In this article, we will give you all the information you need about the phrase “strike the last word”, including definition, usage, origin, and more. The strike is one of many phrases that Congress can hear. Congress sessions have colloquial languages that are difficult to decipher. According to the Congress Institute, the last word is used in a pro forma change. A pro forma amendment gives the member five minutes to discuss an amendment under discussion. When choosing the final word, the member is recognized by the president.
What Does “Strike the Last Word” Mean?
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It was stated that during the hearings of Thursday’s article on the indictment against President Donald Trump in the House Judiciary Committee, there were talk dozens of times, but what really happened to “I have the final say? “It appears that a legislator wants something from the recording, but that’s not actually true. When a congressman says, “I’m trying to eliminate the last word, which means he wants to talk.
Many representatives have been accused of using the phrase as a loophole to increase the time they are allowed to speak. As a rule, representatives have only ten minutes to discuss each amendment, five for and five against.
However, if they ask to strike just one word from their speech, legislators can continue for another five minutes. Basically, this allows them to hold the debate indefinitely. New York Parliamentary Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez estimates the phrase to be a magical Harry Potter spell lawmakers can use on the ground to get exceptions.
What are Other Commonly Used Conference Phrases?
Congressmen can use many phrases that the average American does not know the meaning of. That makes it difficult to understand many congressional hearings that can be seen in news sources such as C-Span. The Congress Institute lists a glossary of congress terms. There are several types of changes other than Pro Forma:
- Amendment: When a member of Congress changes the wording of law or another amendment. They are usually voted in the same way as a bill.
- Change in the Nature of a Deputy: This is an amendment designed to change the entire text of a particular law. This would prevent any further modification of this law.
- Perfect Change: This is an amendment that changes a bill by inserting or deleting and inserting a new language.
- Second-Degree Change: This is an amendment that modifies the declarations of a currently pending request for amendment. It is called “second grade” because it is an amendment in addition to an amendment.
- Replacement Amendment: This is an amendment that replaces the entire talking point of a pending change. It is called “replacement” because it replaces the entire amendment.
What is the Origin of the Phrase Strike the Last Word?
According to Etymonline, the word “strike” comes from the Old English word “Austrian”. That meant going, moving, or continuing. This comes from the proto germanic “striking”. This word is related to the words “Raya” and “stroke” and may have been influenced by the Old Norse “striuka”. The word strike is the subject of the phrase. “I am moving to strike the last word” means “I will be the one to say the last word”. Merriam-Webster provides a number of meanings to the word strike.
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In Congress, the phrase is not used literally no one comes to the Senate with a hammer, but figuratively. Members of Congress figuratively want to “write down” the final word of the debate. Pro forma”, the different title of passing to the last word, is, following the Investopedia. A declaration in Latin meaning “for the sake of form” or “for reasons of the form”.
In general, members of Congress use the phrase “hit the last word” when discussing an amendment and is also known as proforma change. Amendments are usually only discussed for ten minutes: five minutes until they are tabled and five minutes to be argued. If a congressman follows the negative position and says, “I’ll make the last word,” he’ll have another five minutes to talk about the amendment. Several congressmen may have the last word in a row.
Final Words:
After hours of debate, members of Congress seemed tired of the process. “The obvious, I say, I strike the last word, which means I’ve heard from both sides in the last three hours,” said Rep. Tom McClintock R-Calif.
