[Senate Prints 111-4]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]


111th Congress 
 1st Session                COMMITTEE PRINT                     S. Prt.
                                                                  111-4
_______________________________________________________________________
 
                              RULES OF THE

                     COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN RELATIONS

                          UNITED STATES SENATE


                                     



                               FEBRUARY 2009

      Printed for the use of the Committee on Foreign Relations



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                   COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN RELATIONS

                      JOHN F. KERRY, Massachusetts, Chairman        

CHRISTOPHER J. DODD, Connecticut         RICHARD G. LUGAR, Indiana
RUSSELL D. FEINGOLD, Wisconsin           Republican Leader designee
BARBARA BOXER, California                BOB CORKER, Tennessee
ROBERT MENENDEZ, New Jersey              JOHNNY ISAKSON, Georgia
BENJAMIN L. CARDIN, Maryland             JAMES E. RISCH, Idaho
ROBERT P. CASEY, Jr., Pennsylvania       JIM DeMINT, South Carolina
JIM WEBB, Virginia                       JOHN BARRASSO, Wyoming
JEANNE SHAHEEN, New Hampshire            ROGER F. WICKER, Mississippi
EDWARD E. KAUFMAN, Delaware              
KIRSTEN E. GILLIBRAND, New York          

                      David McKean, Staff Director        
           Kenneth A. Myers, Jr., Republican Staff Director        

                                       (ii)


              RULES OF THE COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN RELATIONS

                       (Adopted February 5, 2009)


                          rule 1--jurisdiction


    (a) Substantive.--In accordance with Senate Rule XXV.1(j), 
the jurisdiction of the committee shall extend to all proposed 
legislation, messages, petitions, memorials, and other matters 
relating to the following subjects:

           1. Acquisition of land and buildings for embassies 
        and legations in foreign countries.

           2. Boundaries of the United States.

           3. Diplomatic service.

           4. Foreign economic, military, technical, and 
        humanitarian assistance.

           5. Foreign loans.

           6. International activities of the American National 
        Red Cross and the International Committee of the Red 
        Cross.

           7. International aspects of nuclear energy, 
        including nuclear transfer policy.

           8. International conferences and congresses.

           9. International law as it relates to foreign 
        policy.

          10. International Monetary Fund and other 
        international organizations established primarily for 
        international monetary purposes (except that, at the 
        request of the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban 
        Affairs, any proposed legislation relating to such 
        subjects reported by the Committee on Foreign Relations 
        shall be referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, 
        and Urban Affairs).

          11. Intervention abroad and declarations of war.

          12. Measures to foster commercial intercourse with 
        foreign nations and to safeguard American business 
        interests abroad.

          13. National security and international aspects of 
        trusteeships of the United States.

          14. Ocean and international environmental and 
        scientific affairs as they relate to foreign policy.

          15. Protection of United States citizens abroad and 
        expatriation.

          16. Relations of the United States with foreign 
        nations generally.

          17. Treaties and executive agreements, except 
        reciprocal trade agreements.

          18. United Nations and its affiliated organizations.

          19. World Bank group, the regional development banks, 
        and other international organizations established 
        primarily for development assistance purposes.


    The committee is also mandated by Senate Rule XXV.1(j) to 
study and review, on a comprehensive basis, matters relating to 
the national security policy, foreign policy, and international 
economic policy as it relates to foreign policy of the United 
States, and matters relating to food, hunger, and nutrition in 
foreign countries, and report thereon from time to time.

    (b) Oversight.--The committee also has a responsibility 
under Senate Rule XXVI.8, which provides that ``.  . . . each 
standing committee . . . shall review and study, on a 
continuing basis, the application, administration, and 
execution of those laws or parts of laws, the subject matter of 
which is within the jurisdiction of the committee.''

    (c) ``Advice and Consent'' Clauses.--The committee has a 
special responsibility to assist the Senate in its 
constitutional function of providing ``advice and consent'' to 
all treaties entered into by the United States and all 
nominations to the principal executive branch positions in the 
field of foreign policy and diplomacy.


