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Congressional Procedure
A Practical Guide to the Legislative Process in the U.S. Congress: The House of Representatives and Senate Explained
By Richard A. Arenberg
Additional Resources
Pocket Constitution
Previous: Chapter 4 – House Floor
Chapter 5 – Senate Floor
A. Introduction
B. Scheduling of Legislation
C. Senate Calendars
D. Holds
E. Unanimous Consent Agreements (“Time Agreements”)
F. Consideration on the Senate Floor
G. Quorum Calls
H. Filibuster
I. The Nuclear Option
J. Amendment on the Senate Floor and in Committee
K. Filling the Amendment Tree
L. Calendar Days and Legislative Days
M. Voting
N. Final Passage
Chapter 5. Senate Floor
5. A. Introduction
- Pocket Constitution
- Constitution, Article I, Section 3
- Constitution, Article V
- Constitution, 17th Amendment
- Filibuster / Unlimited Debate (CongressionalGlossary.com)
- Precedents of the House of Representatives / Cannon’s / Deschler’s / Hinds’ / House Practice (CongressionalGlossary.com)
- Senate Floor Webcast
- Standing Rules of the Senate
- Senate Manual, GPO
- Notes of Debates in the Federal Convention of 1787, Avalon Project
- The Federalist No. 63, Avalon Project
- Letter from John Adams to John Stockdale, 12 May 1793, National Archives
- “The instability of our laws….” Letter To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 20 December 1787, National Archives
- Rules and Procedure, Senate
- “the last bastion of minority rights….” Majority Leader Robert Byrd (D-WV), in Memorial Addresses for Robert C. Byrd, S. Doc 111-14, GPO, 2012, page 106
- Rules and Procedure, Senate
- The Legislative Process on the Senate Floor: An Introduction, CRS Report 96-548 (20-page PDF
)
Senate Floor
- The Budget Reconciliation Process: The Senate’s “Byrd Rule”, CRS Report RL30862 (45-page PDF)
- Markup in Senate Committee: Considering Amendments, CRS Report 98-245 (4-page PDF)
- How a Senate Bill Becomes a Law, Senate (12-page PDF)
- The Senate as a Continuing Body, Henry Cabot Lodge, 1903, Senate
- Secretary of the Senate
- Enactment of a Law, Senate
- Eight Mechanisms to Enact Procedural Change in the U.S. Senate, CRS Insight IN10875 (5-page PDF)
- Procedures for Considering Changes in Senate Rules, CRS Report R42929 (21-page PDF)
- Changing the Senate Cloture Rule at the Start of a New Congress, CRS Report R44709 (19-page PDF)
- “The greatest dangers to liberty lurk….” Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis, in “America: A Minority Viewpoint,” by Walter Edward Williams, 1982, page 117
- Chamber (CongressionalGlossary.com)
- Floor / Aisle / Candy Desk / Gallery (CongressionalGlossary.com)
- Congress Seating Charts
5. B. Scheduling of Legislation
- Congressional Leadership and Committees
- Precedents of the House of Representatives / Cannon’s / Deschler’s / Hinds’ / House Practice (CongressionalGlossary.com)
- Unanimous Consent (CongressionalGlossary.com)
- Unanimous Consent Agreement / Time Limitation Agreement (CongressionalGlossary.com)
- Senate Calendars and Schedules, Senate
- Senate Rules and Procedure
- Majority and Minority Leaders, Senate
- The Legislative Process on the Senate Floor: An Introduction, CRS Report 96-548 (20-page PDF)
- Markup in Senate Committee: Considering Amendments, CRS Report 98-245 (4-page PDF)
- Introduction to the Legislative Process in the U.S. Congress, CRS Report R42843 (18-page PDF)
Calendars and Scheduling
- Senate Floor Webcast
- Party Leaders in the United States Congress, 1789-2017, CRS Report RL30567 (43-page PDF)
