committee of the whole

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.

Word History and Origins

Origin of committee of the whole¹

First recorded in 1745–55

Example Sentences

“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.

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This is most definitely not the “committee of the whole,” a term that Bishop, Burchett and other Republicans also latched onto to justify their abandonment of earlier promises.

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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.

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Main debate: This is the first of two days of Committee of the Whole House on the Illegal Migration Bill.

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Main debate: Day two of Committee of the Whole House on the Illegal Migration Bill - including clauses permanently banning people from the UK if they've entered illegally.

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