                         rule 2--subcommittees


    (a) Creation.--Unless otherwise authorized by law or Senate 
resolution, subcommittees shall be created by majority vote of 
the committee and shall deal with such legislation and 
oversight of programs and policies as the committee directs. 
Legislative measures or other matters may be referred to a 
subcommittee for consideration in the discretion of the 
chairman or by vote of a majority of the committee. If the 
principal subject matter of a measure or matter to be referred 
falls within the jurisdiction of more than one subcommittee, 
the chairman or the committee may refer the matter to two or 
more subcommittees for joint consideration.

    (b) Assignments.--Assignments of members to subcommittees 
shall be made in an equitable fashion. No member of the 
committee may receive assignment to a second subcommittee 
until, in order of seniority, all members of the committee have 
chosen assignments to one subcommittee, and no member shall 
receive assignments to a third subcommittee until, in order of 
seniority, all members have chosen assignments to two 
subcommittees.

    No member of the committee may serve on more than four 
subcommittees at any one time.

    The chairman and ranking member of the committee shall be 
ex officio members, without vote, of each subcommittee.

    (c) Meetings.--Except when funds have been specifically 
made available by the Senate for a subcommittee purpose, no 
subcommittee of the Committee on Foreign Relations shall hold 
hearings involving expenses without prior approval of the 
chairman of the full committee or by decision of the full 
committee. Meetings of subcommittees shall be scheduled after 
consultation with the chairman of the committee with a view 
toward avoiding conflicts with meetings of other subcommittees 
insofar as possible. Meetings of subcommittees shall not be 
scheduled to conflict with meetings of the full committee.

    The proceedings of each subcommittee shall be governed by 
the rules of the full committee, subject to such authorizations 
or limitations as the committee may from time to time 
prescribe.


                            rule 3--meetings


    (a) Regular Meeting Day.--The regular meeting day of the 
Committee on Foreign Relations for the transaction of committee 
business shall be on Tuesday of each week, unless otherwise 
directed by the chairman.

    (b) Additional Meetings.--Additional meetings and hearings 
of the committee may be called by the chairman as he may deem 
necessary. If at least three members of the committee desire 
that a special meeting of the committee be called by the 
chairman, those members may file in the offices of the 
committee their written request to the chairman for that 
special meeting. Immediately upon filing of the request, the 
chief clerk of the committee shall notify the chairman of the 
filing of the request. If, within three calendar days after the 
filing of the request, the chairman does not call the requested 
special meeting, to be held within seven calendar days after 
the filing of the request, a majority of the members of the 
committee may file in the offices of the committee their 
written notice that a special meeting of the committee will be 
held, specifying the date and hour of that special meeting. The 
committee shall meet on that date and hour. Immediately upon 
the filing of the notice, the clerk shall notify all members of 
the committee that such special meeting will be held and inform 
them of its date and hour.

    (c) Hearings, Selection of Witnesses.--To ensure that the 
issue which is the subject of the hearing is presented as fully 
and fairly as possible, whenever a hearing is conducted by the 
committee or a subcommittee upon any measure or matter, the 
ranking member of the committee or subcommittee may call an 
equal number of non-governmental witnesses selected by the 
ranking member to testify at that hearing.

    (d) Public Announcement.--The committee, or any 
subcommittee thereof, shall make public announcement of the 
date, place, time, and subject matter of any meeting or hearing 
to be conducted on any measure or matter at least one week in 
advance of such meetings or hearings, unless the chairman of 
the committee, or subcommittee, in consultation with the 
ranking member, determines that there is good cause to begin 
such meeting or hearing at an earlier date.

    (e) Procedure.--Insofar as possible, proceedings of the 
committee will be conducted without resort to the formalities 
of parliamentary procedure and with due regard for the views of 
all members. Issues of procedure which may arise from time to 
time shall be resolved by decision of the chairman, in 
consultation with the ranking member. The chairman, in 
consultation with the ranking member, may also propose special 
procedures to govern the consideration of particular matters by 
the committee.

