Congress
The Byrd Rule, Explained: How the Senate Strips 'Extraneous' Bills
One procedural rule, named for a West Virginia senator, decides which provisions survive a reconciliation bill — and it shaped how the 2025 tax law was written.
Motion to Recommit, Explained: Why It Almost Never Works
The House minority's last-ditch procedural motion used to force real amendment votes. A 2021 rules change quietly stripped that power.
Congress's Insider Trading Fine Is Still Just $200
No member of Congress has ever been prosecuted for insider trading under the STOCK Act. A bill to close the gap has 93 co-sponsors and no floor vote.
What Is a Discharge Petition? How 218 Signatures Force a House Vote
A discharge petition lets a House majority bypass its own leadership and force a floor vote, but it takes 218 signatures to even try. The tool sat mostly unused for two decades until 2025.
Senate Votes 50-48 to Rein In Trump's Iran War, a First for Congress
For the first time, both chambers of Congress have passed a war powers resolution, telling President Trump to halt the Iran war he launched unless lawmakers authorise it.