From the Congressional Glossary – Including Legislative and Budget Terms Colloquy Senators Rand Paul and Mike Lee hold colloquy on Senate floor Discussion between members during floor proceedings, generally to put on the record a mutual understanding about the intent of a provision or amendment. The discussion is often scripted in advance. Sens. Rand … Read more
From the Congressional Glossary – Including Legislative and Budget Terms Recognize / Recognition To speak on the floor of the House or Senate, a member must be “recognized” by the presiding officer. In the House, the presiding officer has considerable discretion in recognition and her rulings are rarely challenged (House Rule XVII – Decorum And … Read more
From the Congressional Glossary – Including Legislative and Budget Terms Strike / and Insert / from the Record / the Last Word / Expunge Strike and Insert: Amendment that replaces text in a measure or an amendment. Strike from the Record: Remarks made on the House floor may offend some member, who moves that the … Read more
From the Congressional Glossary – Including Legislative and Budget Terms Floor / Aisle / Candy Desk / Gallery “The Floor” describes the actual physical chambers of the House and the Senate, in the Capitol Building, in Washington, DC. These are the only places where legislation can pass. The aisle is the space between the minority … 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 Yield the Floor photo credit: dno1967b Senate: A senator who has been recognized to speak yields the floor when she completes her remarks and terminates her recognition. FILIBUSTER – SEN. PAUL YIELDS THE FLOOR House: In certain procedural circumstances, most often when the … Read more
From the Congressional Glossary – Including Legislative and Budget Terms Yield / Yielding / Yield for a Question? photo credit: OnTask When a member has been recognized to speak by the presiding officer, no other member may speak unless he obtains permission from the member recognized. This permission is called yielding and is requested in … Read more
There are four types of votes that occur in the House of Representatives. They are voice, division, yea and nay, and record votes. A voice vote refers to members calling out ‘yea’ or ‘nay’ whenever a question is put in the House. The Speaker will determine the outcome of the vote by the volume of … Read more