Advocacy is any action that supports, defends, or pleads on behalf of a cause or others. Advocacy is about using your voice to promote positive changes for people affected by lung cancer.
But what’s a conference committee? What’s a ranking member? What’s the difference between a law, a regulation, and an executive order? It can sometimes seem like everyone in Washington, D.C., speaks a secret language.
We’ve pulled together this short glossary of key terms to help lung cancer advocates decipher some of the language to make sure you, too, are in the know. We've also included key social media terms to help lung cancer advocates speak up and speak out on Facebook, X, and other social media channels.
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Share
Reposting someone else’s content to your own profile. This amplifies their voice and lets you share their message with your audience. Also called “retweet.” (X, formerly Twitter).
Example: During the Lung Cancer Voices Summit, GO2 for Lung Cancer often searches for posts using #LCSM and shares those with our online lung cancer community.
Profile
Your personal page on a social media platform where all your content resides. Your profile is also who you are on social media, including your username and profile picture.
Post
Content put out on social media. It can be a Facebook, LinkedIn or Instagram post, a TikTok video, an X post (formerly Twitter tweet), or perhaps a YouTube video.
Like
Clicking the ❤️ below a social media post on most platforms shows that you like the content. On Facebook, you like a post by clicking on the 👍 button.
Hashtag
Using a # sign before a word or acronym lets people search using that word or acronym.
Example: During Lung Cancer Awareness Month, using the hashtag #LCAM makes it easy to find all the things people are posting relatedto lung cancer. Year-round, #LCSM identifies a tweet or post that is related tolung cancer social media. During the Voices Summit, GO2 for Lung Cancer often asks participants to use #LCSM so you can search and find all the things lung cancer advocates are saying in one place.
Comment
A remark or response to someone else’s Facebook or Instagram post, X post (formerly Twitter tweet), TikTok video, or other original content.
State bills
While this may vary by state, if a bill is introduced in the House it often begins with an “H.B.” number (e.g., H.B. 1, H.B. 2); in the Senate, with an “S.B.” number (e.g., S.B. 1, S.B. 2).
Extra credit
How state legislatures number their bills.
Sponsor
The legislator who introduces a bill or resolution to a legislature for consideration. Those who support it are known as cosponsors or original cosponsors.
Report language
Explanatory statements within a bill with detailed guidance to departments and federal agencies on how to take specified action on particular issues.
Regulation
An authoritative rule or order issued by a government agency to specify the details and requirements necessary to implement and enforce legislation enacted into law.
Ranking member
The most senior member of the minority party serving on a committee or subcommittee.
Public law
Also called public act or public statute, this is a resolution that has passed both chambers of the legislature and been enacted into law.
Policy
A statement or action to guide decisions, protocols, and outcomes. This can be in the form of a law.
Legislative markup
A meeting by a committee or subcommittee during which members offer, debate and vote on amendments to report a bill to the chamber for a floor vote.
Legislative hearing
A formal meeting of a committee or subcommittee to collect and analyze information from witnesses for use in its activities or during the legislative policy-making process.
Legislative briefings
A forum around a particular issue to educate elected members. Briefings may include key experts, patients, constituents, and other stakeholders.
Legislature
A body of elected individuals who are empowered to make, change, or repeal laws.
Legislation
The drafting of rules or proposals introduced by a legislative body through its lawmaking process (also known as a bill or joint resolution).
Leave behind
Briefing documents (such as fact sheets, infographics, and one-pagers) prepared specifically for a meeting withan elected official or their staff to further educate them on the issue after the meeting.
Filibuster
A Senate tactic (sometimes by making long speeches) in an attempt to delay or prevent action or block passage from coming to a vote, especially in a legislative assembly.
Federal bills
When a bill is introduced in the House of Representatives, it is identified with an “H.R.” number (H.R. 1, H.R. 2, and so forth). If a bill is introduced in the Senate, it is identified with an “S.” number (S. 1, S. 2, and so forth). Bills are numbered in the order they are filed.
Executive order
A command or regulation that is issued by the president that is not legislation but has the force and effect of law. Governors and mayors may also issue executive orders affecting their jurisdictions.
Enacted
Made into law.
Constituent
A resident of a district, state or a member of a community who can appoint or elect.
Committee chair
The person chosen from the majority party to preside over a committee or subcommittee.
Caucus
A group of members of the United States Congress that meets to pursue common legislative objectives.
Example: The Congressional Lung Cancer Caucus was established by GO2 for Lung Cancer with former Congressman Rick Nolan to serve as a clearinghouse of information to aid Members of Congress in their understanding of the issues surrounding those who are living with and those who are at risk for lung cancer.
Full committee
A panel or subpanel of serving members tasked with conducting hearings, examining, and developing legislation, conducting oversight and/or helping manage chamber business and activities. A subcommittee will consider specified matters; it then reports back to the full committee.
Bill
A draft, or tentative version, of what might become part of a written law.
Bicameral
Two legislative chambers, meaning both the House of Representatives and the Senate.
Appropriations
The action taken by the legislature to authorize public funds annually or to make provision of funds available, when necessary, in a designated amount for a specific purpose.
Amendment
A change or addition to a proposed orpending legislative text, bill, or resolution.