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U.S. Senate Glossary
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Act | A measure passed by one or both Chambers. Usually refers to a measure passed by both Chambers in identical format and signed into law by the president or passed over a veto. |
| Adjourn | To end a day’s session. |
| Adjournment Sine Die | [Latin: without day] The final adjournment of a session of a Congress. |
| Advice and Consent | The role of the Senate to confirm presidential nominations for executive and judicial posts and international treaties. |
| Amendment | A proposal to alter the text of a pending bill or other measure by striking out part of it, inserting new language, or both. |
| Amendment in the Nature of a Substitute | An amendment that would strike out the entire text of a bill or other measure and insert a different text. Also called a "substitute amendment." |
| Amendment Tree | A way of diagramming the Senate amendment process. “Filling the amendment tree” refers to a process by which a certain number and type of amendments are offered under Senate precedents. |
| Approppriation | A provision of funds for federal agencies to make payments out of the Treasury for specified purposes. |
| Authorization | A statutory provision that obligates funding for a federal program/agency. An auth. establishes the terms and conditions under which the program/agency operates, authorizes the enactment of approps, and specifies how appropriated funds are to be used. |
| Bill | A proposal to enact or repeal laws. |
| Budget Authority | Authority provided by law to enter into obligations that will result in outlays of federal funds. |
| Budget Resolution | A concurrent resolution setting forth the congressional budget by establishing various budget totals and dividing spending totals into functional categories (e.g., transportation). |
| Calendar of Business/Senate Calendar/Legislative Calendar | A publication that contains information on bills and resolutions eligible for floor action, published each day the Senate is in session. Also referred to popularly as the Senate Calendar or the Legislative Calendar. |
| Caucus | An informal organization of members of the Senate or House, or both, that exists to discuss issues of mutual concern and possibly to perform legislative research and policy planning for its members. (regional, political, ideological, and ethnic caucuses) |
| Class | A grouping of senators who are up for election in the same year. Article I, section 3 of the Constitution divides senators into three classes, Class I, Class II, and Class III. Each class is elected two years apart. |
| Cloakroom | A room adjacent to the House or Senate Chamber that serves as a gathering place for members of the same party to discuss Chamber business privately. There is a cloakroom for each party. |
| Closed Session, AKA "Secret Session" | A meeting of the House or Senate from which the public and press are excluded. Used for deliberations during impeachment trials or to discuss issues of national security, confidential information, or sensitive communications from the president. |
| Cloture | A procedure used in the Senate to place a time limit on consideration of a bill or other matter. Used to overcome or deter a filibuster. See Senate Rule XXII. |
| Committee | A subgroup of the House or Senate established for the purpose of considering legislation, conducting hearings and investigations, or carrying out other assignments as instructed by its respective Chamber. |
| Committee Amendment | An amendment recommended by a committee when reporting a bill or other measure. |
| Committee Print | A publication used by committees for various purposes. Examples include the rules of each standing committee, drafts of bills or committee reports, and memorial tributes. |
| Committee Report | A publication written by a House, Senate, or conference committee that discusses and explains the purpose of legislation the committee has considered. |
| Companion Bill or Measure | Similar or identical legislation introduced in the Senate and House. |
| Concurrent Resolution | A legislative measure dealing with matters affecting both Chambers, such as a congratulatory message to another country, a concurrent budget resolution, or the creation of a temporary joint committee. |
| Controlled Time | A unanimous consent agreement that limits the time for debate on a bill or other measure and places it under the control of the floor managers. |
| Enacted Legislation | Legislation that has passed both Chambers of Congress in identical form and has become law by signature of the president, a pocket veto, or a veto override. |
| Engrossed Bill | The official copy of a bill or joint resolution passed and certified by one Chamber. |
| Enrolled Bill | The final copy of a bill or joint resolution that has passed both Chambers in identical form and has been signed by the appropriate Senate and House officials and submitted to the president for signature. |
| Executive Business | The consideration of nominations and treaties, so called because they are received from the president rather than introduced by senators. |
| Executive Calendar | A list of executive business (i.e., treaties and nominations) available for consideration on the Senate floor. |
