Page tree
Skip to end of metadata
Go to start of metadata

An A to Z directory of help pages, research guides, lists, popular saved searches, and more. Legislative Process Glossary terms are in italics.

A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z |

A

About Congress.gov

accounts - create a Congress.gov account to manage saved searches.

Action on Legislation - Browse by Date

Active Legislation (Senate.gov finding aid)

adjourn

adjournment sine die

advanced search

Agencies of the U.S. Government - USA.gov

alerts on Congress.gov - sign up for email alerts on members, individual bills, and the Congressional Record

Amending Appropriations Bills: A Basic Guide presented by the Committee on Rules - House Committee on Rules

amendment

amendment exchange

amendment in the nature of a substitute

amendments

amendments to the Constitution - Constitution Annotated

Browse House and Senate amendments (97th - present)

anomalies - Legislative Data Anomalies

AOC - Architect of the Capitol

Plan a visit

Explore Capitol Hill

appropriations – See  Appropriations and Budget Research Guide

archived government websites

United States Congressional Web Archive - Library of Congress

National Archives Web Harvest - one-time captures of Federal agency websites

 Audio and Visual Coverage Research Guide

B

bicameral

bill

Bill and Law Texts Received Today browse list

Bill of Rights

Bill of Rights  – National Archives

Bill of Rights – Primary Documents in American History

Bill of Rights in the Constitution Annotated (PDF)

bill summary

Biographical Directory of the United States Congress (1774-)

books - Library of Congress Online Catalog

browse lists - view items filtered by selected criteria and Congresses

budget - See Appropriations and Budget Research Guide

Budget of the United States Government - GPO

budget resolution

by request

C

C-SPAN - live TV and radio coverage of proceedings of the U.S. Congress

calendar

calendars - See  Calendars and Schedules Research Guide

Cannon's Precedents of the House - GPO

Capitol Police

Capitol Visitor Center (CVC)

Caucuses - House and Senate

CBO - Congressional Budget Office

Congressional Budget Office website

CBO publications

Cost Estimates for Bills

Census Bureau

Congressional Apportionment

Fast Facts for Congress

Center for Legislative Archives - National Archives repository of Congressional records

Century of Lawmaking - Congressional documents and debates 1774-1875

CIA World Factbook

cloture

CNN Politics

Code of Federal Regulations (CFR)

Annual edition from GPO

e-CFR

command line search

committee / subcommittee

committee-related activity

committee chair

Committee of the Whole

committee report

About Committee Reports

Search Committee Reports

Browse Committee Reports

committee websites: House and Senate - may include transcripts of hearings, markups, and reports

committees

Committees of the U.S. Congress

About Committee Profiles

About Committee Hearings

Browse Legislation by Committee-related Action: House | Senate

House Committee Hearings and Meetings Video

Subcommittee Jurisdiction by Program - GPO (PDF)

communications

companion measure

concurrent resolution

conferees

conference committee

conference report

congress (i.e. 2-year time frame)

Congress.gov - learn about Congress.gov

Congresses and corresponding years, 1927-

Congressional Agencies

CBO - Congressional Budget Office

CRS - Congressional Research Service

GPO - Government Accountability Office

GPO - Government Publishing Office

LOC - Library of Congress

congressional apportionment

Congressional Apportionment Census

Congressional Apportionment Census 2010

Congressional Apportionment Census 2000

Congressional Apportionment - House of Representatives History, Art & Archives website

Congressional Budget Office (CBO)

Cost Estimates

Publications

Congressional Directory - official printed directory from GPO

Congressional District Maps - from the National Atlas of the United States

congressional districts: Fast Facts for Congress - Census Bureau data on US, states, counties, congressional districts

Congressional Documents - selected House documents and Senate documents from GPO

Congressional Gold Medal Recipients - House of Representatives History, Art & Archives website

Congressional Quarterly (subscription required for full access)

Congressional Record

Most recent issue

About the Congressional Record

Browse by date

Get the app in iTunes

Congressional Record Index - topical access to remarks and activities by Members, individuals, organizations, and legislative business mentioned in the Congressional Record

congressional report - see committee report

Congressional Research Service - see CRS

Constitution Annotated - Constitution of the United States: Analysis and Interpretation. Legal analysis and interpretation of the United States Constitution, based on Supreme Court case law

Featured Topics and Cases

Constitution Day - resources for teachers

continuing resolution (continuing appropriation)

Copyright Office

cosponsor

County Governments

CRS - Congressional Research Service

About CRS

C-SPAN (Cable Satellite Public Affairs Network)

