Legislative Vocab
Terms
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- Voice Vote
- method of voting in which those who support a measure say "yea" and those opposed say "nay"
- Quorum
- number of members of a group or organization required to be present to transact business legally, usually a majority
- Bill
- a form of draft of a proposed law presented in the leglislative branch
- Appropriations
- a legislative act that authorizes the spending of public funds for a specific purpose. HOUSE OF REPS HAS THIS POWER.
- Impartial
- not favoring any paticular side
- Compromise Bill
- a bill that negotiated and compromised upon by both the House and Senate
- Select committee
- temporary committe of congress formed to deal with a paticular issue
- Roll-Call Vote
- a procedure in which each person is called upon to announce his or her vote
- Rider
- something that is added to a bill
- Co-Sponsor
- one of the sponsors of a bill, if there are more than one
- Constituent
- a person from a legislator's district
- Franking Privlege
- the right of members of Congress to send work related mail without paying postage
- Amendment
- an alteration of or an addition to a bill, motion, constitution, etc.
- President Pro Tempore
- a senior member of the majority party who presides over the Senate in the absence of the VP
- Gerrymandering
- dividing a state into odd-shaped election districts for political reasons
- Filibuster
- a tactic for defeating a bill in the Senate by talking until the bill's sponsor withdraws it
- Standing Committee
- permanent committee of Congress that focuses on a paticular area
- Bicameral
- a legislative body that has two branches, chambers or houses
- Legislative Calendar
- the schedules of debates concerning recent legislation
- Expressed Powers
- congressional powers specifically stated in the Constitution
- Expulsion
- forcing a member of Congress accused of a serious crime to resign
- Legislative Process
- the process of how a bill becomes a law
- Impeach
- to accuse a government official of wrongdoing
- Cloture
- 60 senators vote to limit a filibuster to one hour only
- Pocket Veto
- President's power to kill a bill, if Congress is not in session, by not signing it within 10 days
- Subcommittee
- group within a standing committee of Congress that handles specials problems
- Debate
- to discuss or consider, with both sides presenting their views
- Majority Leader
- the leader of the majority party in each house of Congress
- Joint Committee
- a committee that includes members of both houses of Congress
- Session
- the period of time when Congress meets
- Speaker of the House
- leader of the House of Representatives, chosen by the Majority Party
- Floor Action
- discussions, debates, and any other activity happening on the floor of Congress
- Immunity
- legal protection against prosecution, often awarded to people in high-ranking political positions like P, diplomats, ambassadors, and congress-people
- Party Whip
- republican or democrat in each house of congress who tries to persuade party members to vote together on issues
- Legislator
- a member of a legislative body who helps to make laws
- Censure
- a legislature's formal disapproval of one of its members
- Conference Committee
- special type of joint committee made up of House and Senate members that meet to discuss two different versions of a bill and agree on the details
- Standing Vote
- method of voting in which people stand to support or oppose a measure under consideration
- Minority Leader
- the leader of the minority party in each house of Congress
- Seniority System
- system that gives the most desirable committee assignments to members of Congress who have served the longest
- Pigeonhole
- to set a congressional bill aside in committee without considering it