Slip Laws (CongressionalGlossary.com)

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

Statutes at Large (Stat.) (CongressionalGlossary.com)

From the Congressional Glossary – Including Legislative and Budget Terms Statutes at Large (Stat.) photo credit: specialklikethecereal A chronological arrangement of the laws enacted in each session of Congress. Though indexed, the laws are not arranged by subject matter, and there is no indication of how they changed previously enacted laws. The United States Statutes … Read more

Committee Allocation (CongressionalGlossary.com)

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

Legislative Veto (CongressionalGlossary.com)

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

Ranking Minority Member / Ranking Member (CongressionalGlossary.com)

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

Yeas and Nays (CongressionalGlossary.com)

From the Congressional Glossary – Including Legislative and Budget Terms Yeas and Nays photo credit: dhendrix73 Yeas and Nays: A vote in which members respond “aye” or “no” on a question. Their names are called in alphabetical order The Constitution requires that yea-and-nay votes be taken and recorded when requested by one-fifth of the members … Read more

Conference Report (CongressionalGlossary.com)

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

Division of a Question for Voting (CongressionalGlossary.com)

From the Congressional Glossary – Including Legislative and Budget Terms Division of a Question for Voting photo credit: neoterra A practice that is more common in the Senate but also is used in the House whereby a member may demand a division of an amendment or a motion for purposes of amendment. The individual parts … Read more

Electronic Vote (CongressionalGlossary.com)

From the Congressional Glossary – Including Legislative and Budget Terms Electronic Vote Voting terminal in the U.S. House. Image from the Clerk of the House. A vote in the House using electronic voting machines. Members insert voting cards into one of the devices located throughout the House chamber. Recorded and roll call votes are normally … Read more

Earmarking / Earmarks / Miscellaneous Tariff Bills (CongressionalGlossary.com)

From the Congressional Glossary – Including Legislative and Budget Terms Earmarking / Earmarks / Miscellaneous Tariff Bills photo credit: Beau B Earmarking: Either of the following: (1) Dedicating collections by law for a specific purpose or program. Earmarked collections include trust fund receipts, special fund receipts, intragovernmental receipts, and offsetting collections credited to appropriation accounts. … Read more