A proposed change to a bill or the Constitution. Amendments to bills are offered during committee markup or floor debate.
Appropriations
The process of allocating federal funds. Appropriations bills determine how much money each government agency and program receives.
B
Bipartisan
Supported by members of both parties. A bipartisan vote means significant numbers of both Democrats and Republicans voted the same way.
C
Caucus
An informal group of members who share a common interest or identity, like the Congressional Black Caucus or the Freedom Caucus. Not the same as committees — caucuses have no official legislative power.
Cloture
A Senate procedure to end a filibuster and force a vote. Requires 60 votes (out of 100). If cloture fails, the filibuster continues and the bill is effectively blocked.
Conference Committee
A temporary committee of House and Senate members formed to resolve differences between the two chambers' versions of a bill.
Continuing Resolution (CR)
A temporary funding bill that keeps the government running at current spending levels when Congress hasn't passed regular appropriations bills. Often used to avoid government shutdowns.
Cosponsor
A member who formally supports a bill introduced by someone else. The original author is the 'sponsor'; additional supporters are 'cosponsors.'
D
DW-NOMINATE
A score from -1 (most liberal) to +1 (most conservative) that measures a member's ideology based on all their recorded votes. Calculated by political scientists, not Congress itself.
E
Enacted into Law
A bill that has passed both chambers of Congress and been signed by the President (or had a veto overridden). It is now law.
Engrossed
The final version of a bill as passed by one chamber, before being sent to the other chamber.
Enrolled
The final version of a bill after both chambers have passed it in identical form, ready for the President's signature.
F
FEC (Federal Election Commission)
The agency that regulates campaign finance. FEC filings show how much money candidates raise, from whom, and how they spend it.
Filibuster
A Senate tactic where a Senator speaks indefinitely to delay or block a vote. Can only be stopped by cloture (60 votes). Does not exist in the House.
Franking Privilege
Members' right to send official mail to constituents at taxpayer expense. Cannot be used for campaign purposes.
H
H.R. (House of Representatives)
The prefix for bills introduced in the House. 'H.R. 1' means the first House bill introduced in a Congress. Not the same as H.Res. (House Resolution).
H.Res. (House Resolution)
A resolution that only applies to the House itself — like setting rules for debate. Does not become law and doesn't need Senate approval.
Hearing
A committee session where witnesses testify on a topic or bill. Used to gather information and expert opinions before voting on legislation.
I
In Committee
A bill that has been referred to a committee but hasn't been voted on by the full chamber yet. This is where most bills die — the committee chair may never schedule a vote.
M
Markup
A committee session where members go through a bill line by line, proposing and voting on amendments. The bill that comes out of markup may look very different from what went in.
O
Omnibus Bill
A large bill that packages many different provisions — sometimes hundreds of pages covering multiple topics. Often used for spending bills to pass everything at once.
P
PAC (Political Action Committee)
An organization that pools campaign contributions from its members and donates to candidates. Corporate PACs, union PACs, and issue PACs all exist. Limited to $5,000 per candidate per election.
Party-Line Vote
A vote where almost all members of one party vote one way and almost all members of the other party vote the opposite way.
Q
Quorum
The minimum number of members who must be present to conduct official business. In both chambers, it's a simple majority (218 in the House, 51 in the Senate).
R
Ranking Member
The most senior member of the minority party on a committee. They lead the opposition's work on that committee.
Reconciliation
A special budget process that allows certain spending and tax bills to pass the Senate with 51 votes instead of the usual 60 needed to overcome a filibuster. Used for major legislation like tax reform and healthcare.
Roll Call Vote
A recorded vote where each member's position (Yea, Nay, Present, Not Voting) is officially documented. This is what you see when you look up voting records.
S
S. (Senate)
The prefix for bills introduced in the Senate. 'S. 1' means the first Senate bill introduced in a Congress.
S.J.Res. / H.J.Res. (Joint Resolution)
A joint resolution passed by both chambers. Has the force of law, just like a bill. Also used to propose constitutional amendments.
Speaker of the House
The presiding officer of the House and the most powerful member of Congress. Controls the legislative agenda, assigns bills to committees, and is second in the presidential line of succession.
Super PAC
An independent expenditure committee that can raise and spend unlimited money but cannot coordinate with campaigns. Created after the Citizens United Supreme Court decision in 2010.
V
Veto
The President's power to reject a bill passed by Congress. Congress can override a veto with a two-thirds vote in both chambers.
W
Whip
A party leader responsible for counting votes and ensuring members vote with the party. Each party has a Majority or Minority Whip in both chambers.