Congress » Glossary

ad hoc committee

A committee created by the House or Senate as occasion demands to study a specific problem or policy area for a specified period of time before disbanding. Also called a "special" committee.

advice and consent

A constitutional phrase (in Article II) requiring that the President seek the "advice and consent of the Senate" for treaty ratification (by two-thirds vote) and for confirmation of his appointees.

amendment

A change to a bill. Committees often consider amendments to bills (through a process called "mark up"), and members may also offer amendments on the House or Senate floor, if permitted by the rules.

apportionment

The Constitution requires that House seats be "apportioned among the several states which may be included within this union, according to their respective numbers, which shall be determined by ...[an] actual Enumeration [taken every]... ten years, but each state shall have at least one Representative." This requirement assures equal representation of the people, with the exception that each state is guaranteed one House seat, even if it doesn't have enough population for the equalized population number in a district. The requirement for a census every decade is intended to provide a regular equalization of representation.

appropriations bill

A bill that authorizes the expenditure of money from the public treasury for a public purpose. In most instances, money cannot be withdrawn from the treasury except through a specific appropriation, which must be based on a law authorizing that spending.

bicameralism

From the Latin words "bi" (meaning two) and "camera" (meaning chamber), legislatures having two chambers or "houses" are described as bicameral. An example is the U.S. Congress which contains the Senate and the House of Representatives.

boll weevils

In the 20th Century, southern Democratic congressmen often voted with Republicans, against their Democratic colleagues. They gained the nickname "boll weevils," after a cotton pest in the South that would eat the cotton boll from the inside out.

cloture

A motion in the Senate to close debate, requiring the votes of 60 senators to succeed.

committee

A subunit of the House and/or Senate established to complete tasks within its jurisdiction, such as the review of certain types of bills (substantive committees) or the administration of some internal legislative function (procedural committees).

conference committee

A joint committee composed of members from each chamber appointed by the respective presiding officers to resolve the differences between the House and Senate versions of a measure when the originating chamber refuses to concur in the changes made by the opposite chamber. Upon reaching an agreement, the conferees issue a report that is then considered for approval by both houses.

filibuster

A tactic sometimes used in the Senate to try to kill a bill (or win substantive changes in it). A senator or group of senators may effectively block a vote on a bill by holding the floor for as long as they can speak, since there is no rule limiting debate (unless a motion of cloture is won, requiring 60 votes).

gerrymandering

Drawing a legislative district or set of districts with unusual boundaries so that the resulting map favors one or more interest groups over others. Named after the prominent Revolutionary-era politician (and then Vice President) Elbridge Gerry.

impeachment

A component of the legal method of removing high government officials prior to the next election. Impeachment is the accusation or indictment the House of Representatives lodges against an official (requiring a majority vote). This is followed by a trial in the Senate (where conviction requires a two-thirds vote).

incumbency

The current holder of a congressional seat (or other elective office) is called the incumbent. In most cases, the incumbent has an advantage in reelection contests. Compared with challengers, incumbents generally are better known with a clear record of public service and greater access to financial and organizational resources. Because of their advantages, many incumbents often face no opposition for reelection.

joint committee

A committee composed of members from each house appointed by the respective presiding officers. For instance, conference committees on individual bills are ad hoc joint committees. There are only four standing joint committees: Economic, Printing, Taxation, and Library.

legislative caucus

Groups of legislators organized around and united by shared legislative interests constitute a legislative caucus. Party caucuses join all legislators in a chamber who are members of a party. Non-party caucuses, while they may have ties to one party, attempt to distinguish themselves from party caucuses by characteristics or legislative interests their members share. Leading non-party caucuses, for example, are organized by ideology, race, ethnicity, gender, and region.

majority leader

Each chamber has a party that constitutes the majority of the chamber's membership, and the members of the majority party choose their leader, with the official title Majority Leader.

mark up

The process of making substantive changes and editorial corrections to a bill, through amendments or fashioning substitute bills. Much of this work is carried out in committee and subcommittee meetings.

minority leader

Each chamber has a party that constitutes less than a majority of the membership, and the members of the party choose their leader, with the official title Minority Leader.

party caucus

In each chamber, each political party's members constitute an organization called a party caucus (or party conference). The caucus has officers and committees to try to unify the members behind leaders or a set of legislative initiatives.

party unity score

The party unity score is the percent of the votes that a member casts with his or her party on those roll call votes in a session that resulted in a majority of one party opposing a majority of the other party.

Presidential Support Score

The presidential support score is the percent of the votes that a member casts with the president's position on those roll call votes in a session where the president's position could be ascertained.

pro tempore

A Latin phrase meaning "for the time being," which in legislative parlance designates certain temporary leadership positions. The Senate selects one of its members as president pro tempore (or pro-tem, for short) to act in place of the President of the Senate when he or she is absent or the office is temporarily vacant; the House chooses a speaker pro tempore.

procedural committee

A committee that makes decisions chiefly about legislative process, calendars, or legislative administration in the House or Senate.

Senate President

The Vice President has a constitutional responsibility to serve as the president of the Senate, with a vote only in the case of a tie. Modern presidents often assign policy and political duties to the vice president as well.

Speaker of the House

The presiding officer of the U.S. House of Representatives, elected by House members.

standing committee

Also called a "permanent" committee. A committee created in the rules of either house that meets throughout the two years of a congressional session (e.g., the 109th Congress) to consider and report on measures referred or tasks assigned to it by the respective presiding officers.

substantive committee

A committee in the House or Senate that as its primary duty considers legislation rather than rules of legislative process, calendars, or legislative administration. Most substantive committees are also standing committees.

treaty ratification

The constitutional requirement that once a President "makes" a treaty, it must pass the Senate by a two-thirds vote to be ratified (become effective).

U.S. House of Representatives

The larger of the two chambers of Congress (now 435 members), established in Article 1 of the Constitution, with its membership based on equal representation of people.

U.S. Senate

The smaller of the two chambers of Congress (now 100 members), established in Article 1 of the Constitution, with its membership consisting of equal representation of the states in the union (two senators per state).

veto

The President's constitutional power to reject legislation passed by Congress, nullifying it.

veto override

Congress's constitutional power to pass a bill despite the President's veto (nullification) of it, requiring a two-thirds vote in each chamber.

whip

A legislative party official whose job is to be the eyes and ears of the party Leader, taking polls of members on upcoming votes and, when necessary, negotiating or applying pressure to help the Leader win enough members' votes to gain a majority on the floor.