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 Vice President Under the Constitution (Article I, Section 3), the vice president serves as President of the Senate. He may vote in the Senate in the case of a tie but is not required to. The President Pro Tempore (and others designated by him) usually … Read more
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
From the Congressional Glossary – Including Legislative and Budget Terms Executive Session / Executive Business / Secret Session photo credit: glasseyes view Executive Session (1) A meeting of a Senate or House committee (or occasionally of either chamber) that only its members may attend. Witnesses regularly appear at committee meetings in executive session – for … Read more
From the Congressional Glossary – Including Legislative and Budget Terms Agency photo credit: independentman Agency: No one definition of this term has general, governmentwide applicability. “Agency” and related terms, like “executive agency” or “federal agency,” are defined in different ways in different laws and regulations. For example, the provisions of the Budget and Accounting Act … Read more
From the Congressional Glossary – Including Legislative and Budget Terms Unfilled Customer Orders photo credit: Sam Beebe / Ecotrust The dollar amount of orders accepted from other accounts within the government for goods and services to be furnished on a reimbursable basis. In the case of transactions with the public, these orders are amounts advanced … Read more
From the Congressional Glossary – Including Legislative and Budget Terms Function / Functional Classification photo credit: quinn.anya Categories of spending established for accounting purposes to keep track of specific expenditures. Each account is placed in the single function (such as national defense, agriculture, health, etc.) that best represents its major purpose, regardless of the agency … Read more
Special note to readers of Testifying Before Congress and anyone searching for information about congressional hearings, witnesses and testimony: The following information is made available to you as part of the author’s promise to provide periodic updates, revisions and additions to the content of the book (see Appendix Thirteen, page 398, “Keep Up-to-Date”), and especially … Read more
How many presses can claim 40 percent of their books as winner or finalist in one of the publishing industry’s most prestigious awards? TheCapitol.Net is one that can. The Virginia-based DC-area publisher has published ten titles, all on understanding how the federal government, Washington, and the media actually work. Four of them have received recognition … Read more
Under certain circumstances, congressional committee staff members may choose to depose potential witnesses and scheduled witnesses. The purpose of such depositions is to gather information in order to prepare for a hearing. This is more common in investigative hearings. photo credit: Vincent van der Pas Formal in nature, such questioning of a witness is the … Read more