    (f) Closed Sessions.--Each meeting of the Committee on 
Foreign Relations, or any subcommittee thereof, including 
meetings to conduct hearings, shall be open to the public, 
except that a meeting or series of meetings by the committee or 
a subcommittee on the same subject for a period of no more than 
14 calendar days may be closed to the public on a motion made 
and seconded to go into closed session to discuss only whether 
the matters enumerated in paragraphs (1) through (6) would 
require the meeting to be closed followed immediately by a 
record vote in open session by a majority of the members of the 
committee or subcommittee when it is determined that the 
matters to be discussed or the testimony to be taken at such 
meeting or meetings--

           (1) will disclose matters necessary to be kept 
        secret in the interests of national defense or the 
        confidential conduct of the foreign relations of the 
        United States;

           (2) will relate solely to matters of committee staff 
        personnel or internal staff management or procedure;

           (3) will tend to charge an individual with crime or 
        misconduct; to disgrace or injure the professional 
        standing of an individual, or otherwise to expose an 
        individual to public contempt or obloquy, or will 
        represent a clearly unwarranted invasion of the privacy 
        of an individual;

           (4) will disclose the identity of any informer or 
        law enforcement agent or will disclose any information 
        relating to the investigation or prosecution of a 
        criminal offense that is required to be kept secret in 
        the interests of effective law enforcement;

           (5) will disclose information relating to the trade 
        secrets or financial or commercial information 
        pertaining specifically to a given person if--

                   (A) an Act of Congress requires the 
                information to be kept confidential by 
                government officers and employees; or

                   (B) the information has been obtained by the 
                government on a confidential basis, other than 
                through an application by such person for a 
                specific government financial or other benefit, 
                and is required to be kept secret in order to 
                prevent undue injury to the competitive 
                position of such person, or

           (6) may divulge matters required to be kept 
        confidential under other provisions of law or 
        government regulations.


    A closed meeting may be opened by a majority vote of the 
committee.

    (g) Staff Attendance.--A member of the committee may have 
one member of his or her personal staff, for whom that member 
assumes personal responsibility, accompany and be seated nearby 
at committee meetings.

    Each member of the committee may designate members of his 
or her personal staff, who hold a top secret security 
clearance, for the purpose of their eligibility to attend 
closed sessions of the committee, subject to the same 
conditions set forth for committee staff under Rules 12, 13, 
and 14.
    In addition, the majority leader and the minority leader of 
the Senate, if they are not otherwise members of the committee, 
may designate one member of their staff with a top secret 
security clearance to attend closed sessions of the committee, 
subject to the same conditions set forth for committee staff 
under Rules 12, 13, and 14. Staff of other Senators who are not 
members of the committee may not attend closed sessions of the 
committee.
    Attendance of committee staff at meetings shall be limited 
to those designated by the staff director or the minority staff 
director.
    The committee, by majority vote, or the chairman, with the 
concurrence of the ranking member, may limit staff attendance 
at specified meetings.


                            rule 4--quorums


    (a) Testimony.--For the purpose of taking sworn or unsworn 
testimony at any duly scheduled meeting a quorum of the 
committee and each subcommittee thereof shall consist of one 
member.

    (b) Business.--A quorum for the transaction of committee or 
subcommittee business, other than for reporting a measure or 
recommendation to the Senate or the taking of testimony, shall 
consist of one-third of the members of the committee or 
subcommittee, including at least one member from each party.

    (c) Reporting.--A majority of the membership of the 
committee, including at least one member from each party, shall 
constitute a quorum for reporting any measure or recommendation 
to the Senate. No measure or recommendation shall be ordered 
reported from the committee unless a majority of the committee 
members is physically present, and a majority of those present 
concurs.


                            rule 5--proxies


    Proxies must be in writing with the signature of the absent 
member. Subject to the requirements of Rule 4 for the physical 
presence of a quorum to report a matter, proxy voting shall be 
allowed on all measures and matters before the committee. 
However, proxies shall not be voted on a measure or matter 
except when the absent member has been informed of the matter 
on which he is being recorded and has affirmatively requested 
that he or she be so recorded.


                           rule 6--witnesses


    (a) General.--The Committee on Foreign Relations will 
consider requests to testify on any matter or measure pending 
before the committee.

