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The nonpartisan expert who advises the presiding officer on the chamber's rules and precedents. In the Senate the parliamentarian also advises on which provisions meet the Byrd rule.

The Commerce Department agency that examines and grants patents and registers trademarks.

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Budget rules that require new laws changing taxes or mandatory spending not to add to the deficit overall. Under the 2010 statutory version, a shortfall at the end of a session triggers automatic cuts unless Congress waives it.

Taxes on wages, shared by workers and employers, that pay for Social Security and Medicare.

The federal agency that sends American volunteers abroad to work with communities on projects such as education, health and agriculture.

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Federal grants for undergraduate students with financial need. Unlike loans, they usually do not have to be repaid.

The federal corporation that insures private-sector defined benefit pension plans and pays benefits, up to limits set by law, when a covered plan fails.

The DOT agency that regulates the safety of oil and gas pipelines and the shipping of hazardous materials.

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When the president does not sign a bill and Congress's adjournment prevents its return, the bill does not become law. Unlike a regular veto, it cannot be overridden; Congress has to pass the bill again.

In the Congress Guide →

An objection that a pending action breaks the chamber's rules. The presiding officer rules on it, and the chamber can appeal the ruling or, for some budget rules, vote to waive it.

The independent federal agency that delivers mail to every address in the country. It is expected to pay its way mainly from postage and fees rather than tax dollars.

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In Bills:S. 2283H.R. 3095

One of four federal agencies in the Department of Energy, such as the Bonneville Power Administration, that sell electricity generated mostly at federal dams.

When federal law overrides a state or local law on the same subject, under the Constitution's Supremacy Clause.

In Bills:H.J.Res. 89H.J.Res. 88

The vice president, under the Constitution. The vice president can preside over the Senate and votes only to break a tie.

In the Congress Guide →

The senator elected to preside over the Senate when the vice president is absent, by custom usually the longest-serving senator of the majority party. The president pro tempore is third in line to the presidency.

In the Congress Guide →

A House motion that ends debate and amendments and brings the pending question to an immediate vote. Defeating it on a rule lets opponents offer an alternative.

An election in which voters choose a party's nominee for the general election. States set their own rules and dates.

A law that applies to specific people or entities rather than the public, such as one resolving an individual's immigration case or claim against the government.

The right of an individual to sue to enforce a law, rather than leaving enforcement to the government alone.

A brief meeting of the House or Senate, often lasting minutes, where usually no business is done. It lets a chamber avoid adjourning for more than three days without the other's consent and can block recess appointments.

The federal public health service led by the Surgeon General. Its Commissioned Corps is a uniformed service of health professionals who work in federal agencies and respond to public health emergencies.

The 1944 law that is the basis for most federal public health programs, including the work of the CDC and the NIH, community health centers and many health grants.

Land owned by the federal government, such as national forests, parks, wildlife refuges and Bureau of Land Management land.

In Bills:H.J.Res. 140H.R. 6938

A bill or joint resolution that has become law and applies to the public generally. It is numbered by Congress and order of enactment: Public Law 119-21 was the 21st enacted by the 119th Congress.

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A program that forgives the rest of a borrower's federal Direct Loans after 120 qualifying monthly payments made while working full time for a government or a qualifying nonprofit employer.