From the Congressional Glossary – Including Legislative and Budget Terms Reading of Bills Rand Paul Refuses to Vote Without Reading the Bill Traditional parliamentary procedure required bills to be read three times before they were passed. This custom is of little modern significance. Normally a bill is considered to have its first reading … 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 Amendment / “Bigger Bite” Amendment photo credit: anarchosyn A proposal of a member of Congress to alter the language, provisions or stipulations in a bill, resolution, motion, treaty or in another amendment. An amendment is usually printed, debated and voted upon in the same manner … Read more
From the Congressional Glossary – Including Legislative and Budget Terms Amendment Tree / Filling the Tree photo credit: kewl “Amendment trees” are charts that illustrate certain principles of precedence that guide the Senate amendment process. When all of the amendments permitted simultaneously by these principles of precedence have been offered and … Read more
From the Congressional Glossary – Including Legislative and Budget Terms Rise: In order only in the Committee of the Whole during the amendment stage, it has the effect of terminating or suspending debate on the pending matter. Rise and Report: Term to refer to the culmination of proceedings in the Committee of the Whole. The … Read more