Father of the House – Unofficial title of the representative with the longest continuous service in the House. This member has no official functions, but, by custom, administers the oath of office to the Speaker at the beginning of each Congress.
Federal Debt – The total amount of monies borrowed and not yet repaid by the federal government. Federal debt consists of public debt and agency debt.
Field Hearing – A committee or subcommittee hearing held outside of Washington, DC often in the district or state of a committee member.
Fifteen-Minute Rule – A House rule that allows members a minimum of fifteen minutes to cast their votes for the yeas and nays and other recorded votes.
Filibuster – A time delaying tactic used by a one member or a minority of members to delay, modify, or defeat proposed legislation or rule changes. Filibusters are also sometimes used to delay urgently needed measures in order to force the body to accept other legislation. The Senate’s rules permitting unlimited debate and the extraordinary majority it requires to impose cloture make filibustering particularly effective in that chamber. Under the stricter rules of the House, filibusters are short-lived and therefore ineffective and rarely attempted.
First Reading – Introduction of bills.
Fiscal Year – The federal government’s annual accounting period, which begins October 1 and ends the following September 30. The fiscal year is designated by the calendar year in which it ends and is often referred to as FY. For example, fiscal year 1996 began on October 1, 1995, and ended September 30, 1996, and is called FY96.
Floor – (1) The ground level of the House or Senate chamber where members sit and the houses conduct their business. When members are attending a meeting of their house, they are said to be “on the floor.” (2) A member recognized by the presiding officer is said to “have the floor” or “hold the floor.” (3) “Floor stage” refers to the stage of the legislative process, usually following the committee stage, when a house takes up a measure. (4) “Floor action” refers to the procedural actions taken during floor consideration, such as deciding on motions, taking up measures, amending them, and voting.
Floor Leader – The member elected by each party in each house to be its principal floor spokesman.
Floor Manager – A majority party member responsible for guiding a measure through its floor consideration in a house and for devising the political and procedural strategies that might be required to get it passed.
Frank – Informally, a member’s legal right to send official mail postage free under his or her signature; often called the franking privilege. Congress reimburses the U.S. Postal Service for the franked mail it handles. The frank cannot be used for personal matters or for purposes “unrelated to the official business, activities, and duties” of those who have the privilege. It cannot be used to solicit political support, votes, or financial assistance. Under a House rule adopted in 1993, a representative cannot send any mass mailing outside the congressional district from which he/she was elected.
Free Vote – In congressional jargon, the vote a member casts for a measure or an amendment, even though he thinks it ill-advised or irresponsible, to enhance his popularity with his constituents, but with the expectation that the other chamber will reject it.