- How Measures Are Brought to the Senate Floor: A Brief Introduction, CRS Report RS20668 (10-page PDF)
- How Unanimous Consent Agreements Regulate Senate Floor Action, CRS Report RS20594 (7-page PDF)
- Bypassing Senate Committees: Rule XIV and Unanimous Consent, CRS Report RS22299 (17-page PDF)
- Senate Unanimous Consent Agreements: Potential Effects on the Amendment Process, CRS Report 98-310 (9-page PDF)
5. C. Senate Calendars
- Pocket Constitution
- Constitution, Article II, Section 2
- Precedents of the House of Representatives / Cannon’s / Deschler’s / Hinds’ / House Practice (CongressionalGlossary.com)
- Senate Calendars and Schedules
- Standing Rules of the Senate
- Senate Manual, GPO
- Cloture / Rule XXII (Congressional Glossary)
- Senate Rule XIV Procedure for Placing Measures Directly on the Senate Calendar, CRS Report RS22309 (8-page PDF)
- Congressional Calendars and Schedules, Congress.gov
Calendars and Scheduling
- The Senate’s Calendar of Business, CRS Report 98-429 (6-page PDF)
- Bypassing Senate Committees: Rule XIV and Unanimous Consent, CRS Report RS22299 (17-page PDF)
- Filibusters and Cloture in the Senate, CRS Report RL30360 (29-page PDF)
- Invoking Cloture in the Senate, CRS Report 98-425 (6-page PDF)
- Changing the Senate Cloture Rule at the Start of a New Congress, CRS Report R44709 (19-page PDF)
5. D. Holds
- Standing Rules of the Senate
- Senate Manual, GPO
- Hold (CongressionalGlossary.com)
- Blue-Slip Resolution / Star Print (CongressionalGlossary.com)
- Congressional Leadership and Committees, “Holds” in the Senate, CRS Report R43563 (13-page PDF)
- Minority Rights and Senate Procedure, CRS Report RL30850 (15-page PDF)
- “Holds on Nominations,” CRS Insight IN12200 (5-page PDF)
- “The Blue Slip Process for U.S. Circuit and District Court Nominations (1917-Present),” CRS Report R44975 (21-page PDF)
Grassley Speaks on the History of the Blue Slip Courtesy for Judicial Nominees
- The Blue-Slip Process in the Senate Committee on the Judiciary: Background, Issues, and Options, CRS Report RS21674 (8-page PDF)
- Senate Policy on “Holds”: Action in the 110th Congress, CRS Report RL34255 (17-page PDF)
- Evolution of the Senate’s Role in the Nomination and Confirmation Process: A Brief History, CRS Report RL31948 (19-page PDF)
- Senate Republican Cloakroom, Twitter
- Senate Democratic Cloakroom, Twitter
Donnald K. Anderson: Running the Democratic Cloakroom
- “The Difficulty of Reforming Senate ‘Holds’,” Sarah A. Binder, The Brookings Institution, June 17, 2003
- The “Clearance Process” in the Senate and Measures Approved in the 110th Congress through June 30, 2008, CRS Memorandum, July 10, 2008 (83-page PDF)
- Proposals to Reform “Holds” in the Senate, CRS Report RL31685 (26-page PDF)
5. E. Unanimous Consent Agreements (“Time Agreements”)
- Cloture / Rule XXII (Congressional Glossary)
- Committee of the Whole (CongressionalGlossary.com)
- Unanimous Consent Agreement / Time Limitation Agreement (CongressionalGlossary.com)
- Unanimous Consent (CongressionalGlossary.com)
- Majority Leader (CongressionalGlossary.com)
- Standing Rules of the Senate
- Senate Manual, GPO
- The Legislative Process on the Senate Floor: An Introduction, CRS Report 96-548 (20-page PDF)
- House and Senate Rules of Procedure: A Comparison, CRS Report RL30945 (19-page PDF)
- Senate Unanimous Consent Agreements: Potential Effects on the Amendment Process, CRS Report 98-310 (9-page PDF)
DATA Act Passes Senate by Unanimous Consent
- Unanimous Consent Agreements Establishing a 60-Vote Threshold for Passage of Legislation in the Senate, CRS Report RL34491 (7-page PDF)
