9 Facts About How Congressional Committees Actually Write, Amend, and Bury Bills
Discover how congressional committees write, amend, and bury bills through markups, substitute amendments, and discharge petitions under chamber rules.
M.A.C.
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M.A.C. stories
7 Ways the State of the Union Address Changed from a Written Letter to a Prime-Time Broadcast
Trace how the State of the Union evolved from Thomas Jefferson's written letter to Woodrow Wilson's revival and Lyndon Johnson's prime-time broadcast.
8 Rules That Govern Presidential Pardons and Executive Clemency Under the Constitution
Learn the 8 constitutional rules governing presidential pardons and executive clemency, from federal limits to Supreme Court precedents.
10 Facts About How the Original Bill of Rights Was Drafted, Cut from 12 to 10, and Ratified in 1791
Discover how James Madison and the First Congress drafted the Bill of Rights, cut twelve amendments to ten, and secured ratification on…
8 Facts About How the White House Budget Office (OMB) Controls Every Federal Regulation
Discover 8 facts about how the White House OMB and OIRA control federal regulations through cost-benefit review, executive orders, and deregulatory caps.
9 Supreme Court Confirmation Hearings That Changed How Senators Question Nominees
Discover 9 landmark Supreme Court confirmation hearings from 1916 to 1993 that reshaped how senators question nominees and how nominees respond.
6 Times the U.S. House of Representatives Needed Multiple Ballots to Elect a Speaker
When the U.S. House of Representatives fails to elect a Speaker on the first roll call, all legislative business stops. You watch…
12 Historic Filibusters That Tested the Rules of the U.S. Senate
Explore 12 historic filibusters that tested Senate rules, from Strom Thurmond's marathon speech to the modern 60-vote cloture threshold under Rule XXII.
6 Constitutional Amendments That Passed Congress—Wait, They Were Never Ratified
Discover 6 constitutional amendments approved by Congress that never became law, from 1789 apportionment to the Equal Rights Amendment.
9 Times the Vice President Broke a Tie in the U.S. Senate to Pass Landmark Legislation
Explore 9 times the Vice President broke a tie in the U.S. Senate to pass landmark legislation, from the First Congress in…