Definition
The act of a committee chair refusing to schedule consideration of a bill, letting it die through strategic neglect in a metaphorical filing cubby. It's assassination by bureaucratic inaction.
Example Usage
The healthcare reform bill was pigeonholed by the committee chair, who scheduled hearings on postal service naming conventions instead.
Origin
From the small compartments in desks where papers were sorted and often forgotten; parliamentary use dates to 19th century
Fun Fact
Roughly 90% of bills introduced in Congress are pigeonholed and never receive votes, making committee chairs more powerful than most members realize—they're gatekeepers who mostly keep the gate closed.
Source: Legislative process studies and committee procedure documentation
Related Terms
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