7: Congress at Work

private bill

a bill dealing with individual people or places

public bill

a bill dealing with general matters and applying to the entire nation

joint resolution

a resolution passed in the same form by both houses

simple resolution

a statement adopted to cover matters affecting only one house of Congress

rider

a provision included in a bill on a subject other than the one covered in the bill

hearing

a session at which a committee listens to testimony from people interested in the bill

veto

rejection of a bill by the president

pocket veto

when a president kills a bill passed during the last 10 days Congress is in session by simply refusing to act on it

tax

the money that people and businesses pay to support the activities of the government

closed rule

rule that forbids members of Congress to offer amendments to a bill from the floor

open rule

rule that permits floor debate and the addition of amendments to the bill

appropriation

approval of government spending

continuing resolution

a resolution that keeps the government open and operating under previous levels of appropriation during times when the House and Senate are controlled by different parties and cannot agree on an appropriation bill

earmark

part of a funding bill that will go toward a certain purpose

entitlement

a required government expenditure that continues from one year to the next

authorization bill

a bill that sets up a federal program and specifies how much money may be appropriated for the program

lobbyists

representatives of interest groups who contact lawmakers or other government officials directly to influence their policy making

lobbying

effort to persuade officials to support their point of view

casework

helping constituents with problems

pork-barrel legislation

laws passed by Congress that appropriate money for local federal projects

public works bills

Congress appropriates billions of dollars for a variety of local projects

logrolling

An agreement by two or more lawmakers to support each other's bills