[Senate Prints 115-23]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]






115th Congress     }                                   {     S. Prt.
                           COMMITTEE PRINT         
  2d Session       }                                   {     115-23
_______________________________________________________________________







                              RULES OF THE

                     COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN RELATIONS

                          UNITED STATES SENATE


                                     
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                            FEBRUARY 2018
                            
                            
                            
                            
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                  COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN RELATIONS
               
                  BOB CORKER, Tennessee, Chairman

JAMES E. RISCH, Idaho               ROBERT MENENDEZ, New Jersey
MARCO RUBIO, Florida                BENJAMIN L. CARDIN, Maryland
RON JOHNSON, Wisconsin              JEANNE SHAHEEN, New Hampshire
JEFF FLAKE, Arizona                 CHRISTOPHER A. COONS, Delaware
CORY GARDNER, Colorado              TOM UDALL, New Mexico
TODD YOUNG, Indiana                 CHRISTOPHER MURPHY, Connecticut
JOHN BARRASSO, Wyoming              TIM KAINE, Virginia       
JOHNNY ISAKSON, Georgia             EDWARD J. MARKEY, Massachusetts
ROB PORTMAN, Ohio                   JEFF MERKLEY, Oregon           
RAND PAUL, Kentucky                 CORY A. BOOKER, New Jersey

                       Todd Womack, Staff Director        
             Jessica Lewis, Democratic Staff Director        
                      John Dutton, Chief Clerk        

                                  (ii)
                                  
                                  
                                  
                                  
                                  
                                  
                                  
                                  
                                  
 
              RULES OF THE COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN RELATIONS

                       (Adopted January 31, 2017)


                         rule 1 - jurisdiction


    (a) Substantive.--In accordance with Senate Rule 
XXV.1(j)(1), 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)(2) 
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(a)(2), 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) Hearings.--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. Hearings of subcommittees shall be scheduled after 
consultation with the chairman of the committee with a view 
toward avoiding conflicts with hearings of other subcommittees 
insofar as possible. Hearings of subcommittees shall not be 
scheduled to conflict with meetings or hearings 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 and hearings


    (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 and Hearings.--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 select and 
call an equal number of non-governmental witnesses 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 seven 
calendar days 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 and hearing of the 
Committee on Foreign Relations, or any subcommittee thereof 
shall be open to the public, except that a meeting or hearing 
or series of meetings or hearings 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 or hearing 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 hearing or series of meetings or 
hearings--

           (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 or hearing 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 and hearings. The chairman or ranking 
member may authorize the attendance and seating of such a staff 
member at committee meetings and hearings where the member of 
the committee is not present.
    Each member of the committee may designate members of his 
or her personal staff for whom that member assumes personal 
responsibility, who holds, at a minimum, 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 for whom that leader 
assumes personal responsibility and who holds, at a minimum, 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 and hearings 
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 or hearings.


                            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 of such committee or subcommittee.

    (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, including at least one member 
from each party, 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 submit an 
electronic copy of the written statement of his proposed 
testimony at least 24 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.

    (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 4 hours notice by telephone or electronic mail 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 (including by electronic mail), 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) Roll Call Votes.--The results of all roll call 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) General.--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) Committee Proceedings.--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) Floor Proceedings.--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) Hearings.--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 5 business 
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; (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; and (6) 
the nominee has provided the committee with a signed and 
notarized copy of the committee questionnaire for executive 
branch nominees.


                            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 
and 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 Travel.--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) PRM Travel.--For the purposes of this rule regarding 
staff foreign travel, the officially-designated personal 
representative of the member pursuant to rule 14(b), shall be 
deemed to have the same rights, duties, and responsibilities as 
members of the staff of the Committee on Foreign Relations.


     rule 12 - transcripts and materials provided to the committee


    (a) General.--The Committee on Foreign Relations shall keep 
verbatim transcripts of all committee and subcommittee meetings 
and hearings 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.

    The committee, through the chief clerk, shall also maintain 
at least one copy of all materials provided to the committee by 
the Executive Branch; such copy shall remain in the custody of 
the committee and be subject to the committee's rules and 
procedures, including those rules and procedures applicable to 
the handling of classified materials.

    Such transcripts and materials shall be made available to 
all members of the committee, committee staff, and designated 
personal representatives of members of the committee, except as 
otherwise provided in these rules.
    (b) Classified or Restricted Transcripts or Materials.--

           (1) The chief clerk of the committee shall have 
        responsibility for the maintenance and security of 
        classified or restricted transcripts or materials, and 
        shall ensure that such transcripts or materials 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 or materials as 
        required by the Senate Security Manual.

           (3) Classified transcripts or materials may not 
        leave the committee offices, or SVC-217 of the Capitol 
        Visitors Center, except for the purpose of 
        declassification or archiving, consistent with these 
        rules.

           (4) Extreme care shall be exercised to avoid taking 
        notes or quotes from classified transcripts or 
        materials. 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 or 
        materials:

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

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

                   (D) Officials of the executive departments 
                involved in the meeting, hearing, or matter, 
                with authorization of the chairman, in the 
                committee offices or SVC-217 of the Capitol 
                Visitors Center.

           (6) Any restrictions imposed by the committee upon 
        access to a meeting or hearing 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 or hearing, 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 is a member or staff of a 
        relevant committee or executive branch agency and 
        possess an appropriate security clearance, 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 or materials 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 
                regarding the declassification.

                    rule 13 - classified information


    (a) General.--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) Security Manager.--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) Transportation of Classified Material.--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) Access to Classified Material.--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) Staff Clearances.--The chairman, or, in the case of 
minority staff, the ranking member, shall designate the members 
of the committee staff whose assignments require access to 
classified and compartmented information and shall seek to 
obtain the requisite security clearances pursuant to Office of 
Senate Security procedures.

    (f) PRM Clearances.--For the purposes of this rule 
regarding security clearances and access to compartmented 
information, the officially-designated personal representative 
of the member (PRM) pursuant to rule 14(b), shall be deemed to 
have the same rights, duties, and responsibilities as members 
of the staff of the Committee on Foreign Relations.

    (g) Regulations.--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 and other matters within the jurisdiction 
        of the committee. 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 national security 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) Personal Representatives of the Member (PRM).--Each 
Senator on the committee shall be authorized to designate one 
personal staff member as the member's personal representative 
of the member and designee to the committee (PRM) that shall be 
deemed to have the same rights, duties, and responsibilities as 
members of the staff of the Committee on Foreign Relations 
where specifically provided for in these rules.

    (c) 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, unless staff has consulted with 
        and obtained, as appropriate, the approval of the 
        Senate Ethics Committee and advance permission from the 
        staff director (or the minority staff director in the 
        case of minority staff):

                   (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; and

                   (B) members of the staff shall not accept 
                public speaking engagements or write for 
                publication in the field of foreign relations.

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

           (3) 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 is a member or staff of a 
        relevant committee or executive branch agency and 
        possesses an appropriate security clearance, 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 certain cases, 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 (including by electronic mail) of the proposed 
change has been given to each member at least 72 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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