This Glossary will remain as is and is no longer updated - please use the version on Hobnob Blog, located at CongressionalGlossary.com.

"Lame Duck" Session
When Congress (or either chamber) reconvenes in an even-numbered year following the November general elections to consider various items of business. Some lawmakers who return for this session will not be in the next Congress. Hence, they are informally called "lame duck" members participating in a "lame duck" session.

Law/Public Law/Private Law
An act of Congress that has been signed by the president or passed over his veto by Congress. Public bills, when signed, become public laws, and are cited by the letters PL and a hyphenated number. The digits before the hyphen correspond to the Congress, and the one or more digits after the hyphen refer to the numerical sequence in which the bills were signed by the president during that Congress. Private bills, when signed, become private laws. (See also Pocket Veto, Slip Laws, Statutes at Large, U.S. Code.)

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Layover
Informal term for a period of delay required by rule. For example, when a bill or other measure is reported from committee, it may be considered on the floor only after it "lies over" for one legislative day and after the written report has been available for two calendar days. Layover periods may be waived by unanimous consent.
 

Leave to Sit
Permission for a committee to meet during the proceedings of the parent chamber. Under Senate Rule XXVI committees are forbidden to meet after the first two hours of the Senate's daily session, and in no case after 2 p.m. while the Senate is in session, without special permission from the majority and minority leaders.

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Legislative Day
The "day" extending from the time either house meets after an adjournment until the time it next adjourns. Because the House normally adjourns from day to day, legislative days and calendar days usually coincide. In the Senate, however, a legislative day may, and frequently does, extend over several calendar days, weeks or months. (See also Recess.)

Legislative Session
That part of the Senate's daily session in which it considers legislative business (bills, resolutions, and actions related thereto).

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Legislative Veto
A procedure, as of 1983 no longer allowed, permitting either the House or Senate, or both chamber, to review proposed executive branch regulations or actions and to block or modify those with which they disagreed.

The specifics of the procedure varied, but Congress generally provided for a legislative veto by including in a bill a provision that administrative rules or action taken to implement the law were to go into effect at the end of a designated period of time unless blocked by either or both houses of Congress. Another version of the veto provided for congressional reconsideration and rejection of regulations already in effect.

The Supreme Court on June 23, 1983, struck down the legislative veto as an unconstitutional violation of the lawmaking procedure provided in the Constitution.

Line Item Veto
Whenever the president signs a bill or joint resolution, the president may cancel in whole (1) any dollar amount of discretionary budget authority, (2) any item of new direct spending, and (3) certain limited tax benefits. In exercising this authority, the president must determine that such cancellation will (1) reduce the federal budget deficit, (2) not impair any essential government functions, and (3) not harm the national interest. Provisions canceled never become effective unless Congress reverses the action of the president by enacting a "disapproval bill." On June 25, 1998, the Supreme Court (in a 6-3 decision) ruled the "line-item veto law violates a constitutional requirement that legislation be passed by both houses of Congress and presented in its entirety to the president for signature or veto."

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Loan Guarantee
Loans to third parties for which the federal government in the event of default guarantees, in whole or in part, the repayment of principal or interest to a lender or holder of a security.

Lobby
A group seeking to influence the passage or defeat of legislation. Originally the term referred to persons frequenting the lobbies or corridors of legislative chambers to speak to lawmakers.

The definition of a lobby and the activity of lobbying is a matter of differing interpretation. By some definitions, lobbying is limited to direct attempts to influence lawmakers through personal interviews and persuasion. Under other definitions, lobbying attempts at indirect, or "grass-roots", influence, such as persuading members of a group to write or visit their districts' representative and states' senators or attempting to create a climate of opinion favorable to a desired legislative goal.

The right to attempt to influence legislation is based on the First Amendment to the Constitution, which says Congress shall make no law abridging the right of the people to "petition the government for redress of grievances."

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Managers
Representatives from a chamber to a conference committee; also called conferees.

