AA: Administrative Assistant.

Act: [1] Legislation that has passed both houses of Congress and signed by the President, or passed over his veto, and enacted into law, and [2] also used to describe a bill that has been passed by one house of Congress.

Adjournment: The end of a legislative day.

Amendment: A proposal by a member of the Senate or House to alter the language of a bill or act. An amendment is considered for approval in the same manner as a bill.

Author: The Senator or Representative who introduces a bill in their respective house. See also Sponsor.

Beltway: [1] The interstate highway that encircles Washington, D.C. and [2] also used to describe the attitudes of the community of elected officials, bureaucrats, journalists and public administrators who work in the nation's capital, as in "inside the Beltway."

Bicameral: The term used to describe a legislature with two houses or chambers such as Congress which is composed of the Senate and House of Representatives, as opposed to unicameral.

Bill: Proposals for laws that are formally introduced in each house of Congress and considered for approval; bills originating in the Senate are designated as S. and those originating in the House of Representatives are designated as H.R., followed by a number representing the order that they were introduced during each session of Congress. Public bills deal with general issues and become Public Laws or Acts if approved by Congress and signed by the President. Private bills deal with matters such as claims against the United States, immigration and land issues, and become private laws if approved by Congress and signed by the President.

Bipartisan: The cooperative efforts of both major political parties to pass legislation or address issues in the national interest.

Blue Dog: A conservative member of the Democratic Caucus.

Branch: [1] A unit of our federal government system: Legislative (Congress), Executive (The Office of the President), and Judicial (Federal Courts). Federal agencies or "federal bureaucracy" is often referred to as the unofficial fourth branch of government.

CBO: The Congressional Budget Office, the office of Congress that analyses the federal budget and serves as the counter to the Office of Management and Budget, the budget office serving the executive branch.

C-SPAN: The Congressional Satellite Public Affairs Network, a satellite delivered television channel covering activity in Congress and offered as a public service by the nation's cable system operators.

Calendar: A list of bills, resolutions, and other business to be considered by congressional committees or taken up on the floor of either house of Congress.

Capital: [1] The seat of the federal government, also [2] The District of Columbia, more commonly referred to as Washington, D.C.

Capitol: The building in Washington, D.C. that houses the chambers where the Senate and House of Representatives conduct their business and some offices of legislative leaders and staff; known for its classic Greek architecture and distinctive white dome.

Capitol Hill: The area in Washington, DC on which is located the Capitol building and the offices of members of Congress.

Caucus: [1] Members of each political party in the Senate and House and [2] a group of legislators who organize around a single interest and work to advance that interest collectively (ex: Congressional Black Caucus).

Chair: [1] A member of Congress who presides over a committee or caucus, in the latter case most often a member of the majority, and [2] also referred to as Chairwoman or Chairman.

Chamber: The bodies, the Senate and the House of Representatives that comprise Congress and [2] the ornate meeting rooms in the Capitol building where the Senate and the House conducts its business.

Checks and Balances: Constitutional limits imposed on the three branches of government created by vesting in each branch the right to amend or void the acts of another that comes within its jurisdiction. Each branch "checks" the other, thereby creating a balance of power in the federal system.

Committee System: The process by which the Senate and the House assigns its legislative, oversight, and internal administrative tasks to a network of panels composed of its members. The 1946 Legislative Reorganization Act (60 Stat. 812) established the framework for the current committee system in Congress.

Conference Committee: A temporary joint committee made up of members of the Senate and House for the purpose of resolving differences between competing versions of a bill passed by each chamber. The committee drafts a compromise bill that is then sent back to each chamber for its approval.

Congress: [1] The legislative branch of the United States government with the responsibility for making the laws governing the nation and oversight of federal agencies [2] the Senate and House of Representatives.

Confirmation: The approval of a presidential nominee for the judiciary, federal agency leadership or as a cabinet secretary by the full Senate.
Congressional Record: The official transcript of proceedings in Congress, issued daily.

