Markup
Definition
Markup is the committee meeting where members debate a bill section by section, offer and vote on amendments, and decide what version to send to the full chamber. The committee is not changing law yet, only recommending what the House or Senate should adopt.
Why it matters
Markup is where lobbyists and industry counsel often have the most access, since amendments get drafted and traded in real time with committee staff. A single-word change inserted quietly during markup can gut or expand a bill's scope long before public floor debate.
Seen in the wild
The House Energy and Commerce Committee's markup of the 2025 reconciliation title ran more than 26 hours in spring 2025, with members offering dozens of amendments on Medicaid work requirements before the committee voted to report the bill to the House floor.1