Ordering a Roll Call Vote in the Senate

Elizabeth Rybicki, Coordinator
Specialist on Congress and the Legislative Process

Any time the Senate is considering a question—whether that question is a bill, amendment, motion, conference report, or something else—a Senator who has the floor can “ask for the yeas and nays” or a roll call vote on that question. This is the constitutional right of any Senator, and no other lawmaker can object to the request. If such a request is supported by 10 other Senators (for a total of 11) this usually requires the Senate to conduct a roll call vote (also called a vote by “the yeas and nays”) to decide the question it is considering. The Senate can agree to order a roll call vote on a question at any time when it is debating that question. Ordering the yeas and nays, however, does not determine when that vote will take place.

The authority for Senators to obtain roll call votes derives from Article I, Section 5, clause 3 of the Constitution, which states that “the yeas and nays of the members of either house on any question shall, at the desire of one fifth of those present, be entered on the Journal.” The Constitution also provides that “a majority of each [house] shall constitute a quorum to do business.” Therefore, “one fifth of those present” to order the yeas and nays must be one-fifth of at least 51 Senators (or at least 11 Senators), which is the minimal majority required to satisfy the constitutional quorum requirement. A smaller number of Senators cannot order a roll call vote, even by unanimous consent, because the Senate may not set aside any constitutional requirement governing its proceedings.


Date of Report: September 9, 2013
Number of Pages: 4
Order Number: RS20199
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Remittances: Background and Issues for Congress

Martin A. Weiss
Specialist in International Trade and Finance

This report focuses on remittances, transfers of money and capital sent by migrants and foreign immigrant communities to their home country. At over $400 billion globally in 2012, up from $75 billion in 1990, remittances are the second largest resource flow to developing countries and are expected to exceed $500 billion by 2015. The United States is the largest destination for international migrants and by far the largest source of global remittances. The World Bank records $51.6 billion in official remittance outflows from the United States in 2011. As the market for remittances has ballooned, banks, traditional money transfer companies, and entrepreneurs have responded to increased demand by increasing the amount of remittance channels available to migrants, including mobile, Internet, and card-based options.

The dramatic rise in the importance of remittances to global capital flows has led Congress and other policymakers to take a greater interest in these flows. Key issues for Congress include: 

Regulation of Remittances. Members may want to review the regulatory landscape for remittance providers. Effective and proportional regulation of remittances reduces corruption, enhances transparency, and facilitates a more robust business environment. At the same time, additional regulatory requirements, such as recent consumer protection requirements included in the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Consumer Protection Act, may raise concerns about the compliance costs for remittance providers and consumers.

Congress may also want to consider whether current federal and state regulation are appropriate for new and emerging payments systems such as mobile and card options, which are starting to capture part of the remittance market. Members may also want to review recent efforts to improve foreign regulatory and supervisory mechanisms. Remittances are often sent to recipients in developing countries with weak regulatory systems, increasing the risk of money laundering and possible financing of terrorism. 

Impact on U.S. Development Policy. Remittances represent a substantial percentage of gross domestic product (GDP) in several developing countries. Whether remittances can be leveraged to support U.S. foreign development policy is another issue of concern to some Members of Congress. Some analysts argue that since remittances are comprised of private transfers between family members and friends, U.S. efforts should be directed to reducing the transaction costs involved in remittance transactions. Others note the potential beneficial development aspects of remittances, including promoting investment and access to financial services, and encouraging government programs to help stimulate these positive effects. 

Remittances and U.S. Immigration Policy. Members may want to consider the interplay of U.S. remittance policy and U.S. immigration policy. A major goal of U.S. policy on remittances is increasing the attractiveness of regulated remittance systems to potential remittance customers, without regard to their legal status. Thus, U.S. Treasury officials allow remittance providers to accept certain foreign-issued means of identification to meet their customer identification requirements. Some Members argue that policies like these may undermine U.S. immigration laws and advocate restricting remittances to those with legal status under U.S. immigration laws. Others argue that more restrictive identification measures would only push remittance flows toward high-risk, unregulated and underground channels.