| Executive Communication | A message sent to the Senate by the president or other executive branch official, such as a presidential veto message. |
| Executive Session | Any time during the Senate's daily session when it considers executive business. |
| Filibuster | An attempt to block or delay Senate action on a bill or other matter by debating it at length, by offering numerous procedural motions, or by any other delaying or obstructive actions. See About Filibusters and Cloture for additional information. |
| Fiscal Year | The accounting period for the state government that begins on October 1 and ends on September 30. The fiscal year is designated by the calendar year in which it ends. |
| Floor | The physical space where the Senate as a whole conducts its business; also used to refer informally to that space during a Senate session. A senator who has been recognized to speak by the chair is said to "have the floor." |
| Floor Amendment | An amendment offered by an individual senator or representative from the floor during consideration of a bill or other measure, in contrast to a committee amendment. |
| Floor Leader | The chief spokesperson for each party in the Senate and House who is responsible for managing and scheduling business. Elected by the party conferences. |
| Hearing | A meeting of a committee or subcommittee held to take testimony on proposed legislation, conduct an investigation, review a federal agency or program, or consider a nomination or treaty. |
| Hold | An informal practice by which a senator informs Senate leadership that he or she does not wish a particular measure or nomination to reach the floor for consideration. |
| Joint Committee | A committee that includes membership from both Chambers of Congress, usually established with a narrow jurisdiction and lacking authority to report legislation. |
| Joint Explanatory Statement | A document produced by a conference committee that addresses the differences between versions passed by the Senate and House and explains the conferees’ agreement. Also referred to as a “managers’ statement." |
| Joint Meeting | An occasion, often ceremonial, when the Senate and House recess and meet together to hear an address by a visiting dignitary, such as a foreign leader. |
| Joint Resolution | A legislative measure frequently employed for such matters as constitutional amendments, continuing appropriations, establishing permanent joint committees, and corrections of errors in existing law. |
| Joint Session | A session in which the Senate and House meet together to conduct formal business or to hear an address by the Governor. |
| Journal of the Senate (Senate Journal) | The written record of the official proceedings of the Senate, required by Article I, section 5 of the U.S. Constitution. Includes motions and votes but not debates. Separate journals are kept for each Chamber. |
| "Lame Duck" Session | The time following the November general elections in an even-numbered year. So called because some of the lawmakers who take part will not be returning for the next Congress. |
| Layover | Informal term for the requirement in various Senate rules that a measure or matter lie over one or two days before Senate action is in order. |
| Legislative Day | The time between when the Senate convenes and adjourns. Usually one day, though may extend over several days or even weeks or months. |
| Legislative Session | Any time during the Senate's daily session in which it considers legislative business (bills, resolutions, and related actions). |
| Lie on the Table | See motion to table. |
| Line-Item Veto | A veto of part rather than all of an appropriations act. As the law currently stands, the president must sign or veto the entire act and may not issue a line-item veto. |
| Markup | The process by which congressional committees and subcommittees debate, amend, and rewrite proposed legislation. |
| Measure | Proposed legislation on which the Senate or House takes action, such as a bill or resolution. |
| Morning Business | Business that occurs at specific times by unanimous consent. Includes receiving messages from the president and the House, executive branch reports, committee reports, and the introduction of bills and submission of resolutions. |
| Motion to Proceed to Consider | A proposal, usually offered by the floor leader, to bring a measure, nomination, or treaty up for floor consideration, including debate and votes. Usually used when unanimous consent to do so cannot be obtained. |
| Motion to Reconsider | A proposal to revisit any question previously decided by vote. May only be offered once after each vote and may only be offered by a member of the winning side. Usually followed by a “motion to table” that secures the outcome of the vote. |
| Motion to Table | A proposal to set aside any pending question. Used to dispose of a question the Chamber does not want to consider further. Agreement to the motion is equivalent to defeating the question tabled. |
| Nomination | An appointment by the Governor to executive or judicial office. Subject to Senate confirmation. |
| Original Bill | A bill drafted by a committee instead of one drafted by a member and referred to committee. |
| Oversight | Review of the activities of a federal agency or program by a committee. |
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