- How Unanimous Consent Agreements Regulate Senate Floor Action, CRS Report RS20594 (7-page PDF)
- The Rise of Senate Unanimous Consent Agreements, CRS Report RL33939 (11-page PDF)
- Minority Rights and Senate Procedure, CRS Report RL30850 (15-page PDF)
Unwritten Rules of Congress | Ron’s Office Hours | NPR
- How Measures Are Brought to the Senate Floor: A Brief Introduction, CRS Report RS20668 (10-page PDF)
- Calling Up Business on the Senate Floor, CRS Report 98-836 (8-page PDF)
- Motions to Proceed to Consider Measures in the Senate: Who Offers Them? CRS Report RS21255 (19-page PDF)
- “The Decline of Lawmaking Reflects a Diminished Congress,” by William Yeatman, CATO, May 10, 2021
5. F. Consideration on the Senate Floor
- Floor Manager (CongressionalGlossary.com)
- Precedents of the House of Representatives / Cannon’s / Deschler’s / Hinds’ / House Practice (CongressionalGlossary.com)
- Standing Rules of the Senate
- Senate Manual, GPO
- How Measures Are Brought to the Senate Floor: A Brief Introduction, CRS Report RS20668 (10-page PDF)
- Calling Up Business on the Senate Floor, CRS Report 98-836 (8-page PDF)
- The Amending Process in the Senate, CRS Report 98-853 (40-page PDF)
- The Legislative Process on the Senate Floor: An Introduction, CRS Report 96-548 (20-page PDF)
Senate Floor
- Senate Amendment Process: General Conditions and Principles, CRS Report 98-707 (3-page PDF)
- Motions to Proceed to Consider Measures in the Senate: Who Offers Them? CRS Report RS21255 (19-page PDF)
- Points of Order in the Congressional Budget Process, CRS Report 97-865 (21-page PDF)
5. G. Quorum Calls
- Pocket Constitution
- Constitution, Article I, Section 5
- Conferees / Managers / Instruct Conferees (CongressionalGlossary.com)
- Quorum Call (Congressional Glossary)
- Quorum (CongressionalGlossary.com)
- Standing Rules of the Senate,
- Senate Manual, GPO
- Quorum Requirements in the Senate: Committee and Chamber, CRS Report 98-775 (4-page PDF)
- Voting and Quorum Procedures in the Senate, CRS Report 96-452 (16-page PDF)
- “The Senate Enforces Attendance,” Senate
- Office of the Sergeant at Arms and Doorkeeper, Senate
McConnell Instructs Sergeant at Arms to Collect Absent Senators
5. H. Filibuster
- Pocket Constitution
- Constitution, Article I, Section 5
- Cloture / Rule XXII / Nuclear Option (Congressional Glossary)
- Filibuster / Unlimited Debate (CongressionalGlossary.com)
- Germane / Germaneness / Pastore Rule (CongressionalGlossary.com)
- Precedents of the House of Representatives / Cannon’s / Deschler’s / Hinds’ / House Practice (CongressionalGlossary.com)
- Quorum (CongressionalGlossary.com)
- Quorum Call (Congressional Glossary)
- Standing Rules of the Senate
- Motion to Recommit / Recommit to Committee / Table / Lay on the Table (CongressionalGlossary.com)
- Senate Manual, GPO
- Filibusters and Cloture in the Senate, CRS Report RL30360 (29-page PDF)
- Invoking Cloture in the Senate, CRS Report 98-425 (6-page PDF)
- Changing the Senate Cloture Rule at the Start of a New Congress, CRS Report R44709 (19-page PDF)
- Cloture Attempts on Nominations: Data and Historical Development, CRS Report RL32878 (23-page PDF)
- “The Decline of Lawmaking Reflects a Diminished Congress,” by William Yeatman, CATO, May 10, 2021
Rand Paul Filibuster Video in 3 Minutes: GOP Kentucky Senator’s Extraordinary Near-13-Hour Debate
- Senate Proceedings Establishing Majority Cloture for Supreme Court Nominations: In Brief, CRS Report R44819 (8-page PDF)
- Cloture: Its Effects on Senate Floor Proceedings, CRS Report 98-424 (4-page PDF)