Majority Leader
The Majority Leader is elected by his/her party colleagues. In the Senate, the Majority Leader, in collaboration with the Minority Leader, directs the legislation schedule for the chamber. Each is his/her party's spokesperson and chief strategist. In the House, the Majority Leader is second to the Speaker in the majority party's leadership, and serves as his/her party's legislative strategist. (See also Floor Leaders.)

Majority Whip
In effect, the assistant majority leader, in either the House or Senate. His job is to help marshal majority forces in support of party strategies and legislation. The party caucus elects the whip.

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Mandatory Spending
Spending (budget authority and outlays) controlled by laws other than annual appropriations acts.
 

Manual
The official handbook in each house prescribing in detail its organization, rules procedures and operations.

Mark
(See also Vehicle.)

Marking Up A Bill
Going through the contents of a piece of legislation in committee or subcommittee to consider its provisions and proposed revisions to the language, and insert new sections and phraseology. If the bill is extensively amended, the committee's version may be introduced as a separate bill, with a new number, before being considered by the full House or Senate. (See Clean Bill.) 

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Markup
The process by which congressional committees and subcommittees debate, amend, and rewrite proposed legislation.

Measure
Term embracing bill, resolution and other matters on which the Senate takes action

Minority Leader
Floor leader and chief spokesperson for the minority party in each chamber, elected by the members of that party. The Minority Leader is also responsible for devising the party's political and procedural strategy. (See also Majority Whip.) 

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Minority, Supplemental, and Additional Views
Statements in a committee report presenting individuals' or groups' opinions on the measure.

Minority Whip
Performs duties of whip for the minority party. Members of the minority party elect the Minority Whip. (See also Majority Whip.)

Modified Closed Rule
Permits general debate for a specified period of time, but limits amendments to those designated in the special rule or the House Rules Committee report accompanying the special rule. May preclude amendments to particular portions of a bill.

Modified Open Rule
Permits general debate for a specified period of time, and allows any member to offer amendments consistent with House rules subject only to an overall time limit on the amendment process and a requirement that amendments be pre-printed in the Congressional Record.

Morning Hour (Morning Business)
The time set-aside at the beginning of each legislative day for the consideration of regular, routine business. The "hour" is of indefinite duration in the House, where it is rarely used.

In the Senate, it is the first two hours of a session following an adjournment, as distinguished from a recess. The morning hour can be terminated earlier if the morning business has been completed. Business includes such matters as messages from the president, communications from the heads of departments, messages from the House, the presentation of petition, reports of standing and select committees and the introduction of bills and resolutions. During the first hour of the morning hour in the Senate, no motion to proceed to the consideration of any bill on the calendar is in order except by unanimous consent. During the second hour, motions can be made but must be decided without debate. Senate committees may meet while the Senate conducts morning hour.

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Motion
In the House or Senate chamber, a request by a member to institute any of a wide array of parliamentary actions. The member "moves" for a certain procedure, such as the consideration of a measure. The precedence of motions, and whether they are debatable, is set forth in the House and Senate manuals.

Motion to Proceed to Consider
A motion, usually offered by the Majority Leader to bring a bill or other measure up for consideration. The usual way of bringing a measure to the floor when unanimous consent to do so cannot be obtained. For legislative business, the motion is debatable under most circumstances, and therefore may be subject to filibuster.

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"Must Pass" Bill
A vitally important measure that Congress must enact, such as annual money bills to fund operations of the government. Because of their must-pass quality, these measures often attract "riders" (unrelated policy provisos).
 

Nominations
Presidential appointments to office subject to Senate confirmation. Although most nominations win quick Senate approval, some are controversial and become the topic of hearings and debate. Sometimes senators object to appointees for patronage reasons - for example, when a nomination to a local federal job is made without consulting the senators of the state concerned. In some situations a senator may object that the nominee is "personally obnoxious" to him/her. Usually other senators join in blocking such appointments out of courtesy to their colleagues. (See also Senatorial Courtesy.)

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Nongermane Amendment
An amendment that would add new and different subject matter to, or may be irrelevant to, the bill or other measure it seeks to amend. Senate rules permit nongermane amendments in all but a few specific circumstances.

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URL:  TheCapitol.Net/glossary/lmn.htm
 

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