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...
clay pigeon n.— «A GOP leadership aide and the White House predicted Monday that enough Republicans are prepared to join Democrats to limit debate on the motion to proceed to the bill (S 1639). That would keep the measure alive and allow...
blue-slipping n.— «I knew that judicial nominees could be blocked by a senator from their home state (a procedure called blue-slipping), but I had no idea a bill could be blocked from a floor vote by an anonymous hold.» —“Open...