- Procedures for Considering Changes in Senate Rules, CRS Report R42929 (21-page PDF)
- Minority Rights and Senate Procedure, CRS Report RL30850 (15-page PDF)
- The Budget Reconciliation Process: House and Senate Procedures, CRS Report RL33030 (122-page PDF)
- Filibuster and Cloture, Senate
- Cloture Motion Counts, Senate
- Floyd M. Riddick Senate Parliamentarian, 1964-1974, Interview re: Filibuster and Cloture, (July 27, 1978; August 1, 1978; August 25, 1978) (48-page PDF)
- Expedited or “Fast-Track” Legislative Procedures, CRS Report RS20234 (7-page PDF)
- “Defending the Filibuster, Revised and Updated Edition: The Soul of the Senate,” by Richard Arenberg and Robert Dove, Amazon
- “The Filibuster Helps Nobody, and That Means You,” by Mike Solon and Bill Greene, WSJ, June 20, 2021
- “It’s Not The Filibuster’s Fault We Have ‘Gridlock,’ It’s The Senators’,” by Michael Connolly, Federalist, December 3, 2021
5. I. The Nuclear Option
- Cloture / Rule XXII / Nuclear Option (Congressional Glossary)
- Filibuster / Unlimited Debate (CongressionalGlossary.com)
- Point of Order (CongressionalGlossary.com)
- Precedents of the House of Representatives / Cannon’s / Deschler’s / Hinds’ / House Practice (CongressionalGlossary.com)
- President of the Senate / President Pro Tempore (CongressionalGlossary.com)
- Reconciliation / Reconciliation Instruction (CongressionalGlossary.com)
- Standing Rules of the Senate
- Senate Manual, GPO
- Majority Cloture for Nominations: Implications and the “Nuclear” Proceedings, CRS Report R43331 (14-page PDF)
Senate Democrats pass “nuclear option”
- Procedures for Considering Changes in Senate Rules, CRS Report R42929 (21-page PDF)
- Changing Senate Rules: The “Constitutional” or “Nuclear” Option, CRS Report RL32684 (17-page PDF)
- Standing Order and Rulemaking Statute: Possible Alternatives to the “Nuclear Option”? CRS Report RL32874 (13-page PDF)
The Nuclear Option: The Filibuster “Power Grab” in the Senate
- “Holds” in the Senate, CRS Report R43563 (13-page PDF)
- Minority Rights and Senate Procedure, CRS Report RL30850 (15-page PDF)
5. J. Amendment on the Senate Floor and In Committee
- Amendment / “Bigger Bite” Amendment (CongressionalGlossary.com)
- Amendments Between the Houses / Insist / Amendments in Disagreement / Amendments in Technical Disagreement (CongressionalGlossary.com)
- Amendment Tree / Filling the Tree (CongressionalGlossary.com)
- Bills / Measure / Passed (CongressionalGlossary.com)
- Germane / Germaneness / Pastore Rule (CongressionalGlossary.com)
- Precedents of the House of Representatives / Cannon’s / Deschler’s / Hinds’ / House Practice (CongressionalGlossary.com)
- Standing Rules of the Senate
- Committee Amendment / Floor Amendment (CongressionalGlossary.com)
- Rider (CongressionalGlossary.com)
- Strike / and Insert / from the Record / the Last Word / Expunge (CongressionalGlossary.com)
- Substitute / Substitute Amendment / Queen-of-the-Hill Rule (CongressionalGlossary.com)
- Senate Manual, GPO
- The Amending Process in the Senate, CRS Report 98-853 (40-page PDF)
- The Legislative Process on the Senate Floor: An Introduction, CRS Report 96-548 (20-page PDF)
Sen. Cruz Introduces 529 Savings Plan Amendment on Senate Floor
- Floor Consideration of Conference Reports in the Senate, CRS Report 98-737 (8-page PDF)
- Filling the Senate “Amendment Tree”, CRS Report IN10329 (3-page PDF)
- The Budget Reconciliation Process: House and Senate Procedures, CRS Report RL33030 (122-page PDF)
- Senate Amendment Process: General Conditions and Principles, CRS Report 98-707 (3-page PDF)
5. K. Filling the Amendment Tree
- Standing Rules of the Senate