    (b) Presentation.--If the chairman so determines, the oral 
presentation of witnesses shall be limited to 10 minutes. 
However, written statements of reasonable length may be 
submitted by witnesses and other interested persons who are 
unable to testify in person.

    (c) Filing of Statements.--A witness appearing before the 
committee, or any subcommittee thereof, shall file a written 
statement of his proposed testimony at least 48 hours prior to 
his appearance, unless this requirement is waived by the 
chairman and the ranking member following their determination 
that there is good cause for failure to file such a statement. 
Witnesses appearing on behalf of the executive branch shall 
provide an additional 100 copies of their statement to the 
committee.

    (d) Expenses.--Only the chairman may authorize expenditures 
of funds for the expenses of witnesses appearing before the 
committee or its subcommittees.

    (e) Requests.--Any witness called for a hearing may submit 
a written request to the chairman no later than 24 hours in 
advance for his testimony to be in closed or open session, or 
for any other unusual procedure. The chairman shall determine 
whether to grant any such request and shall notify the 
committee members of the request and of his decision.


                           rule 7--subpoenas


    (a) Authorization.--The chairman or any other member of the 
committee, when authorized by a majority vote of the committee 
at a meeting or by proxies, shall have authority to subpoena 
the attendance of witnesses or the production of memoranda, 
documents, records, or any other materials. At the request of 
any member of the committee, the committee shall authorize the 
issuance of a subpoena only at a meeting of the committee. When 
the committee authorizes a subpoena, it may be issued upon the 
signature of the chairman or any other member designated by the 
committee.

    (b) Return.--A subpoena, or a request to an agency, for 
documents may be issued whose return shall occur at a time and 
place other than that of a scheduled committee meeting. A 
return on such a subpoena or request which is incomplete or 
accompanied by an objection constitutes good cause for a 
hearing on shortened notice. Upon such a return, the chairman 
or any other member designated by him may convene a hearing by 
giving 2 hours notice by telephone to all other members. One 
member shall constitute a quorum for such a hearing. The sole 
purpose of such a hearing shall be to elucidate further 
information about the return and to rule on the objection.

    (c) Depositions.--At the direction of the committee, staff 
is authorized to take depositions from witnesses.


                            rule 8--reports


    (a) Filing.--When the committee has ordered a measure or 
recommendation reported, the report thereon shall be filed in 
the Senate at the earliest practicable time.

    (b) Supplemental, Minority and Additional Views.--A member 
of the committee who gives notice of his intentions to file 
supplemental, minority, or additional views at the time of 
final committee approval of a measure or matter, shall be 
entitled to not less than 3 calendar days in which to file such 
views, in writing, with the chief clerk of the committee, with 
the 3 days to begin at 11:00 p.m. on the same day that the 
committee has ordered a measure or matter reported. Such views 
shall then be included in the committee report and printed in 
the same volume, as a part thereof, and their inclusion shall 
be noted on the cover of the report. In the absence of timely 
notice, the committee report may be filed and printed 
immediately without such views.

    (c) Rollcall Votes.--The results of all rollcall votes 
taken in any meeting of the committee on any measure, or 
amendment thereto, shall be announced in the committee report. 
The announcement shall include a tabulation of the votes cast 
in favor and votes cast in opposition to each such measure and 
amendment by each member of the committee.


                            rule 9--treaties


    (a) The committee is the only committee of the Senate with 
jurisdiction to review and report to the Senate on treaties 
submitted by the President for Senate advice and consent to 
ratification. Because the House of Representatives has no role 
in the approval of treaties, the committee is therefore the 
only congressional committee with responsibility for treaties.

    (b) Once submitted by the President for advice and consent, 
each treaty is referred to the committee and remains on its 
calendar from Congress to Congress until the committee takes 
action to report it to the Senate or recommend its return to 
the President, or until the committee is discharged of the 
treaty by the Senate.

    (c) In accordance with Senate Rule XXX.2, treaties which 
have been reported to the Senate but not acted on before the 
end of a Congress ``shall be resumed at the commencement of the 
next Congress as if no proceedings had previously been had 
thereon.''

    (d) Insofar as possible, the committee should conduct a 
public hearing on each treaty as soon as possible after its 
submission by the President. Except in extraordinary 
circumstances, treaties reported to the Senate shall be 
accompanied by a written report.