D

Daily Digest

Most recent issue

Browse by date

See also: Congressional Record

Data.gov - machine readable data sets of the Executive branch; launched May 2009 by Federal CIO Council

Days in Session calendars for House and Senate. See also  Calendars and Schedules Research Guide

Declaration of Independence - Primary Documents in American History; Library of Congress web guide

Deschler's Precedents - GPO

E

embed a search box - For instructions and code, go to How to Embed the Search Box on Your Website.

enacted

Enactment of a Law - by the Senate Parliamentarian

en bloc

engrossed measure

enrolled measure

ethics

House Ethics Manual (PDF) and other documents from the Committee on Ethics

Senate Ethics Manual (PDF) and other documents from the Select Committee on Ethics

executive business

Executive Calendar

Archive of Senate Executive calendars

executive communication

executive orders

Codification of Presidential Proclamations and Executive Orders - National Archives, 1945-1989

Executive Orders Disposition Tables Index - National Archives, 1953-

Presidential Actions  - White House

Presidential Documents Guide - National Archives

executive report

executive reports - search GPO

executive session

executive vacancies - Federal Vacancies Act reports - GAO; Judicial vacancies - US Courts

F

facets - Refining with Facets

FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions about Congress.gov

Fast Facts for Congress - Census Bureau data on US, states, counties, Congressional districts

Federal Budget

federal depository library

Federal Judiciary

Courts

Judges

Federal Register - About - GPO

Most recent issue - GPO

Browse the Federal Register - GPO

Reginfo.gov - OMB/GSA status of agency documents undergoing review

Regulations.gov and its Frequently Asked Questions - find and comment on Federal Register documents

See also: Code of Federal Regulations (GPO)

Federalist Papers

About the Federalist Papers

FedNet (Federal Network, Inc.)

feedback - submit a survey to Congress.gov

field searching

field searching help page

fields and operators with examples

field value lists - how to search

congresses

major action codes

policy areas

legislative subject terms

filibuster

FindLaw - case law, forms, find a lawyer

floor

C-SPAN index to video of floor proceedings

Floor schedules - see  Calendars and Schedules Research Guide

House current floor proceedings video and video archive

Senate current floor proceedings video and archive

Senate legislative activities: On the Senate Floor

House Legislative Activities

Frequently Asked Questions about Congress.gov

G

Gallery of U.S. Founding Documents

GAO - Government Accountability Office

Federal Vacancies Act reports

Today's reports (and previous reports)

germaneness

Global Legal Monitor - Law Library of Congress

glossary of legislative process terms

Government Research Guide - links to Legislative, Executive, Judicial, State and Local, and International government resources

GPO - Government Publishing Office

GPO - Government Publishing Office website

FDsys: GPO's Federal Digital System

Government Manual

H

hearing

hearings - committee/subcommittee hearings

Browse selected Congressional hearings on GPO (105th Congress – Present)

House Committee Hearings – current hearings in the House

House Committee Hearings and Meetings Video on Congress.gov

Law Librarians Society of Washington DC: Quick links to committee hearings , transcripts, etc.

Law Library of Congress - selected Congressional hearings, 1908-2006

Live Audio and Video of Floor and Committee proceedings - see Audio and Visual Coverage Research Guide 

Text of House transcripts , listed by committee (selected)

help pages

Frequently Asked Questions

About Congress.gov

Search Tips Overview

What’s new on Congress.gov

The Hill

Hinds' Precedents of the House - GPO

History of Bills and Resolutions on GPO

Browse lists by bill type on GPO ; updated day after Congressional Record published

Search page on GPO; 1983-

hold

hopper

House of Representatives Research Guide

House Practice - GPO (PDF)

House Rules committee

How Our Laws Are Made

How Our Laws Are Made (PDF) - House Document 110-49 (2007)

I

identical bill

index terms used to find legislation - see Find Bills by Subject

international

CIA World Factbook

International Law - United Nations

International Organizations - Library of Congress guide

Intergovernmental Organizations (IGOs) - Northwestern University Library

National government websites - list from Northwestern University Library

international agreement

J

Jefferson's Manual and Rules of the House and Search the manual and rules - GPO

Joint Committee on Taxation (JCT) publications - official estimates for all tax legislation considered by the Congress

joint explanatory statement

joint resolution

Joint Sessions of Congress - House of Representatives History, Art & Archives website

journal

jurisdiction

L

Law Library of Congress

About the Law Library

Guide to Law Online

Legal Topics

laws

public laws | private laws

leadership

House Leadership - Speaker, majority and minority leaders, whips, etc.

