Tag: House

The Hastert rule is an informal guiding principle for leaders in the House of Representatives that dictates a majority of the majority party support any measure before it receives a…

A “motion to vacate” the chair is a parliamentary procedure in the House of Representatives that allows a member to propose a resolution to remove the Speaker from their position.

“Ping pong” refers to reconciling the differences between a House-passed bill and a Senate-passed bill by amendments between the chambers, rather than forming a conference committee.

Blue-slipping is a term that originates from the United States Congress and refers to a procedural action taken by the House of Representatives to assert its constitutional prerogative on matters…

The term “germane” is used to describe the requirement that proposed amendments or provisions introduced during the legislative process must be relevant and directly related to the subject matter of…

The U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate each have a sergeant-at-arms, whose job it is to maintain order in the legislative chamber.

“Smell of jet fuel” is a reference to the impatience that sets in when Members of Congress are ready to leave Washington, D.C. to return to their districts for the…

The “well” refers to the area at the front of the chamber where the Speaker of the House of Representatives and other leaders of the House sit.

The Congressional Record is the official record of the proceedings and debates of the United States Congress.

Franking privileges allow lawmakers to send mail to constituents without having to pay postage.

The mark-up is the committee meeting held to review the text of a bill before reporting it to the floor.

Leader time is the ten minute time allotted to Senate leaders at the start of the daily session.

The Committee of the Whole is a procedural device used to expedite debates in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Earmarks are funds that are allocated to a specific program, project or for a designated purpose, or that direct specific exemptions from taxes or mandated fees.

A junket is a trip taken by a politicians with expenses paid for with public funds.

Named for their opening salutation, a “Dear Colleague letter” is an official communication distributed in bulk by a lawmaker to all members of Congress.

In a legislative context, to “lay on the table” refers to the action of temporarily postponing consideration of a motion or bill.

A “lame duck session” is when the House or Senate reconvenes in an even-numbered year following the November general elections to consider various items of business.

Cats and dogs are are leftover “stray” bills on minor subjects saved for days when the House or Senate have light floor schedules.

The “aisle” refers to the space which divides the majority side from the minority on the House and Senate floor.

The “king of the hill” is a special rule in the House of Representatives for sequencing different amendments.

A “hopper” refers to a physical box or an electronic system where proposed bills or resolutions are submitted in a legislative body.

In politics, cloakrooms are spaces adjacent to the chambers of the Senate and the House where politicians from both parties can gather to discuss Congressional business privately.

A pro forma session is a brief meeting of a legislative body, typically lasting only a few minutes, during which no formal business is conducted.

The “yeas and nays” is a recorded roll call vote of members of the House or Senate.

Populists on both the left and the right sides of the political spectrum share an imagined geography of the U.S. based on the Capital Beltway, the highway that loops around…

A caucus is an informal meeting of local party members to discuss candidates and choose delegates to their party’s convention.

A “codel,” or congressional delegation, is a group of members of the United States Congress who travel together on official business.

The term “ex officio” comes from the Latin phrase “from the office,” and in politics it refers to someone who is part of a political body just by virtue of…

Impeachment is the process by which a public official, such as the President of the United States, can be removed from office for committing “treason, bribery, or other high crimes…

“One minute speeches” refers to a procedure that allows members of a legislative body, such as a parliament or congress, to speak briefly on a particular matter.

The term “sine die” is a Latin phrase that literally means “without a day” or “without setting a day.”

A “live pair” refers to a situation where two lawmakers have agreed to not vote on a particular matter.

A bill is a proposed law introduced in either the U.S. House of Representatives or the U.S. Senate.

A quorum call is a procedure used in both houses of Congress to bring to the floor the number of members who must be present for the legislative body to…

A “one-house bill” is a bill introduced by a lawmaker for the purpose of grandstanding or to demonstrate their effort to fulfill political promises without the ability to actually pass…

“Under suspension of the rules” refers to a process in the House of Representatives where a bill or resolution is considered without following all the regular rules and procedures that…