- Amendment Tree / Filling the Tree (CongressionalGlossary.com)
- Point of Order (CongressionalGlossary.com)
- Precedents of the House of Representatives / Cannon’s / Deschler’s / Hinds’ / House Practice (CongressionalGlossary.com)
- Strike / and Insert / from the Record / the Last Word / Expunge (CongressionalGlossary.com)
- Substitute / Substitute Amendment / Queen-of-the-Hill Rule (CongressionalGlossary.com)
- Motion to Recommit / Recommit to Committee / Table / Lay on the Table (CongressionalGlossary.com)
- Senate Manual, GPO
- The Amending Process in the Senate, CRS Report 98-853 (40-page PDF)
- Filling the Amendment Tree in the Senate, CRS Report RS22854 (10-page PDF)
- Filling the Senate “Amendment Tree”, CRS Insight IN10329 (3-page PDF)
- Amendments in the Senate: Types and Forms, CRS Report 98-614 (7-page PDF)
- Changes to Senate Procedures in the 113th Congress Affecting the Operation of Cloture (S.Res. 15 and S.Res. 16), CRS Report R42996 (32-page PDF)
- “Instances in Which Opportunities for Floor Amendment Were Limited by the Senate Majority Leader or His Designee Filling or Partially Filling the Amendment Tree: 1985-2015,” Congressional Research Service Memorandum, July 29, 2015 (36-page PDF)
5. L. Calendar Days and Legislative Days
- Adjourn (CongressionalGlossary.com)
- Calendar of Business (CongressionalGlossary.com)
- Standing Rules of the Senate
- Legislative Day (CongressionalGlossary.com)
- Precedents of the House of Representatives / Cannon’s / Deschler’s / Hinds’ / House Practice (CongressionalGlossary.com)
- Recess (CongressionalGlossary.com)
- Senate Manual, GPO
- The Senate’s Calendar of Business, CRS Report 98-429 (6-page PDF)
- Calling Up Business on the Senate Floor, CRS Report 98-836 (8-page PDF)
- Procedures for Considering Changes in Senate Rules, CRS Report R42929 (21-page PDF)
- Changing Senate Rules: The “Constitutional” or “Nuclear” Option, CRS Report RL32684 (17-page PDF)
- “Senate in long recess as leaders seek to rein in Democrats’ filibuster rebellion,” by Paul Kane, The Washington Post, January 22, 2011
5. M. Voting
- Standing Rules of the Senate
- Senate Manual, GPO
- Voice Vote (CongressionalGlossary.com)
- Quorum (CongressionalGlossary.com)
- Recorded Vote / Roll Call Vote (CongressionalGlossary.com)
- Standing Vote / Division Vote (CongressionalGlossary.com)
- Yeas and Nays (CongressionalGlossary.com)
- The Legislative Process on the Senate Floor: An Introduction, CRS Report 96-548 (20-page PDF)
- Voting and Quorum Procedures in the Senate, CRS Report 96-452 (16-page PDF)
WATCH: Senate to vote on GOP tax bill
- Voting in the Senate: Forms and Requirements, CRS Report 98-227 (3-page PDF)
- “Vote-aramas” 1977-Present, Senate
- “Votes” on Senate web site
5. N. Final Passage
- Standing Rules of the Senate
- Budget Resolution (CongressionalGlossary.com)
- Bills / Measure / Passed (CongressionalGlossary.com)
- Standing Vote / Division Vote (CongressionalGlossary.com)
- Motion to Recommit / Recommit to Committee / Table / Lay on the Table (CongressionalGlossary.com)
- Reading of Bills (CongressionalGlossary.com)
- About Congressional Bills, GPO
- Senate Manual, GPO
- Engrossed Bill / Engrossed Measure (CongressionalGlossary.com)
- Engrossment, Enrollment, and Presentation of Legislation, CRS Report 98-826 (4-page PDF)
Budget Bill Moves Toward Final Passage in Senate
- Enrollment of Legislation: Relevant Congressional Procedures, CRS Report RL34480 (10-page PDF)
- Engrossment and Transmittal to the House, Senate
Next: Chapter 6 – Resolving Differences Between the House and Senate