silent stinker n.— «“There’s a filing deadline when legislative sponsors can propose new legislation,” said Harper. “In order to get around the filing deadline, they can file a shell bill, which is like a placeholder, that they can fill...
Tomnibus n.— «A product of Democratic frustration with the tactics of Senator Tom Coburn, an Oklahoma Republican and physician who has become the Dr. No of the Senate, the Tomnibus is a $10 billion collection of Coburn-blocked measures...
pass a bill under the hammer v. phr.— «Thousands of bills were considered during the legislative session and 466 roll call votes were taken. The vast majority of bills are voted unanimously to either pass or fail out of committee and the...
spill-over bill n.— «One of the rites of passage for legislators is a vote that occurs near the end of each legislative year on what is known as the “spill-over” bill. This is a massive spending bill that is used as a way to dole out...
hotlining n.— «Sen. Daniel Akaka, the Democratic chairman of the Veterans Affairs Committee, stopped Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison late Thursday from bypassing the committee process and pushing her bill straight to a vote, a procedure known...
gut-and-stuff n.— «If a marine reserves legislative sausage comes out of the other end of the February session grinder, it won’t look anything like the initial concept. “It’s going to be almost a gut-and-stuff,” Krieger said...