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25 plain-English definitions of the agencies, programs, laws and procedures that come up in bills and votes.
AI-AssistedWritten with AI from official sources. The official record always prevails. How we use AI.- Administration for Children and FamiliesACF
- Agency
The HHS agency that runs programs for families and children, including Head Start, child care funding, foster care and adoption support, and TANF.
- Administration for Community LivingACL
- Agency
The HHS agency that funds services helping older adults and people with disabilities live in their own homes and communities, including programs under the Older Americans Act.
- Administration on Aging
- Agency
The office within the Administration for Community Living that runs Older Americans Act programs, such as home-delivered meals and caregiver support.
- Administrative Procedure ActAPA
- Law
The 1946 law that sets the basic rules agencies must follow to write regulations, usually including public notice and comment, and lets courts review agency actions.
In Bills:S.J.Res. 82
- Advice and Consent
- Congress
The Senate's constitutional role in approving treaties, by a two-thirds vote, and in confirming presidential nominees such as judges, ambassadors and Cabinet secretaries, by a majority.
- Affordable Care ActACA
- Law
The 2010 health care law that created the health insurance marketplaces with premium tax credits, let states expand Medicaid and barred insurers from denying coverage for preexisting conditions.
In Bills:S.J.Res. 197S.J.Res. 84
- U.S. Agency for International DevelopmentUSAID
- Agency
The federal agency that ran most U.S. foreign aid for economic development and humanitarian relief. Since July 2025 its remaining programs have been run by the State Department.
In Bills:H.R. 4
- Agricultural Marketing Service
- Agency
The USDA agency that supports the marketing of farm products through grading standards, market news, research and promotion programs, and the National Organic Program.
- Agricultural Research Service
- Agency
The USDA's main in-house scientific research agency, working on food, farming and natural resources.
- Amendment in the Nature of a Substitute
- Congress
An amendment that replaces the entire text of a bill with a new version. Committees often use one to report their revised version of a bill.
- American Rescue Plan Act
- Law
The March 2021 COVID-19 relief law that funded direct payments, aid to state and local governments and vaccines, and expanded the Child Tax Credit for 2021.
In Bills:S. 3385
- Americans with Disabilities ActADA
- Law
The 1990 civil rights law that bars discrimination against people with disabilities in jobs, public services, public accommodations and transportation.
- AmeriCorps
- Agency
The federal agency for national service. It places members and volunteers with nonprofits, schools and public agencies and funds service programs.
- Amtrak
- Agency
The national passenger railroad, created by Congress in 1971 as a corporation that receives federal funding and is run by a board appointed by the president.
Official site ↗ (opens in a new tab)
In Bills:H.R. 192
- Animal and Plant Health Inspection ServiceAPHIS
- Agency
The USDA agency that protects U.S. agriculture from animal and plant pests and diseases and enforces the Animal Welfare Act.
- Antideficiency Act
- Budget and Tax
A law that bars federal agencies from spending or committing money before Congress appropriates it, or beyond the amount appropriated.
- Appalachian Regional Commission
- Agency
A federal-state partnership that invests in economic development in the Appalachian Region, which covers parts of 13 states.
- Appropriations
- Budget and Tax
Laws that provide money for federal agencies to spend. Each year Congress considers 12 regular appropriations bills, written by the House and Senate Appropriations Committees, to fund discretionary programs.
- Architect of the Capitol
- Agency
The legislative branch agency that maintains and preserves the U.S. Capitol, the congressional office buildings, the Library of Congress buildings and the Capitol grounds.
Official site ↗ (opens in a new tab)
In Bills:S. 3705
- U.S. Army Corps of EngineersUSACE
- Agency
An Army command that builds and maintains federal water projects, such as flood control, navigation channels, harbors and dams, and manages military construction.
- Asylum
- Program
Protection granted to people in the United States who show they were persecuted, or fear persecution, in their home country because of race, religion, nationality, political opinion or membership in a particular social group.
- At-Large
- Elections
Elected by voters across a whole state rather than one district. States with only one House seat elect their representative at-large.
- Attorney General
- Agency
The head of the Department of Justice and the chief lawyer of the federal government, nominated by the president and confirmed by the Senate.
- Authorization for Use of Military ForceAUMF
- Law
A joint resolution in which Congress authorizes the president to use military force, such as the 2001 law passed after the September 11 attacks.
In Bills:H.Con.Res. 93H.Con.Res. 86