Unit 2 (Congress) Flashcards
House Ways and Means Committee
oversees taxing and spending legislation
Rules Committee
Which house/s?
responsible for determining how long a bill will be debated and whether to allow an open or closed rule for amending the bill
HOR
Open Rules
Which house/s?
allow amendments to a bill
HOR
Closed Rules
Which house/s?
Does not allow amendments to a bill
HOR
Riders
amendments not relevant to the bill, allowing senators to add amendments to aid their home state or prohibit actions of executive agencies
Pork Barrel
riders designed to bring federal money to a home state
Earmarks
Which house/s?
legislation that appropriates money to a specific project (not allowed in the HOR)
Poison-pill Amendments
an amendment made by a legislator who disagrees with the principles of a bill and who seeks to make it useless by moving amendments to either make the bill malformed and nonsensical
Cloture
which house?
the only way to end a filibuster, requiring the vote of 60 members
Senate
Conference Committee
when a bill passes in the two houses differently, members from each house come together to settle differences
Chairs
leaders of the committee usually the most senior member
Subcommittee
when a committee assigns a bill to an even smaller group for consideration and often determine how much money is spent (recently become very powerful)
Standing Committee
permanent, specialized committees use to kill or pass bills
Joint Committee
made up of both Houses, use for communicating to the public but does not send bills to the floor
Select Committee
temporary, organized for specific purpose, often to carry out investigation
Pigeonholed
a bill stuck in a House or Senate committee
Discharge Petition
parliamentary mechanism to force a bill out of a committee
Speaker of the House
Chosen by the majority party
Influence over committee assignments and the Rules Committee
Most powerful
Majority and Minority Leader of HOR
keeps party members in line and helps determine party policy and legislative agenda
Vice President of the Senate
the president of the senate (rarely on the floor except to break a tie)
President Pro Tempore
Which house/s?
when the vice president is absent, they preside. Considered an honorary position and is given to the most senior member of the majority party of the Senate
Senate Majority Leader
controls legislative agenda and policy initiation, and acts as a power broker (most power in Senate)
Senate Minority Leader
can act as a power broker but can’t direct legislative agenda and policy
Power Broker
someone who influences people to vote for a specific person or legislation
Whip
Which house/s?
helps keep members loyal to their agenda and encourage them to support proposed legislation
Both Houses
Logrolling
influencing someone to vote on a specific bill by promising to help them later
