Seniority / Junior Senator / Senior Senator (CongressionalGlossary.com)

From the Congressional Glossary – Including Legislative and Budget Terms Seniority / Junior Senator / Senior Senator Cartoon explanation here. The status given members according to their length of service in the chamber, which entitles a member with greater seniority to preferential treatment in matters such as committee assignments. In the House, the Press Gallery … Read more

Gang of Four (CongressionalGlossary.com)

From the Congressional Glossary – Including Legislative and Budget Terms Gang of Four “Gang of Four” intelligence notifications generally are oral briefings of certain particularly sensitive non-covert action intelligence activities, including principally, but not exclusively, intelligence collection programs, that the intelligence community typically limits to the chairmen and ranking members of the two congressional intelligence … Read more

Subcommittee (CongressionalGlossary.com)

From the Congressional Glossary – Including Legislative and Budget Terms Subcommittee   Fred Rogers testifies before the Senate Subcommittee on Communications   Subunit of a committee established for the purpose of dividing the committee’s workload. Recommendations of a subcommittee must be approved by the full committee before being reported to the chamber. Most committees form … Read more

Ex Officio (CongressionalGlossary.com)

From the Congressional Glossary – Including Legislative and Budget Terms Ex Officio photo credit: cwasteson Literally, by virtue of one’s office. The term refers to the practice under Senate rules that allows the chairman and ranking minority member of a committee to participate in any of the subcommittees of that committee, but generally not to … 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