Date of Report: September 9, 2013
Number of Pages: 22
Order Number: R43217
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Quorum Requirements in the Senate: Committee and Chamber

Elizabeth Rybicki, Coordinator
Specialist on Congress and the Legislative Process

Senate Rule XXVI establishes minimum quorum requirements for four areas of committee activity. These are listed in the following table.

Senate committees have discretion in adjusting the minimum quorum requirements mandated in Rule XXVI as long as they adopt rules that are “not inconsistent with the Rules of the Senate.” For instance, most committees allow a single Senator to take testimony at a hearing, rather than the one-third required by Rule XXVI. Committees cannot change the majority physically present quorum needed for reporting a measure.


Date of Report: September 9, 2013
Number of Pages: 3
Order Number: 98-775
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Congressional Liaison Offices of Selected Federal Agencies

Audrey Celeste Crane-Hirsch
Information Research Specialist

placing telephone calls and addressing correspondence to government agencies. In each case, the information was supplied by the agency itself and is current as of the date of publication. Entries are arranged alphabetically in four sections: legislative branch; judicial branch; executive branch; and agencies, boards, and commissions.

Specific telephone numbers for correspondence, publications, and fax transmissions have been provided for each applicable agency. When using fax, it is important to include the entire mailing address on a cover sheet, as many of the listed fax machines are not directly located in the liaison offices.

A number of agency listings include an e-mail address. When e-mailing agencies please remember to include your name, affiliation, phone number, and return address, to ensure a speedy response. Users should be aware that e-mail is not a confidential means of transmission. This report was produced for congressional offices only. It will be updated frequently.


Date of Report: September 13, 2013
Number of Pages: 40
Order Number: 98-446
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Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies: FY2014 Appropriations

Nathan James, Coordinator
Analyst in Crime Policy

Jennifer D. Williams, Coordinator
Specialist in American National Government

John F. Sargent Jr., Coordinator
Specialist in Science and Technology Policy

On March 26, 2013, President Obama signed into law the Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act, 2013 (P.L. 113-6). The act provides a total of $60.638 billion for Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies (CJS). This amount includes $7.726 billion for the Department of Commerce, $27.305 billion for the Department of Justice, $24.737 billion for the science agencies, and $870.1 million for the related agencies.

On April 10, 2013, President Obama submitted his FY2014 budget to Congress. The Administration requests a total of $63.310 billion for the agencies and bureaus funded as a part of the annual Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies (CJS) appropriations bill. The Administration’s request includes $8.596 billion for the Department of Commerce, $28.405 billion for the Department of Justice, $25.347 billion for the science agencies, and $962.1 million for the related agencies.

On July 17, 2013, the House Committee on Appropriations approved its version of the FY2014 CJS appropriations bill (H.R. 2787). The committee recommends a total of $58.601 billion for the CJS agencies and bureaus. The bill includes $7.544 billion for the Department of Commerce, $26.658 billion for the Department of Justice, $23.599 billion for the science agencies, and $800.5 million for the related agencies.

On July 18, 2013, the Senate Committee on Appropriations approved S. 1329, the Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2014. The committee recommends a total of $63.586 billion for CJS. The bill includes $8.679 billion for the Department of Commerce, $28.503 billion for the Department of Justice, $25.442 billion for the science agencies, and $962.1 million for the related agencies.

This report will track and describe actions taken by the Administration and Congress to provide FY2014 appropriations for CJS accounts. It also provides an overview of FY2013 appropriations for agencies and bureaus funded as a part of the annual appropriation for CJS.

The FY2013-enacted and the FY2014-requested appropriations were taken from S.Rept. 113-78. The amounts recommended by the House Committee on Appropriations were taken from H.Rept. 113-171 and the amounts recommended by the Senate Committee on Appropriations were taken from S.Rept. 113-78.


Date of Report: August 12, 2013
Number of Pages: 64
Order Number: R43080
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