committee of the whole

American  

noun

1. the entire membership of a legislative body, sitting in a deliberative rather than a legislative capacity, for informal debate and preliminary consideration of matters awaiting legislative action.

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Etymology

Origin of committee of the whole

First recorded in 1745–55

Example Sentences

The actual committee of the whole would involve the full House convening in public and taking up legislation that has already been considered by a legislative committee, and then debating and amending that bill under special rules that can expedite the process.

From Washington Post

“Everybody has been meeting — you can say the committee of the whole — because everybody has had access to McCarthy. There’s no question,” he said.

From Washington Post

As the measure advanced out of the council’s committee of the whole in February, Mendelson said that the city’s Department of Transportation identified 919 driver’s licenses and 718 IDs with addresses on Good Hope Road that will need to be changed if the bill passes.

From Washington Post

In fact, the ongoing debate on the assumption and residency questions was set aside for the entire day as the House put itself into committee of the whole to permit unencumbered debate on the petitions.

From Literature

The House went into committee of the whole to revise the language of the report.

From Literature