Glossary

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ACT - The term of legislation which has passed both houses of Congress and has been signed by the President or passed over his veto, thus becoming law. Also used technically for a bill that has been passed by one house and engrossed. (See Engrossed Bill) ADJOURNMENT SINE DIE - Adjournment without definitely fixing a day for reconvening; literally "adjournment without a day." Usually used to connote the final adjournment of a session of Congress. A session can continue until noon, January 3, of the following year, when a new session usually begins. AMENDMENT - Proposal of a congressman to alter the language or stipulations in a bill or act. It is usually printed, debated, and voted upon in the same manner as a bill. APPEAL - A senator's challenge of a ruling or decision made by the presiding officer of the Senate. The senator appeals to members of the chamber to override the decision. If carried by a majority vote, the appeal nullifies the chair's ruling. In the House, the decision of the Speaker normally is final, with no appeal to the members to reverse his stand. To appeal a ruling would be considered an attack on the Speaker. APPROPRIATIONS BILL - Grants the actual monies approved by authorization bills, but not necessarily to the total permissible under the authorization bill. An appropriation bill originates in the House, and normally is not acted on until its authorization measure is enacted. General appropriations bills are supposed to be enacted by the seventh day after Labor Day before the start of the fiscal year to which they apply. (See Continuing Appropriations) In addition to general appropriations bills, there are two specialized types-deficiency and supplemental. AUTHORIZATION BILL - Authorized a program, specifies its general aim and conduct and, unless 'open-ended,' puts a ceiling on monies that can be used to finance it. Usually enacted before appropriations bills are passed. BILLS - Most legislative proposals before Congress are in the form of bills, and are designated has HR (House of representatives) or S (Senate) according to the chamber in which they originate and by a number assigned in the order in which they were introduced, from the beginning of each two year congressional term. "Public bills" deal with general questions, and become Public Laws in approved by Congress and signed by the President. "Private bills" deal with individual matters such as claims against the government, immigration and naturalization cases, land titles, etc., and become Private Laws if approved and signed. The introduction of a bill, and its referral to an appropriate committee for action, follows the process given in "How a Bill Becomes Law." BUDGET - The document sent to Congress by the President in January of each year's estimated government revenue and expenditures for the ensuing fiscal year and recommending appropriations in detail. The President's budget message forms the basis for congressional hearings and legislation on the year's appropriations. BY REQUEST - A phrase used when a senator or representative introduces a bill at the request of an executive agency or private organization but does not necessarily endorse the legislation. CALENDAR - An agenda or list of pending business before committees or either chamber. The House uses five legislative calendars. In the Senate, all legislative matters reported from committee go on a single calendar. They are listed there in order, but may be called up irregularly by the majority leader either by a motion to do so, or by obtaining the unanimous consent of the Senate. Frequently, the minority leader is consulted to assure unanimous consent. Only cloture can limit debate on bills thus called up. The Senate also uses one non legislative calendar,for treaties, etc. CHAMBER - Meeting place for the total membership of either the House or the Senate, as distinguished from the respective committee rooms. CLEAN BILL - Frequently after a committee has finished a major revision of a bill, one of the committee members, usually the chairman, will assemble the changes plus what is left of the original bill into a new measure and introduce it as a "clean bill." The new measure, which carries a new number, is then sent to the floor for consideration. This often is a timesaver, as committee- recommended changes do not have to be considered on at a time by the chamber. CLOTURE - The process by which a filibuster can be ended in the Senate, other than by unanimous consent. A motion for cloture can apply to any measure before the Senate, requires 16 senators' signatures for introduction and the votes of three-fifths of the entire Senate membership (60 if there are no vacancies), except that to end a filibuster against a proposal to amend the Standing Rules of the Senate a two-thirds vote a senators present and voting is required. It is put to a roll-call vote one hour after the Senate meets on the second day following introduction of the motion. If voted, cloture limits each senator to one hour of debate. CONCURRENT RESOLUTION - A concurrent resolution, designated H Con Res or S Con Res, must be passed by both chambers but does not require the signature of the President and does not have the force of law. Concurrent resolutions generally are used to make or amend rules applicable to both chambers or to express the sentiment of the two chambers. A concurrent resolution, for example, is used to fix the time for adjournment of a Congress. It might also be used to convey the congratulations of Congress to another country on the anniversary of its