                          rule 10--nominations


    (a) Waiting Requirement.--Unless otherwise directed by the 
chairman and the ranking member, the Committee on Foreign 
Relations shall not consider any nomination until 6 calendar 
days after it has been formally submitted to the Senate.

    (b) Public Consideration.--Nominees for any post who are 
invited to appear before the committee shall be heard in public 
session, unless a majority of the committee decrees otherwise, 
consistent with Rule 3(f).

    (c) Required Data.--No nomination shall be reported to the 
Senate unless (1) the nominee has been accorded a security 
clearance on the basis of a thorough investigation by executive 
branch agencies; (2) the nominee has filed a financial 
disclosure report and a related ethics undertaking with the 
committee; (3) the committee has been assured that the nominee 
does not have any interests which could conflict with the 
interests of the government in the exercise of the nominee's 
proposed responsibilities; (4) for persons nominated to be 
chief of mission, ambassador-at-large, or minister, the 
committee has received a complete list of any contributions 
made by the nominee or members of his immediate family to any 
Federal election campaign during the year of his or her 
nomination and for the 4 preceding years; and (5) for persons 
nominated to be chiefs of mission, the report required by 
Section 304(a)(4) of the Foreign Service Act of 1980 on the 
demonstrated competence of that nominee to perform the duties 
of the position to which he or she has been nominated.


                            rule 11--travel


    (a) Foreign Travel.--No member of the Committee on Foreign 
Relations or its staff shall travel abroad on committee 
business unless specifically authorized by the chairman, who is 
required by law to approve vouchers and report expenditures of 
foreign currencies, and the ranking member. Requests for 
authorization of such travel shall state the purpose and, when 
completed, a full substantive and financial report shall be 
filed with the committee within 30 days. This report shall be 
furnished to all members of the committee and shall not be 
otherwise disseminated without authorization of the chairman or 
the ranking member. Except in extraordinary circumstances, 
staff travel shall not be approved unless the reporting 
requirements have been fulfilled for all prior trips. Except 
for travel that is strictly personal, travel funded by non-U.S. 
Government sources is subject to the same approval and 
substantive reporting requirements as U.S. Government-funded 
travel. In addition, members and staff are reminded to consult 
the Senate Code of Conduct, and, as appropriate, the Senate 
Select Committee on Ethics, in the case of travel sponsored by 
non-U.S. Government sources.
    Any proposed travel by committee staff for a subcommittee 
purpose must be approved by the subcommittee chairman and 
ranking member prior to submission of the request to the 
chairman and ranking member of the full committee.

    (b) Domestic Travel.--All official travel in the United 
States by the committee staff shall be approved in advance by 
the staff director, or in the case of minority staff, by the 
minority staff director.

    (c) Personal Staff.--As a general rule, no more than one 
member of the personal staff of a member of the committee may 
travel with that member with the approval of the chairman and 
the ranking member of the committee. During such travel, the 
personal staff member shall be considered to be an employee of 
the committee.

    (d) Personal Representatives of the Member (PRM).--For the 
purposes of this rule regarding staff foreign travel, the 
officially-designated personal representative of the member 
(PRM) shall be deemed to have the same rights, duties, and 
responsibilities as members of the staff of the Committee on 
Foreign Relations. Furthermore, for the purposes of this 
section, each member of the committee may designate one 
personal staff member as the ``Personal Representative of the 
Member.''


                          rule 12--transcripts


    (a) General.--The Committee on Foreign Relations shall keep 
verbatim transcripts of all committee and subcommittee meetings 
and such transcripts shall remain in the custody of the 
committee, unless a majority of the committee decides 
otherwise. Transcripts of public hearings by the committee 
shall be published unless the chairman, with the concurrence of 
the ranking member, determines otherwise.

    (b) Classified or Restricted Transcripts.--

           (1) The chief clerk of the committee shall have 
        responsibility for the maintenance and security of 
        classified or restricted transcripts, and shall ensure 
        that such transcripts are handled in a manner 
        consistent with the requirements of the United States 
        Senate Security Manual.

