Glossary
appropriations bill: proposed legislation that outlines how federal money is spent to carry out various functions and programs.
authorization bill: proposed legislation that permits the federal government to carry out various functions and programs.
committee markup: refers to the process by which a congressional committee debates, amends, and rewrites proposed legislation.
debt ceiling: A limit, set by Congress, on how much federal debt the U.S. can hold.
federal debt: the amount of money the U.S. government owes.
federal deficit: The amount by which a government’s spending exceeds its revenues.
reporting out of a bill: the process by which a Congressional Committee issues the results of a Committee markup.
statement of administration policy: a letter from the White House to Congress outlining their views on a piece of legislation.