independence. CONFERENCE - A meeting between the representatives of the House and the Senate to reconcile differences between the two houses over provisions of a bill. Members of the conference committee are appointed by the Speaker and the President of the Senate and are called "managers" for their respective chambers. A majority of the managers for each house must reach agreement on the provisions of the bill (often a compromise between the versions of the two chambers) before it can be sent up for floor action in the form of a "conference report." There it cannot be amended, and if not approved by both chambers, the bill goes back to conference. Elaborate rules govern the conduct of the conferences. CONTINUING APPROPRIATIONS - When a fiscal year begins and Congress has not yet enacted all the regular appropriations bills for that year, it passes a joint resolution "continuing appropriations" for government agencies at rates generally based on their previous year's appropriations. ENGROSSED BILL - The official copy of a bill or joint resolution as passed by one chamber, including the text as amended by floor action, and certified by the clerk of the House or the secretary of the Senate (as appropriate). Amendments by one house to a measure or amendments of the other also are engrossed. House engrossed documents are printed on blue paper; the Senate's are on white paper. FILIBUSTER - A time-delaying tactic used by a minority in an effort to prevent a vote on a bill which probably would pass if brought to a vote. The most common method is to take advantage of the Senate's rules permitting unlimited debated, but other forms of parliamentary maneuvering may be used. FISCAL YEAR - Financial operations of the government are carried out in a 12 month fiscal year, beginning on October 1 and ending on September 30. The fiscal year carries the date of the calendar year in which it ends. Before fiscal 1977 the fiscal year began July 1. HOPPER - Box on House clerk's desk where bills are deposited on introduction. HOUSE CALENDAR - Listing for action by the House of representatives of public bills that do not directly or indirectly appropriate money or raise revenue. JOINT RESOLUTION - A joint resolution, designated H J Res or S J Res, requires the approval of both houses and the signature of the President, just as a bill does, and has the force of law if approved. There is no real difference between a bill and a joint resolution. The latter is generally used in dealing with limited matters, such as a single appropriation for a specific purpose. Joint resolutions also are used to propose amendments to the Constitution. They do not require Presidential signature, but become a part of the Constitution when three-fourths of the states have ratified them. MAJORITY LEADER - Chief strategist and floor spokesman for the party in nominal control in either chamber. He is elected by his party colleagues and is virtually program director for his chamber, since he usually speaks for its majority. MAJORITY WHIP - In effect, the assistant majority leader in the House or Senate. His job is to help marshal majority forces in support of party strategy. MARKING UP A BILL - Going through a measure, usually in committee, taking it section by section, revising language, penciling in new phrases, etc. If the bill is extensively revised, the new version may be introduced as a separate bill, with a new number. MINORITY LEADER - Floor leader for the minority party. MINORITY WHIP - Performs the same duties as the whip for the majority party. OVERRIDE A VETO - If the President disapproves a bill and sends it back to Congress with his objections, Congress may override his veto by a two-thirds vote in each chamber. The Constitution requires a yea-and-nay roll call. POCKET VETO - The indirect veto of a bill as a result of the President withholding approval of it until after Congress has adjourned sine die. A bill the President does not sign, but does not formally veto while Congress is in session, automatically becomes a law ten days (excluding Sundays) after it is received. But, if Congress adjourns its annual session during that ten-day period, the measure dies, even if the President does not formally veto it. POINT OF ORDER - A parliamentary term used in committee and on the floor to object to an alleged violation of a rule and to demand that the chair enforce the rule. The objector cites the rule violated, the chair sustaining his objection if correctly made. If the chair sustains a point of order against a measure or an amendment, it may not be considered; against a provision in a measure, it is immediately deleted; against a conference report, it is automatically rejected; and if against unparliamentary remarks by another member, that member must sit down or proceed in order. PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE - The Vice President of the United States in his constitutional role as presiding officer of the Senate. The Constitution permits the Vice President to cast a vote in the Senate only to break a tie, but he is not required to do so. When the Vice President is absent, the President pro tempore or a senator designated by him presides over the Senate. PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE - Under the Constitution, an officer elected by the Senate to preside over it in the absence of the Vice President. The recent practice has been to elect the majority party senator with the longest continuous service in the Senate and also, by virtue of his seniority, a committee chairman. REPORT - Both a verb and a noun, as a congressional term. A committee which has been