Filling the Tree photo credit: kewl “Amendment trees” are charts that illustrate certain principles of precedence that guide the Senate amendment process. When all of the amendments permitted simultaneously by these principles of precedence have been offered and … Read more
From the Congressional Glossary – Including Legislative and Budget Terms On-Budget photo credit: neelaka All budgetary accounts other than those designated by law as off-budget. On-budget entities are federal agencies and programs that are fully reflected in the totals of the president’s budget and the congressional budget resolution. Also see Nonbudgetary; Off-Budget / Off-Budget Entities … Read more
From the Congressional Glossary – Including Legislative and Budget Terms photo credit: TimothyJ A chart of accounts (and technical guidance) established to support the consistent recording of financial events as well as the preparation of standard external reports required by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and the Department of the Treasury. Agencies are … Read more
From the Congressional Glossary – Including Legislative and Budget Terms Slip Laws photo credit: Digital Sextant A few days after a law has been enacted, it is officially published first as a “slip law.” The first official publication of a bill that has been enacted and signed into law. Each is published separately in unbound … Read more
From the Congressional Glossary – Including Legislative and Budget Terms Committee Allocation photo credit: Tetra Pak The distribution of total proposed new budget authority and outlays, as set forth in the concurrent resolution on the budget, among the congressional committees according to their jurisdictions. The allocations are set forth in the joint explanatory statement of … Read more
From the Congressional Glossary – Including Legislative and Budget Terms Legislative Veto photo credit: Sir Hectimere A procedure, as of 1983 no longer allowed, permitting either the House or Senate, or both chambers, to review proposed executive branch regulations or actions and to block or modify those with which they disagreed. The specifics of the … Read more
From the Congressional Glossary – Including Legislative and Budget Terms Ranking Minority Member / Ranking Member photo credit: Tambako the Jaguar The highest ranking (and usually longest serving) minority-party member of a standing committee or subcommittee. Senators may not serve as ranking minority member on more than one standing committee. The “Ranking Member” is the … Read more
From the Congressional Glossary – Including Legislative and Budget Terms Conference Report photo credit: ☺ Lee J Haywood The compromise product negotiated by the conference committee. The “conference report,” which is printed and available to Senators, is submitted to each chamber for its consideration, such as approval or disapproval. The conference report contains a formal … Read more