Constitution: The legal framework that establishes the government of the United States and defines the rights of individual citizens; the document against which all government activity and many private sector initiatives is measured.

Cosponsor: One of two or more members who introduce a bill jointly.

Debate: The formal discussion that takes place in the Senate and House in consideration of legislation, giving members an opportunity to state their case for or against a bill and allowing them to challenge their colleague's position in a structured dialogue governed by specific rules.

Decennial Census: The formal counting of the population of the United States that occurs every ten years at the beginning of a decade.

Enrolled Bill: Legislation that has been passed by Congress, signed by the presiding officer of each chamber, and presented to the President for approval.

Federal: The government of the United States, including its branches, military and other entities.

FEC: The Federal Elections Commission, the federal agency that regulates the campaign finance laws and imposes penalties on candidates for federal office and members of Congress who violate those laws.

Filibuster: A delay tactic used during debate by opponents of a bill who seek to prevent the measure from coming up before members for a vote; most often achieved by maintaining control of the debate and not allowing other members the opportunity to speak.

Floor: [1] The portion of the Senate and House chamber reserved for members, officers of each chamber, and invited guests [2] the right of a member to speak during debate, as in "the Senator from Wisconsin has the floor."

Gallery: [1] Balconies over the chamber that provide for seating for the public and invited guests, and [2] Area reserved for members of the press corp.

Gerrymandering: The manipulation of congressional district lines to maximize the partisan advantage of a political party or faction; term was coined in 1812 to describe the Massachusetts redistricting plan under Governor Elbridge Gerry.

H.Con. Res.: Designation for a House Concurrent Resolution.

H.J. Res.: Designation for a House Joint Resolution.

H.R.: Designation for a bill originating in the House of Representatives.

H. Res.: Designation for a House Resolution.

Hearing: A fact-finding meeting or investigation of a congressional committee that is usually open to the public.

HOB: House Office Building.

House: [1] The House of Representatives and [2] commonly used to refer to the two chambers of Congress or "houses."

House of origin: The legislative chamber in which a bill originates.

House of Representatives: [1] The body of legislators elected from distinct districts in each state for a term of two years, and [2] commonly referred to as the "lower house."

Joint Committee: A permanent committee made up of members of the Senate and House that conducts studies or addresses management issues in Congress rather than considering legislative items. The chairmanship of the committee usually alternates between the two chambers.

Joint Session: A rarely held meeting of the Senate and House of Representatives, occurring annually when the President delivers the State of the Union Address or during times of national emergency (ex: Pearl Harbor, September 11 Terrorist Attacks, etc.).

Judicial Review: The power of a federal court to review laws passed by Congress or the acts of an official of government and determine whether they are constitutional.

LA: Legislative Assistant.

Legislature: [1] The Senate and the House of Representatives, and [2] Congress.

Legislative Day: A formal meeting of the Senate or House that begins with a call to order and ends with adjournment. A legislative day may span several calendar days, with the chamber recessing at the end of a calendar day without adjourning.

Line Item Veto: The authority of the President to reject specific items in a bill without rejecting the entire piece of legislation.

Lobby: The effort to influence legislation, most often by a paid agent of a special interest group.

Lobbyist: An individual hired to promote the views of a group, organization, company or industry on measures under consideration by Congress.

Lower House: The House of Representatives.

Majority: The political party with the most members in each of the respective legislative chambers.

Majority Leader: [1] The presiding officer and the leader of the majority caucus in the Senate, and [2] leader of the majority caucus in the House of Representatives.

Markup: The editing of a bill in a conference committee.

Minority: The political party with one, or more, fewer members than the majority party.

Minority Leader: [1] The leader of the minority caucus in the Senate, and [2] leader of the minority caucus in the House of Representatives.

Nay: A No vote.

Pocket Veto: The rejection of a bill resulting from the President's failure to sign the legislation within ten days of receipt from Congress and after the legislature has adjourned within that time.