examining a bill referred to it by the parent chamber "reports" its findings and recommendations to the chamber when the committee returns the measure. The process is called "reporting" a bill. Both houses require a committee's chairman to report an approved measure promptly and to take whatever steps are necessary to bring it to a vote. If a chairman fails to report a measure promptly, a majority of the committee can force its filing. As a noun, a "report" is the document setting forth the committee's explanation of its action. House and Senate reports are numbered separately and are designated S Rept. or H Rept. Conference reports are numbered and designated in the same way a regular committee reports. Most reports favor a bill's passage. Adverse reports are occasionally submitted, but more often, when a committee disapproves a bill, it simply fails to report it at all. When a committee report is not unanimous, the dissenting commitment may file a statement of their views, called minority views and referred to as a minority report. Sometimes a bill is reported without recommendation. RESCISSION - An item in an appropriations bill rescinding, or cancelling funds previously appropriated but not spent. Under the Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974, the President can impound such funds by sending a message to Congress requesting one or more rescissions and the reasons for doing so. If Congress does not pass a rescission bill for the programs requested by the President within forty five days of continuous session after receiving the message, the President must make the funds available for obligation and expenditure. A rescission bill may rescind all, part, or none of an amount proposed by the President, and may rescind funds the President has not impounded. RESOLUTION - A simple resolution, designated H Res. or S Res., deals with matters entirely within the prerogatives of chamber or the other. It requires neither passage by the other chamber nor approval by the President, and does not have the force of law. Most resolutions deal with the rules of one chamber. They also are used to express the sentiments of a single chamber, as condolences to the family of a deceased member or to give "advice" on foreign policy or other executive business. RIDER - A provision, usually not germane, tacked on to a bill which its sponsor hopes to get through more easily by including in other legislation. Riders become law if the bills embodying them do. Riders providing for legislation in appropriations bill are outstanding examples, though technically they are banned. The House, unlike the Senate, has a strict germaness rule, thus riders are usually Senate devices to get legislation enacted quickly or to bypass lengthy House consideration. RULE - The term has two specific congressional meanings. A rule may be a standing order governing the conduct of House or Senate business and listed in the chamber's book of rules. The rules deal with duties of officers, order of business, admission to the floor, voting procedures, etc. In the House, a rule also may be a decision made by its Rules Committee about the handling of a particular bill on the floor. The committee may determine under which standing rule a bill shall be considered, or it may provide a "special rule" in the form of a resolution. If the resolution is adopted by the House, the temporary rule becomes as valid as any standing rule. A special rule sets the time limit on general debate. It may also waive points of order against provisions of the bill in question or against specified amendments intended to be proposed to the bill. It may even forbid all amendments except, in some cases, those proposed by the legislative committee which handled the bill. In this instance it is known as a "closed" or "gag" rule as opposed to an "open" rule which puts no limitation on floor amendments. SPEAKER - The presiding officer of the House of representatives, elected by its members. SPECIAL SESSION - A session of Congress after it has adjourned sine die, completing its regular session. Special sessions are convened by the President of the United States under his constitutional powers. SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATIONS - Normally are passed after the regular (annual) appropriations bills, but before the end of the fiscal year to which they apply. Also referred to as "deficiencies." SUSPEND THE RULES - Often a time-saving procedure for passing bills in the House. A favorable vote by two- thirds of those present is required for passage. Debate is limited to 40 minutes and no amendments from the floor are permitted. If a two-thirds favorable vote is not attained, the bill may be considered later under regular procedures. The suspension procedure is in order on the first and third Mondays and Tuesdays of each month. VETO - Disapproval by the President of a bill or joint resolution, other than one proposing an amendment to the Constitution. When Congress is in session, the President must veto a bill within 10 days, excluding Sundays, after he has received it. Otherwise, it becomes law with or without his signature. When the President vetoes a bill, he returns it to the chamber of its origin with a message stating his objections. The veto then becomes a questions of high privilege. When Congress had adjourned, the President may pocket veto a bill by failing to sign it. (See Pocket Veto). VOICE VOTE - In either House or Senate, members answer "aye" or "no" in chorus and the presiding officer decides the result. The term also is used loosely to indicate action by unanimous consent or without objection.