Senate

“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 …

A “Senate hold” is how a U.S. senator informally signals his objection to a bill or presidential nomination.

Most congressional actions clear parliamentary hurdles by …

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 …

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 …

“Filling the tree” is a procedure used by the Senate Majority Leader to offer a sufficient number of amendments on legislation to “fill the tree” …

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.

The sergeant-at-arms …

A “Cherokee Strip” is the seating area in the U.S. Senate chamber when some members of the majority party mist sit on the side of …

“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 …