When a measure comes to the House floor under means other than through certain routine measures, it may reach the floor as the result of a special rule. A special rule establishes guidelines for the consideration of the measure as well as time for general debate and any limits on the amendment process. photo credit: … Read more
GOP rules governing committee term limits were adopted by House Republicans in time for the 104th Congress. Senate Republicans adopted the language nearly verbatim shortly after that. In 2001, Senate Republicans adopted a clarification to reflect that tenure in the minority does not count against the term limit for committee chairs. “Time served as Ranking … Read more
The Legislative Process Flowchart is from § 6.01, Legislative Process Flowchart, in Congressional Deskbook, Copyright © by TheCapitol.Net. See LegislativeProcessFlowchart.com This Legislative Process Flowchart is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution—NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License. Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available: www.thecapitol.net, 202-678-1600. TCNLPF.comLegislativeProcessFlowchart.com Related PostsCongress, the Legislative Process, and the Fundamentals … Read more
. . .it is not far from the truth to say that Congress in session is Congress on public exhibition, whilst Congress in its committee rooms is Congress at work. Woodrow Wilson, Congressional Government, 1885. Most matters are accomplished by Congress in committees. Each chamber of Congress has committees that are established to perform very … Read more
See President’s Budget (CongressionalGlossary.com) The president’s budget, officially known as the Budget of the United States Government, is required by law to be submitted “On or after the first Monday in January but not later than the first Monday in February of each year.” (31 USC 1105). The budget contains estimates for spending as well … Read more
Federal legislation is introduced as a proposal by either a Senator or a Representative in the House of Representatives. Before a bill can actually become a law, the proposal must be passed by the Senate as well as the House by a majority vote. It must then be signed into law by the president, or … Read more
Giving testimony before Congress can be a daunting task, particularly if this is your first time to visit the Capitol and you do not have any prior experience in this type of situation. It is quite natural to feel somewhat apprehensive and nervous in this type of situation. Understanding what to expect and how to … Read more
From the Congressional Glossary – Including Legislative and Budget Terms Joint Explanatory Statement of Managers Portion of the conference report providing the history, explanation, and intent of the conferees. The conference report and joint explanatory statement are two distinct documents. The conference report contains a formal statement of the procedural actions the conferees took and … Read more
The United States Constitution Article. I. (The Legislative Branch) Section. 8. (Powers of Congress) (Clause 1 – Power to tax and spend) The Congress shall have Power To lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises, to pay the Debts and provide for the common Defence and general Welfare of the United States; but all … Read more
The United States Constitution Article. I. (The Legislative Branch) Section. 5. (Membership, Rules, Journals, Adjournment) Each House shall be the Judge of the Elections, Returns and Qualifications of its own Members, and a Majority of each shall constitute a Quorum to do Business; but a smaller Number may adjourn from day to day, and may … Read more