Congress Quiz

Incumbency

The person holding office that’s running for re-election

Discharge Petition

218 votes to force a bill onto the House floor

Franking Privilege

Congress members can use mail without having to pay for postage

Powers of House

Power of the purse, initiate revenue bills, impeach federal officials, and elect the President in the case of an Electoral College tie

Powers of Senate

The sole power to confirm those of the President's appointments that require consent, and to provide advice and consent to ratify treaties

Pork Barrell

Money spent of “wasteful” things to get re-elected

Log Rolling

Trading votes with another congress member for a bill

House Ways and Means and Rule Committees 

Committee for making the rules for bills, rules for the House, and schedule billls

Speaker of House

Elected by the majority of the House, the constitutional role of presiding over debates in the House, determining who can speak, and maintaining order.

Majority Leader

Assistant speaker that unites factions and assigns committees

Minority Leader

The face of the media for the minority party that can also assign committees

President Pro Tempore

Constiutional role in the senate that is given to the most senior member. This person presides over the senate when the vice president is not there

Whips

They get people to vote with their party

Vice President

Constitutional role where this person presides in the senate and breaks ties

Committee Chairs

Voted on chairs that are typically given to senior members schedule hearings and manage bills in committee

Filibuster

A senate tradition that used to talk a bill to death but now talking is not required to suspend the voting of a bill

Motion of Cloture

60 members needed to vote in order to end a filibuster

Senate Hold

An anonymous filibuster

Senatorial Courtesy

A senator from the same state as a presidential nominee can deny that nominee

Caucus

A group of law makers who meet to pursue common interest goals. Less important than a committee

Standing Committee

A permanent committee in each house that often recommends funding for government agencies

Joint Committee

A more permanent committee than a conference committee that has membership by the House and Senate

Conference Committee

A temperory committee established to make a compromise

Select Committee

A narrow focused committee that may be permanent of temporary

Checks and Balances

The discharge petition for party leadership, congressional oversight to review an agency, department, or office