Lame Duck – Jargon for a member who has not been reelected, or did not seek reelection, and is serving the balance of his or her term.
Law – An Act of Congress that has been signed by the President, or passed over his veto by the Congress. Laws are listed numerically by Congress. For example, the Carl D. Perkins Vocational Education and Applied Technology Act of 1984 as amended in 1990 is Public Law 98-524, meaning it was the 524th law passed by the 98th Congress.
Leadership – Usually, a reference to the majority and minority leaders of the Senate or to the Speaker and minority leader of the House.
Legislation – (1) A synonym for legislative measures: bills and joint resolutions. (2) Provisions in such measures or in substantive amendments offered to them. (3) In some contexts, provisions that change existing substantive or authorizing law, rather than provisions that make appropriations.
Legislation on an Appropriation Bill – A common reference to provisions to change existing law that appears in, or are offered as amendments to, a general appropriation bill. A House rule prohibits the inclusion of such provisions in general appropriation bills unless they retrench expenditures. An analogous Senate rule permits points of order against amendments to a general appropriation bill that propose “general legislation”. The intent of both rules is to enforce the separation between substantive legislation and appropriations legislation.
Legislative Assistant – A member’s staff person responsible for monitoring and preparing legislation on particular subjects and for advising the member on them; commonly referred to as an LA.
Legislative Authority – A synonym for an authorization of appropriations. Also, refers to a committee’s authority to report legislation to its chamber.
Legislative Counsel’s Office – In each house, a staff of attorneys who provide nonpartisan, expert assistance in drafting bills, resolutions, and amendments, primarily to committees. The House Legislative Counsel is appointed by the Speaker; the Senate’s by the president pro tempore. In turn, they appoint the other attorneys in their respective offices.
Line Item – Generally, an amount in an appropriation measure. It can refer to a single appropriation account or to separate amounts within the account.
Live Pair – A voluntary and informal agreement between two members on opposite sides of an issue, under which the member who is present for a recorded vote withholds or withdraws his or her vote because the other member is absent. Usually, the member in attendance announces that he or she has a live pair, states how each would have voted, and votes “present.”
Live Quorum – In the Senate, a quorum call to which senators are expected to respond by going to the floor. Usually, senators suggest the absence of a quorum not to force a quorum to appear, but merely to provide a pause in the proceedings during which senators can engage in private discussions or wait for a senator to come to the floor.
Lobby – As a noun, it refers to a group seeking to influence the passage or defeat of legislation. As a verb, it includes such activities as: directly contacting members of a legislative body (or their staffs) to propose, support, or oppose legislation; grassroots action (urging the public to contact legislators or legislative staffs to propose, support, or oppose legislation); and advocating the adoption or rejection of legislation.
Logrolling – Jargon for a legislative tactic or bargaining strategy in which members try to build support for their legislation by promising to support legislation desired by other members or by accepting amendments they hope will induce their colleagues to vote for their bill.