“We need to slap a discharge petition on that cromnibus.” Clear as mud? That’s precisely why we’ve created a glossary of common terms and phrases used on the Hill and around DC.
Spending caps are limits imposed on the amount of budget authority provided in annual appropriations bills. Spending Caps are a mechanism used by governments to limit the amount of federal spending to avoid creating a deficit and/or adding to their national debt.... Read More
Issued by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), Statements of Administration Policy (SAP) are official, written communications outlining the Executive Branch’s position on a particular legislative action.... Read More
A political action committee (PAC) that can raise unlimited money from corporations, unions, and individuals to be used on items such as TV and radio ads and direct mailings. They differ from traditional PACs, which must adhere to numerous federal regulations and have limits on donation amounts.... Read More
Taxmageddon refers to several expiring tax policies (also known as the Bush-Era tax cuts) and tax increases from Obamacare slated to take effect on January 1, 2013. If Congress fails to come up with an agreement on tax policies during the lame-duck session, a series of tax increases will hit the middle class in January 2013.... Read More
A series of stacked votes in short succession. Senate rules allow for special consideration of amendments during the budget process. After 50 hours of debate on the budget, Senators may bring any remaining amendments, as long as they are germane (relevant to the legislation at hand), to the floor for a vote.... Read More
