2.2 AP Comp Gov Vocab
cloture rule | Forces a ⅗ vote to end filibuster (anyone in senate can filibuster but only house leadership can) |
Committee of the Whole | the whole membership of a legislative house sitting as a committee and operating under informal rules. |
conference committees | Composed of both senate and house to make compromises |
deficit | More spent than revenues generated |
discharge petitions | Used to force a bill to be discharged from committee |
discretionary spending | Spending on programs controlled through budget |
filibuster | Prolonged debate to delay vote |
germane | an amendment to a bill or resolution that is relevant or appropriate to the subject being amended. The term "germane" means something is fitting, relevant, or appropriate |
hold | a procedural practice in the Senate that allows a senator to temporarily block a bill or nomination from being considered |
joint committees | A committee composed of members of both the House of Representatives and the Senate |
logrolling | Trading favor in return for compromises |
mandatory spending | funding for Social Security, Medicare, veterans benefits, and other spending required by law |
omnibus bill | a single legislative bill that combines multiple, often unrelated, smaller bills into one large package, allowing for a single vote on a wide range of issue |
pork-barrel spending | legislator's practice of slipping funding for a local project into a larger appropriations bill. |
President of the Senate | the Vice President of the United States, who is constitutionally designated to preside over the Senate and has the power to cast tie-breaking votes when necessary |
president pro tempore | a Senate leadership position where a Senator, usually from the majority party, is elected to preside over the Senate when the Vice President (who is the nominal President of the Senate) is absent |
riders | an additional provision or amendment attached to a bill, often unrelated to the main subject of the bill, which is used to secure its passage by attaching it to a must-pass piece of legislation |
Rules Committee | Permanent committee that determines the rules of debating |
select committees | Committee formed around a specific, non permanent issue |
Senate majority leader | the elected leader of the political party with the most seats in the Senate, |
Speaker of the House | Recgonizes representatives to seak during debate, second in line for pres after VPl voted on by the majority party |
sponsor | Introduces and/or authors a bil |
unanimous consent | o a procedure in the Senate where a legislative action is approved without a formal vote, as long as no single Senator objects to it |
Ways and Means Committee | the oldest committee of the United States Congress, and is the chief tax-writing committee in the House of Representatives. |
whip | an official of a political party whose task is to ensure party discipline |