           (2) A record shall be maintained of each use of 
        classified or restricted transcripts as required by the 
        Senate Security Manual.

           (3) Classified transcripts may not leave the 
        committee offices, or SVC-217 of the Capitol Vistors 
        Center, except for the purpose of declassification.

           (4) Extreme care shall be exercised to avoid taking 
        notes or quotes from classified transcripts. Their 
        contents may not be divulged to any unauthorized 
        person.

           (5) Subject to any additional restrictions imposed 
        by the chairman with the concurrence of the ranking 
        member, only the following persons are authorized to 
        have access to classified or restricted transcripts.

                   (A) Members and staff of the committee in 
                the committee offices or in SVC-217 of the 
                Capitol Vistors Center;

                   (B) Designated personal representatives of 
                members of the committee, and of the majority 
                and minority leaders, with appropriate security 
                clearances, in the committee offices or in SVC-
                217 of the Capitol Vistors Center;

                   (C) Senators not members of the committee, 
                by permission of the chairman, in the committee 
                offices or in SVC-217 of the Capitol Vistors 
                Center; and

                   (D) Officials of the executive departments 
                involved in the meeting, in the committee 
                offices or SVC-217 of the Capitol Vistors 
                Center.

           (6) Any restrictions imposed upon access to a 
        meeting of the committee shall also apply to the 
        transcript of such meeting, except by special 
        permission of the chairman and ranking member.

           (7) In addition to restrictions resulting from the 
        inclusion of any classified information in the 
        transcript of a committee meeting, members and staff 
        shall not discuss with anyone the proceedings of the 
        committee in closed session or reveal information 
        conveyed or discussed in such a session unless that 
        person would have been permitted to attend the session 
        itself, or unless such communication is specifically 
        authorized by the chairman, the ranking member, or in 
        the case of staff, by the staff director or minority 
        staff director. A record shall be kept of all such 
        authorizations.

    (c) Declassification.--

           (1) All noncurrent records of the committee are 
        governed by Rule XI of the Standing Rules of the Senate 
        and by S. Res. 474 (96th Congress). Any classified 
        transcripts transferred to the National Archives and 
        Records Administration under Rule XI may not be made 
        available for public use unless they have been subject 
        to declassification review in accordance with 
        applicable laws or Executive orders.

           (2) Any transcript or classified committee report, 
        or any portion thereof, may be declassified, in 
        accordance with applicable laws or Executive orders, 
        sooner than the time period provided for under S. Res. 
        474 if:

                   (A) the chairman originates such action, 
                with the concurrence of the ranking member;

                   (B) the other current members of the 
                committee who participated in such meeting or 
                report have been notified of the proposed 
                declassification, and have not objected 
                thereto, except that the committee by majority 
                vote may overrule any objections thereby raised 
                to early declassification; and

                   (C) the executive departments that 
                participated in the meeting or originated the 
                classified information have been consulted and 
                consented to the declassification.


                    rule 13--classified information


    (a) The handling of classified information in the Senate is 
governed by S. Res. 243 (100th Congress), which established the 
Office of Senate Security. All handling of classified 
information by the committee shall be consistent with the 
procedures set forth in the United States Senate Security 
Manual issued by the Office of Senate Security.

    (b) The chief clerk is the security manager for the 
committee. The chief clerk shall be responsible for 
implementing the provisions of the Senate Security Manual and 
for serving as the committee liaison to the Office of Senate 
Security. The staff director, in consultation with the minority 
staff director, may appoint an alternate security manager as 
circumstances warrant.

    (c) Classified material may only be transported between 
Senate offices by appropriately cleared staff members who have 
been specifically authorized to do so by the security manager.

    (d) In general, Senators and staff undertake to confine 
their access to classified information on the basis of a ``need 
to know'' such information related to their committee 
responsibilities.

    (e) The staff director is authorized to make such 
administrative regulations as may be necessary to carry out the 
provisions of this rule.


                             rule 14--staff


    (a) Responsibilities.--

           (1) The staff works for the committee as a whole, 
        under the general supervision of the chairman of the 
        committee, and the immediate direction of the staff 
        director, except that such part of the staff as is 
        designated minority staff shall be under the general 
        supervision of the ranking member and under the 
        immediate direction of the minority staff director.

