The Legislative Process

a provision attached to a bill that bears little relationship to the bill’s main topic

• petition

• concurrent

• quorum

• rider

Congressional action used in certain unusual circumstances that follows the same procedures as a bill and has the force of law if passed by both houses and signed by the president

• Solo Resolution
• Joint Resolution
• Unified Resolution
• Individual Resolution

Congressional actions without the force of law that are passed by both houses to address matters that affect the operations of both chambers

• rider

• conference

• concurrent resolution

• joint resolution

a document that a majority of House members sign to force a bill out of committee

• Discharge petition
• Committee petition
• Majority request
• Bill resolution

when all House members become members of a single committee to allow the House to function when many members are at hearings or are otherwise absent

• Committee of the Whole
• Committee of the Half
• Committee of the Few
• Committee of the Many

1. the minimum number of members of an assembly or society that must be present at any of its meetings to make the proceedings of that meeting valid.

• plurality
• quorum
• minority
• majority

a vote in which each member is required to publicly state his or her vote, also known as a record vote

• a roll call vote
• a secret ballot
• a voice vote
• a show of hands

a committee formed when the House and Senate must reconcile different versions of the same bill

• a negotiation committee
• a compromise committee
• a debate committee
• a conference committee

an indirect veto that takes place when the president does not sign a bill within 10 days, during which time Congress adjourns

• Signature veto
• Direct veto
• Congressional veto
• Pocket veto