Point of Order: During debate the objection to a breach in the rules by a member of the Senate or House.

Pork: Extraneous items that members of Congress tack onto bills to benefit specific interests in their congressional districts or home state.

Press Briefing: A session that a member of Congress, a caucus, bill sponsors or legislative leaders may schedule with the media to update journalists regarding legislative developments.

Public Law: [1] A bill or resolution passed by both houses of Congress and signed by the President or approved over a presidential veto, and [2] commonly denoted as P.L. followed by an assigned number.

Pundit: A journalist or personality who frequently offers his or her perspective on national affairs in the media. See also Talking Head.

Quorum: The number of members of the Senate or House who must be present for the body to conduct its business.

Reapportionment: The process by which seats in the House of Representatives are allotted to each state according to population after the decennial census.

Referral: The sending of a bill to a committee for further consideration.

Recess: Intermission in a legislative day.

Representative: A member of the House of Representatives, and [2] interchangeable with Congressman or Congresswoman, and [3] abbreviated as Rep. when used in correspondence.

Redistricting: The process by which individual states redraw congressional district boundaries to adjust for changes in the population after each decennial census.

Roll Call: The accounting for the attendance of members when the Senate or House is in session and [2] the recording of votes on a bill usually expressed as yea (yes) or nay (no).

S.: Designation for a bill originating in the Senate.

S.Con.Res.: Designation for a Senate Concurrent Resolution.

S.J.Res.: Designation for a Senate Joint Resolution.

S.Res.: Designation for a Senate Resolution.

Select Committee: A special committee established by resolution of the Senate or House that is created for a specific purpose such as investigation or study; often established because the existing standing committees do not address the issues under consideration. A select committee may be temporary or permanent. The Senate often uses the term Special instead of Select when establishing this type of committee.

Senate: [1] The body of legislators elected, two from each state, for a six year term, and [2] commonly referred to as the "upper house."

Senator: A member of the United States Senate.

Session: The official period of time when Congress convenes to conduct its business, denoted by a number that reflects the chronological sequence of the current session in relation to the first meeting of Congress.

SOB: Senate Office Building.

Speaker: The presiding officer in the House of Representatives, elected by the members at the beginning of each session; most likely a member of the majority party.

Special Interest: A faction that has a singular concern or focus and works tirelessly to influence Congress to act in its favor; often associated with politically powerful groups and frequently carries a negative connotation.

Sponsor: The Senator or Representative who introduces a bill in their respective house. See also Author.

Standing Committee: A permanent committee of the Senate or House that has responsibility over specific areas of public policy or oversight over federal agencies and programs. These committees are established by the rules adopted in each chamber.

State of the Union: The speech delivered by the President to a joint session of Congress outlining the president's agenda and the general state of the nation.

Subcommittee: Panels that are formed by standing committees to accomplish specific tasks such as the initial consideration of bills or taking responsibility for examining a unique area of public policy. Some subcommittees are allowed to play a prominent role in framing legislation by their parent standing committee.

Talking Head: A media personality who frequently offers opinions on a variety of subject matter and generally representing a distinct point of view although often holding no official position. See also Pundit.

The Hill: See Capitol Hill.

Think Tank: An organization engaged in research and advocacy in specific areas of public policy; frequently attempting to influence members of Congress and the executive branch.

Unicameral: The term used to describe a legislature with one house or chamber, unlike Congress.

Upper House: The Senate.

Veto: The power of the President to reject a bill or resolution and prevent it from becoming law; activated when the President returns a bill to the originating house without approval. Congress can override a presidential veto by a two-thirds vote in each house although this is rarely done.

Vote: A formal expression by members of Congress of support or opposition on a bill.

Yea: A Yes vote.

Yield: Relinquishing the floor so another member may speak or ask a question.

Whip: [1] The member of a political party who is given the responsibility of lining up votes on key bills, and [2] informing members of the party.