           (2) Any member of the committee should feel free to 
        call upon the staff at any time for assistance in 
        connection with committee business. Members of the 
        Senate not members of the committee who call upon the 
        staff for assistance from time to time should be given 
        assistance subject to the overriding responsibility of 
        the staff to the committee.

           (3) The staff's primary responsibility is with 
        respect to bills, resolutions, treaties, and 
        nominations.

           In addition to carrying out assignments from the 
        committee and its individual members, the staff has a 
        responsibility to originate suggestions for committee 
        or subcommittee consideration. The staff also has a 
        responsibility to make suggestions to individual 
        members regarding matters of special interest to such 
        members.

           (4) It is part of the staff's duty to keep itself as 
        well informed as possible in regard to developments 
        affecting foreign relations and in regard to the 
        administration of foreign programs of the United 
        States. Significant trends or developments which might 
        otherwise escape notice should be called to the 
        attention of the committee, or of individual Senators 
        with particular interests.

           (5) The staff shall pay due regard to the 
        constitutional separation of powers between the Senate 
        and the executive branch. It therefore has a 
        responsibility to help the committee bring to bear an 
        independent, objective judgment of proposals by the 
        executive branch and when appropriate to originate 
        sound proposals of its own. At the same time, the staff 
        shall avoid impinging upon the day-to-day conduct of 
        foreign affairs.

           (6) In those instances when committee action 
        requires the expression of minority views, the staff 
        shall assist the minority as fully as the majority to 
        the end that all points of view may be fully considered 
        by members of the committee and of the Senate. The 
        staff shall bear in mind that under our constitutional 
        system it is the responsibility of the elected members 
        of the Senate to determine legislative issues in the 
        light of as full and fair a presentation of the facts 
        as the staff may be able to obtain.

    (b) Restrictions.--

           (1) The staff shall regard its relationship to the 
        committee as a privileged one, in the nature of the 
        relationship of a lawyer to a client. In order to 
        protect this relationship and the mutual confidence 
        which must prevail if the committee-staff relationship 
        is to be a satisfactory and fruitful one, the following 
        criteria shall apply:

                   (A) members of the staff shall not be 
                identified with any special interest group in 
                the field of foreign relations or allow their 
                names to be used by any such group;

                   (B) members of the staff shall not accept 
                public speaking engagements or write for 
                publication in the field of foreign relations 
                without specific advance permission from the 
                staff director, or, in the case of minority 
                staff, from the minority staff director. In the 
                case of the staff director and the minority 
                staff director, such advance permission shall 
                be obtained from the chairman or the ranking 
                member, as appropriate. In any event, such 
                public statements should avoid the expression 
                of personal views and should not contain 
                predictions of future, or interpretations of 
                past, committee action; and

                   (C) staff shall not discuss their private 
                conversations with members of the committee 
                without specific advance permission from the 
                Senator or Senators concerned.

           (2) The staff shall not discuss with anyone the 
        proceedings of the committee in closed session or 
        reveal information conveyed or discussed in such a 
        session unless that person would have been permitted to 
        attend the session itself, or unless such communication 
        is specifically authorized by the staff director or 
        minority staff director. Unauthorized disclosure of 
        information from a closed session or of classified 
        information shall be cause for immediate dismissal and 
        may, in the case of some kinds of information, be 
        grounds for criminal prosecution.


                 rule 15--status and amendment of rules


    (a) Status.--In addition to the foregoing, the Committee on 
Foreign Relations is governed by the Standing Rules of the 
Senate, which shall take precedence in the event of a clear 
inconsistency. In addition, the jurisdiction and 
responsibilities of the committee with respect to certain 
matters, as well as the timing and procedure for their 
consideration in committee, may be governed by statute.

    (b) Amendment.--These rules may be modified, amended, or 
repealed by a majority of the committee, provided that a notice 
in writing of the proposed change has been given to each member 
at least 48 hours prior to the meeting at which action thereon 
is to be taken. However, rules of the committee which are based 
upon Senate rules may not be superseded by committee vote 
alone.

                                 

      
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