House leadership and officers - 1789 to present

Senate leadership - President of the Senate, President Pro Tempore, majority and minority leaders, whips,etc.

Senate party leadership - Democratic Conference, Republican Conference, party policy committees, historical lists, etc.

Learn About the Legislative Process

legislation - About Legislation of the U.S. Congress

About Congressional Bills – definitions of types of legislation (GPO)

Legislation Popular Titles and Short Titles browse list

legislative

Center for Legislative Archives - National Archives repository of Congressional records

Legislative histories - guide to producing legislative histories; from the Law Librarians' Society

Legislative histories of selected US laws on the Internet - Law Librarians' Society

Legislative Process - nine videos explain common legislative phases

legislative action steps

legislative interest

legislative subject term

Browse bills by legislative subject term (2009 - present)

Library of Congress (LOC)

line item veto notices - GPO

links - how to link to Congress.gov

lists - see browse lists

LIV - Legislative Indexing Vocabulary

Browse bills by LIV term (1973 - 2008)

lobbying disclosure: House | Senate

M

major action

Major Actions on Legislation browse list

majority leader - see leadership

majority whip - see leadership

maps - Congressional district maps from the National Atlas of the United States

markup

House committee websites [some provide the text of selected markups]

Senate committee websites [some provide the text of selected markups]

measure

media galleries: House and Senate

Members of Congress - find members and see sponsored and cosponsored legislation

About Congressional Member Profiles

Directories of House Members and Senate Members in the current Congress

Biographical Directory of the United States Congress (1774 - present)

Congressional Directory - GPO

Guide to House and Senate Members - GPO

List by committee with Member assignments: House (PDF) and Senate

List by Member with committee assignments: House and Senate

List by Member with state/district/party information: House and Senate

List by state: House and Senate

Member remarks - search the Congressional Record

Websites: House and Senate

memorial

Most-Viewed Bills on Congress.gov

motion to proceed to consider

motion to recommit

motion to table

N

NARA (National Archives and Records Administration)

Center for Legislative Archives

Presidential Documents Guide

Public laws: Current session of Congress

Stay Updated about Public Laws  

Web Harvest of 109th Congress [2006] and 110th Congress [2008]

National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL)

news services

C-SPAN (Cable Satellite Public Affairs Network)

CNN Politics

The Congressional Quarterly (subscription required for full access)

FedNet (Federal Network, Inc.)

The Hill

Inside Congress - New York Times politics page

nomination

nominations

About Nominations

Search Nominations

Supreme Court Nominations - Law Library of Congress

Cabinet and Supreme Court nominees - U.S. Senate

Federal Judicial Vacancies

Search Federal Vacancies

nongovernmental organizations (NGO) - information from the United Nations

notes

O

Office of Management and Budget (OMB)

Office of the Clerk - U.S. House of Representatives

official title

ordered reported

original bill

P

parliamentarian

party caucus / conference

Party divisions of the House of Representatives - 1789-present; House of Representatives History, Art & Archives website

phrase searching - See Search Overview

ping-pong

point of order

policy area term

Policy area terms - field value list

Browse bills by policy area term

popular title

president

The American Presidency Project – Papers of the President

Codification of Presidential proclamations and executive orders - National Archives (NARA) [1945-1989]

Compilation of Presidential Documents (GPO) - includes statements, messages, remarks (1993- ; daily and weekly updates)

Presidential Documents Guide - National Archives (NARA)

Presidential libraries - National Archives (NARA) list of all Presidential libraries

Presidential nominations. See About Nominations

Presidents, Vice Presidents and coinciding Sessions of Congress (Clerk of the House list, 1789-)

White House Executive Clerk's Office recording: (202) 456-2226

White House latest news from the Briefing Room

presidential message

previous question

private bill

Browse private legislation

privileged nomination

pro forma session

procedurally-related measure

Project Vote Smart - voting data for members of Congress

proposed/offered Senate amendment

public laws

Public Laws list on Congress.gov

Public laws: Current session of Congress - National Archives list of current Public Law numbers

Public Laws Update Service recording: (202) 741-6043

Q

quick search

quorum

quorum call

R

ranking member

recess appointment

referral

refine a search using facets

regulations - Code of Federal Regulations | Federal Register

related bill

reported

reserved bill number

resolution of ratification

Résumé of Congressional Activity (1947- )

Riddick's Senate Procedure - GPO

Roll Call Votes by the U.S. Congress browse list (1989 - )

rules, precedents, and procedures

House Committee on Rules | Senate Committee on Rules and Administration

House precedents: House Practice (PDF), Deschler's Precedents , Cannon's Precedents , and Hinds' Precedents - GPO

