Senate Floor Procedure: A Summary (CRS Report for Congress)
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| Release Date |
Jan. 12, 2001 |
| Report Number |
97-368GOV |
| Authors |
Stanley Bach |
| Source Agency |
Congressional Research Service |
Summary:
The floor procedures of the Senate reflect a complex interplay among
constitutional requirements, standing rules, formally established precedents,
recognized customs and conventions, and practices that can be adapted and applied
in different ways, from day to day and from one bill to the next. In particular, the
Senate frequently sets aside its standing rules and conducts business under the terms
of unanimous consent agreements that organize and expedite its work. Among the
Senate’s most noteworthy floor procedures are those that create opportunities for
extended debate and delay, giving rise to the possibility offilibusters, and the right of
Senatorsto offer non-germane amendmentsto most ofthe billsthe Senate considers.
These two characteristics ofthe Senate’srules affect other aspects of Senate practice,
as the Senate deals with the potential uncertainties attributable to non-germane
amendments and the implications of actual and threatened filibusters. The result is a
unique systemof procedure that often makesit difficult to anticipate what mattersthe
Senate will consider on the floor, and when and how the Senate will transact its
legislative and executive business.
