@JonnyT

Let me try to explain myself a bit better, after reading a few opinions on this and thinking about it myself...

So as an example in america the following would be a normal usage of the term:

Someone: "Would you consider giving me a raise"

Boss: "Sure its on the table, tell me why you deserve one?"

Here we are using "on the table" to mean "It is something i am willing to discuss, I havent dismissed it"

Which is totally in line with the british usage.

In congress it is used more formally to "discuss a thing later".. it is partly used this way because it is intended as a contrast to being "on the floor" which means whatever is currently being discussed. But it is not being used to say "we are dismissing this" we are saying the same thing "sure this is something open for debate, so lets add it to the list of things that we need to resolve so we remember to come back to it later"

Its pretty much the same meaning in terms of every day use, in fact identical. It is only in the formal rules of congress/parliment it is applies slightly different despite still sorta meaning the same.

@grammargirl