act of Congress
Passed bill, signed
An act of Congress is a law passed by the legislative branch of the U.S. government.
The phrase often appears in contexts emphasizing difficulty or impossibility: It shouldn't take an act of Congress to get a refund.
This figurative use plays on the elaborate process required to pass legislation—implying something requires excessive effort or authority.
Amount owed, written
- enactmentPassing into law
- statuteEnacted written rule
- amendmentChange to official text
- resolutionFormal decision or determination
markup · hearing · debate · vote · roll call · sponsorship · cosponsorship · reconciliation
Legislative governing body
- houseResidential building
- bicameralHaving two chambers
- committeeAppointed group for duties
- subcommitteeSubset of larger panel
caucus · session · quorum · filibuster · cloture · whip · parliamentarian · majority leader
bill
Amount owed, written
resolution · markup · hearing · debate · vote · roll call · sponsorship · cosponsorship · reconciliation · floor vote
senate
Legislative governing body
subcommittee · caucus · session · quorum · filibuster · cloture · whip · parliamentarian · majority leader · minority leader
bureaucracy
Rigid administrative system
- red tapeBureaucratic obstacles to action
- impossibilityState of being unachievable
- miracleSupernatural occurrence beyond explanation
futility · improbability · ordeal · obstacle · hurdle · rigmarole · runaround · hassle · paperwork · waiting
act of Congressexecutive order
Binding directive from leadership
executive action · judicial ruling · presidential proclamation · royal decree · state law
act of Congresspiece of cake
Idiomatic easy task
child's play · no-brainer · walk in the park · snap · breeze
act of Congresssnap decision
Instant, unreflective determination
unilateral action · mere formality · rubber stamp · handshake deal · gentleman's agreement
acts, acted, acting, action, actions, active, actor, actors, actress