From the Congressional Glossary – Including Legislative and Budget Terms Private Calendar / Private Bill Private Calendar In the House, private bills dealing with individual matters such as claims against the government, immigration, land titles, etc., are put on this calendar. The private calendar must be called on the first Tuesday of each month, and … Read more
From the Congressional Glossary – Including Legislative and Budget Terms Controlled Time photo credit: PopCultureGeek.com When a unanimous consent agreement limits the time for debate on a bill or other measure and places it under the control of bill floor managers, the time is said to be controlled. Each manager then allows any senator to … Read more
From the Congressional Glossary – Including Legislative and Budget Terms Fiscal Year photo credit: MBoy68 Fiscal Year: Any yearly accounting period, regardless of its relationship to a calendar year. The federal government’s annual accounting period. Financial operations of the government are carried out in a 12-month accounting year, beginning on October 1 and ending on … Read more
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
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
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
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 Speaker The presiding officer of the House of Representatives, selected by the caucus of the party to which she belongs and formally elected by the whole House. Article I, Section 2 of the Constitution states: “The House of Representatives shall chuse their Speaker and other … Read more
From the Congressional Glossary – Including Legislative and Budget Terms Enrolled Bill / Enrolled Measure The final official copy of a bill that has been passed by both chambers in identical form. It is certified by an officer of the house of origin (clerk of the House or secretary of the Senate) and then sent … Read more
From the Congressional Glossary – Including Legislative and Budget Terms Clerk of the House Chief administrative officer of the House of Representatives, responsible principally for administrative support of the legislative process in the House. Selected by the House per the Constitution, Article I. Section 2. Duties correspond to those of the Secretary of the Senate. … Read more