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31 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.- Davis-Bacon Act
- Law
A 1931 law that requires contractors on federally funded construction projects to pay workers at least the wages that prevail locally.
- Debt Limit
- Budget and Tax
A cap set by law on the total amount the Treasury can borrow. Congress raises or suspends it by law; it limits borrowing to pay for spending already approved, and does not itself approve new spending.
In Bills:H.R. 1
- Defense Health Agency
- Agency
The Defense Department agency that runs the military health system, including military hospitals and clinics and the TRICARE health program.
- Defense Production ActDPA
- Law
A 1950 law that lets the president require companies to prioritize government contracts and use loans, purchases and other tools to make sure industry produces what is needed for national defense and emergencies.
- Deferred Action for Childhood ArrivalsDACA
- Program
A policy created in 2012 that grants temporary protection from deportation and work permits to some people brought to the United States as children. It does not provide legal status.
- Delegate
- Congress
A member of the House who represents the District of Columbia or a U.S. territory such as Guam. Delegates can serve on committees and introduce bills but cannot vote on passing them.
- Denali Commission
- Agency
An independent federal agency that supports infrastructure, such as energy systems and health clinics, in rural Alaska.
- Department of AgricultureUSDA
- Agency
The federal department that runs farm, food, nutrition and rural programs, including SNAP, school meals, crop insurance, inspection of meat and poultry, and the national forests.
- Department of Commerce
- Agency
The federal department that promotes economic growth and trade. Its offices include the Census Bureau, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Patent and Trademark Office and the agency that controls sensitive exports.
- Department of DefenseDOD, DoD
- Agency
The federal department that runs the U.S. military: the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force and Space Force. A September 2025 executive order authorized Department of War as a secondary name.
- Department of Education
- Agency
The federal department that administers federal student aid, such as Pell Grants and student loans, funds programs for schools and enforces civil rights laws in education. States and local districts run the schools.
Official site ↗ (opens in a new tab)
In Bills:S.J.Res. 196H.R. 7892
- Department of EnergyDOE
- Agency
The federal department responsible for energy policy and research, the national laboratories, and the nuclear weapons complex through the National Nuclear Security Administration.
Official site ↗ (opens in a new tab)
In Bills:S. 1071H.J.Res. 75
- Department of Government EfficiencyDOGE
- Agency
An initiative created by executive order in January 2025 to cut federal spending and modernize government technology. Despite the name, it is not a department created by Congress; the order set its temporary organization to end on July 4, 2026.
- Department of Health and Human ServicesHHS
- Agency
The federal department for health and social services. It includes the FDA, the CDC, the NIH and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
Official site ↗ (opens in a new tab)
In Bills:S.J.Res. 197S.J.Res. 199
- Department of Homeland SecurityDHS
- Agency
The federal department created in 2002 to protect the country from threats. It includes Customs and Border Protection, ICE, TSA, FEMA, the Coast Guard, the Secret Service and CISA.
- Department of Housing and Urban DevelopmentHUD
- Agency
The federal department for housing and community development. It runs public housing and Housing Choice Vouchers, the Federal Housing Administration and Community Development Block Grants.
Official site ↗ (opens in a new tab)
In Bills:H.R. 4646
- Department of JusticeDOJ
- Agency
The federal department that enforces federal law and represents the United States in court. It is led by the Attorney General and includes the FBI, DEA, ATF, U.S. Marshals and the Bureau of Prisons.
- Department of LaborDOL
- Agency
The federal department that enforces wage, workplace safety and benefits laws, funds job training, oversees unemployment insurance with the states and publishes jobs and price data through the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Official site ↗ (opens in a new tab)
In Bills:H.R. 8823
- Department of State
- Agency
The federal department that carries out U.S. foreign policy and diplomacy, runs embassies and consulates, and issues passports and visas. It is led by the Secretary of State.
- Department of the InteriorDOI
- Agency
The federal department that manages most federal public lands and natural resources, through agencies such as the National Park Service, the Bureau of Land Management, the Fish and Wildlife Service and the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
- Department of the Treasury
- Agency
The federal department that manages federal finances. It collects taxes through the IRS, pays the government's bills, borrows by selling Treasury securities, produces currency and enforces financial sanctions.
Official site ↗ (opens in a new tab)
In Bills:S. 269S.J.Res. 13
- Department of TransportationDOT
- Agency
The federal department for highways, aviation, rail, transit, pipelines and shipping. It includes the FAA, the Federal Highway Administration and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Official site ↗ (opens in a new tab)
In Bills:H.R. 2035
- Department of Veterans AffairsVA
- Agency
The federal department that provides health care, disability compensation, education benefits, home loan guarantees and burial benefits to veterans and some of their families.
- Disaster Relief FundDRF
- Budget and Tax
FEMA's main account for disaster response and recovery, used to help people and communities after disasters, including those declared by the president.
- Discharge Petition
- Congress
A House procedure that lets a majority of members, 218 when every seat is filled, force a bill out of committee and onto the floor by signing a petition.
- Discretionary Spending
- Budget and Tax
Federal spending that Congress sets each year in appropriations bills, such as for defense, education and transportation. It is roughly a quarter of all federal spending.
- District Court
- Court
A federal trial court. There are 94 federal judicial districts, with at least one in each state.
In Bills:H.R. 1526
- Dodd-Frank Act
- Law
The 2010 financial reform law passed after the 2008 financial crisis. It created the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and tightened rules for banks and derivatives.
- Drug Enforcement AdministrationDEA
- Agency
The Justice Department agency that enforces federal drug laws and regulates the handling of controlled substances, such as prescription opioids.
- Due Process
- Legal Term
The constitutional guarantee, in the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments, that the government cannot take away life, liberty or property without fair legal procedures.