floor debates
Chamber discussion sessions
Floor debates are formal discussions held in a legislative chamber—the "floor" being the main hall where lawmakers convene.
Distinguished from committee work, floor debates occur before the full assembly and typically precede votes on legislation: The bill sparked heated floor debates that lasted three days.
The term appears most often in coverage of Congress or Parliament.
- filibustersProlonged speeches blocking legislation
- amendmentsFormal changes to documents
- resolutionsFormal decisions or pledges
- speechesFormal spoken presentations
- clotureProcedure ending legislative discussion
bills · speaking time · rebuttals · point of order · interjections · committee hearings · motions · committee reports · germaneness · deliberation · voice vote · parliamentary procedure · transcripts · rhetorical questions · vote · negotiation tactics · party whip · gavel
floor debatesbackroom deals
Secret unofficial negotiations
smoke-filled rooms · secret negotiations · executive sessions · quiet diplomacy
floor debatesfloor votes
Recorded legislative decisions
roll call votes · bill signing · voice votes · unanimous consent