Includes bibliographical references (pages 456-461) and index.

Congress and lawmaking -- The Congressional budget process -- Preliminary legislative action -- Scheduling legislation in the House -- House floor procedure -- Scheduling legislation in the Senate -- Senate floor procedure -- Resolving House-Senate differences -- Legislative oversight -- A dynamic process. As a governing body, Congress continually adapts to changes in process and practice. This procedural context governs every aspect of the House and Senate and affects lawmakers as they make voting decisions, expedite or delay legislation, or defeat a bill. Walter Oleszek's definitive work examines how the majority and minority parties use procedural devices to achieve their political goals and offers an assessment of the role of conference committees in reconciling bicameral differences. Not shying away from the complexity of the topic, Oleszek ensures that the machinations of Congress are understandable through an array of interesting examples, cases, and anecdotes that he is well-positioned to witness and experience first-hand.