Legislative glossary
Unanimous consent
Also known as: UC
Definition
A motion that passes if no member objects. Used to skip procedural steps or move uncontested bills quickly. Any single 'objection' kills it.
Why it matters
Unanimous consent is the legislature's express lane: anything without an objection can skip hours of procedure. Whole calendars of uncontroversial bills pass this way. Its power is its fragility: one member, any member, saying 'I object' forces the long road. Which makes UC requests a continuous, quiet measure of who's feeling cooperative and who's owed something.
In the game
Procedural moments in The Bill to Law Game turn on whether anyone objects, and after you've made enemies in markup, somebody usually does.
Related terms
Comes up alongside