House procedures: general parliamentary , 113th legislative protocols , Rules of the Committee on Rules (PDF)

House standing rules

House Rules and Manual - GPO

Senate procedures: Riddick's Senate Procedure , Senate legislative process

Senate standing rules

S

schedules for Congress - see  Calendars and Schedules Research Guide

search examples

search tips by category

search tips overview - Help page on search basics

Senate Floor Webcast

Senate Research Guide

Senate standing rules

Sergeant at Arms - House | Senate

Sessions of Congress

Days in Session Calendars

Joint Sessions of Congress - House of Representatives History, Art & Archives website

Presidents, Vice Presidents and coinciding sessions of Congress - House of Representatives History, Art & Archives website

Saturday and Sunday legislative days of Congress - House of Representatives History, Art & Archives website

Sessions of Congress [1789-]: House Clerk's list and Secretary of the Senate's list (PDF)

Table of Congressional Publication Volumes and Presidential Issuances - Law Librarians' Society, 1789- (PDF)

short title

simple resolution

slip law

Speaker of the House - see leadership

special rule

sponsor

sponsors and cosponsors

Search legislation by sponsor/cosponsor

Browse legislation by sponsor/cosponsor - House | Senate

State and Local Governments

State Legislature Websites

statistics

Congressional Apportionment Census

congressional districts: Fast Facts for Congress - Census Bureau data on US, states, counties, Congressional districts

Résumé of Congressional Activity  (1947- )

Statutes at Large

1789-1875 -volumes 1-18; from the Library of Congress American Memory project

2003- volume 117 - (GPO)

Statutes at Large and the U.S. Code - a guide from the Law Librarians' Society

subcommittees - see Committees

subject

submitted Senate amendment

supermajority

Supreme Court

suspension of the rules

T

teacher resources - lesson plans about government, law, and politics

text similarities

think tanks and advocacy groups

Public Disclosure - Senate Office of Public Records

Lobbying Disclosure - Clerk of the House

Think tanks and public interest organizations - list of political science resources from University of Michigan Documents Center

tips - see Search Tips Overview

title

trade agreements - text of trade agreements from the Department of Commerce Trade Compliance Center

treaty

treaty document

About Treaty Documents

Browse Treaty Documents by Topic

Search Treaty Documents

treaty-related resources

U.S. Treaties: A Beginner’s Guide - Law Library of Congress

Treaty Affairs Office - State Department

Treaties and Other International Acts Series (TIAS) - State Department

Treaties Pending in the Senate - State Department

Committee Print: Treaties and Other International Agreements: the Role of the Senate (PDF)

Senate Rule XXX: Executive Sessions - Proceedings on Treaties

Twitter - The Law Library of Congress tweets about legislation and Congress.gov enhancements via @Congressdotgov.

U

unanimous consent agreement

unanimous consent request

Unauthorized Appropriations and Expiring Authorizations - CBO

Uniform Law Commission

United Nations - International Law

United States Government Manual  - official handbook of the Federal Government

U.S. Capitol

U.S. Capitol Police

U.S. Code and the Classification Tables - House of Representatives: Office of the Law Revision Counsel

U.S. Founding Documents

USA.gov

V

vacancies

Federal Judicial Vacancies - US Courts

Search Federal Vacancies - GAO

veto

vetoes

Browse vetoed legislation

Historical lists of regular and pocket vetoes - Secretary of the Senate indexes, 1789-

Number of vetoes per President - House History, Art & Archives

vice presidents

Presidents, Vice Presidents, and coinciding sessions of Congress - House History, Art & Archives

Vice Presidential tie-breaking votes in the Senate complete list (1789-) from Senate Library

video - Audio and Visual Coverage Research Guide

Virtual Tour of the U.S. Capitol

Visiting the House and Senate Galleries

Visitor Center at the U.S. Capitol

votes

Head-to-head vote comparison from OpenCongress.org

Project Vote Smart voting data for Members of Congress

Recent key votes from the Washington Post's U.S. Congress Votes Database (1991-)

Roll Call Votes by Congress

Senate votes: current session and archive (101st-)

Vice Presidential tie-breaking votes in the Senate complete list (1789-) from Senate Library

Votes in the House and Senate Research Guide

W

Washington Post - U.S. Congress Votes Database (1991-)

White House

Website archive of Clinton administration (1994-2000)

Website archive of Bush administration  (2001-2008 )

World Association of NGOs

  • No labels