A-G  |  H-P  |  R-Z

Amendment
Changes offered by a member to a bill under consideration in committee or on the floor. It is voted on in the same way as a bill.

Appropriation
Provides public funds for authorized programs

Authorization
Establishes the parameters of agencies and programs; setting limits on how much funding can be used for programs and projects over time

Chairman
A member of the majority party, chairmen preside over committees. Chairmen are generally, though not always, selected based on seniority within the committee and party.

Committee
A group of members assembled to consider legislation, conduct investigations, and learn more about issues within its jurisdiction.

Committee Markup
Members of a committee offer changes to a bill before it goes to the full House or Senate for consideration.

Conference Committee
A select group of House and Senate members who meet to work out the differences between bills passed by the House and Senate.

Congressional Research Service (CRS)
An accurate, objective, nonpartisan, and confidential source of information for members of Congress and their staffs. CRS was established by Congress in 1941 as the Legislative Reference Service, an arm of the Library of Congress. Today, over 700 employees provide an objective and nonpartisan analysis of important issues before Congress.

Earmark
To designate or reserve funds for a specific purpose or program.

House Majority Leader -- Rep. Steny Hoyer (MD)
Designated leader of the party with the most members in the House; schedules time for floor debate on legislation.

House Minority Leader -- Rep. John Boehner (OH)
Advocates for the minority party's concerns and procedural rights.

Motion to Recommit
Provides the minority party with a final opportunity to kill or amend a bill before the House votes on its passage.

Ranking Member
A member of the minority party, ranking members advocate for their party's concerns and procedural rights in the committee. Ranking Members are generally, though not always, selected based on seniority within the committee and party.

Senate President Ex-Officio -- Vice President Richard Cheney
The Vice President of the United States. The Constitution grants the Vice President the power to preside over the Senate and cast tie-breaking votes.

Senate President Pro-Tempore -- Senator Robert C. Byrd (WV)
Presides over the Senate in the absence of the Vice President.

Senate Majority Leader -- Senator Harry Reid (NV)
Designated leader of the party with the most members in the Senate; chooses priorities and sets the daily and annual legislative schedules.

Senate Minority Leader -- Senator Mitch McConnell (KY)
Advocates for the minority party's concerns and procedural rights.

Speaker of the House -- Rep. Nancy Pelosi (CA)
Presides over the House of Representatives, chooses priorities and sets the daily and annual legislative schedules.

Suspension of the Rules
A procedure frequently used to debate and pass legislation in the House. Bills considered under suspension of the rules cannot be amended and require support of two-thirds of the members present to pass.

THOMAS
A website provided by the Library of Congress that allows constituents to look up legislation and public laws, monitor floor votes and proceedings, and stay informed about what's going on in Congress.

Whips
The use of the word "whip" comes from British term "whipper-in." In the sport of fox hunting, the "whipper-in" whips the dogs to keep them running after the fox as a pack, preventing them from running off on their own. Similarly, the "whipper-in" of both the government and opposition parties in the British Parliament encourages members to vote with their party, and not stray off on their own.

The Whips in the U.S. Congress are in charge of maintaining party unity on key votes, acting as the liaison between rank and file members and the party's leadership, and calculating "head counts" prior to important votes. They track the number of yeas, nays, and undecideds on a particular piece of legislation to assist leadership in strategic decisions about the bill's consideration.