Topic 2.1 Congress: House and Senate

Age requirement for Senate

30 years old

Age requirement for house of representatives

25 years old

Apportionment/Reapportionment

Distribution (or redistribution) of representatives among the states based on the population of each state.

Appropriation

approval of government spending

Bicameral

Two house legislature

Blue Dog Democrats

Fiscally conservative Democrats who are mostly from the South and/or rural parts of the United States.

Caucus

A meeting of local party members to choose party officials or candidates for public office and to decide the platform.

chairperson

the person who is in charge of a meeting or committee / of a large organization or company

Committee of the Whole

a device in which a legislative body is considered one large committee. All members of the legislative body are members of such a committee

conference committee

A special joint committee appointed to reconcile differences when bills pass the two chambers of Congress in different forms.

Congressional Session

The two-year period in which Congress can conduct its business before the members must face reelection

Congressman/Congresswoman

a member of the U.S. Congress, typically used to address members of the U.S. House of Representatives

Constituencies

the people and interests the senators represent

discharge petition

a device by which any member of the House, after a committee has had the bill for 30 days, may petition to have it brought to the floor

floor

The floor of a legislature or chamber is the place where members sit and make speeches. When a person is speaking there formally, they are said to have the floor.

Freedom Caucus

Libertarian wing of the Republican Party, in Congress, that believes in cutting government spending and taxes. They believe in a strict adherence to constitutional principles.

holds

a procedure allowing one or more Senators to prevent a motion from reaching the floor

incumbent

A current officeholder who is seeking reelection.

joint committee

A committee composed of members of both the House of Representatives and the Senate; such committees oversee the Library of Congress and conduct investigations.

majority leader

The legislative leader selected by the majority party who helps plan party strategy, confers with other party leaders, and tries to keep members of the party in line.

markup

a session in which committee members offer changes to a bill before it goes to the floor

minority leader

the legislative leader selected by the minority party as a spokesperson for the opposition.

President of the Senate

Vice President

pro tempore

for the time being

removal powers

The authority to fire appointed officials.

Rules Committee

A standing committee of the House of Representatives that provides special rules under which specific bills can be debated, amended, and considered by the house.

select committee

A temporary legislative committee established for a limited time period and for a special purpose.

senator

a member of the United States Senate

seniority

years of service, which is used as a consideration for assigning committee members

Speaker of the House

the leader of the majority party who serves as the presiding officer of the House of Representatives

standing committee

A permanent committee established in a legislature, usually focusing on a policy area

Terms of office for Senate

6 years. Every 2 years 1/3 of the senate is up for election

Term of office for House of Representatives

2 years

unanimous consent agreement

an agreement on the rules of debate for proposed legislation in the Senate that is approved by all the members

Ways and Means Committee

House committee that handles tax bills

Whips

Party leaders who work with the majority leader or minority leader to count votes beforehand and lean on waverers whose votes are crucial to a bill favored by the party.