[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 27 (Friday, February 10, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2530-S2531]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


              RULES OF THE COMMITTEE ON VETERANS' AFFAIRS

 Mr. SIMPSON. Mr. President, pursuant to paragraph 2 of rule 
XXVI, Standing Rules of the Senate, I submit for printing in the 
Congressional Record the Rules of the Committee on Veterans' Affairs 
for the 104th Congress, as adopted by the committee on February 1, 
1995.
  The rules follow:
        Rules of Procedure of the Committee on Veterans' Affairs


                              I. meetings

       (a) Unless otherwise ordered, the Committee shall meet on 
     the first Wednesday of each month. The Chairman may, upon 
     proper notice, call such additional meetings as he deems 
     necessary.
       (b) Except as provided in subparagraphs (b) and (d) of 
     paragraph 5 of rule XXVI of the Standing Rules of the Senate, 
     meetings of the Committee or a Subcommittee shall be open to 
     the public.
       (c) The Chairman of the Committee or of a Subcommittee, or 
     the Vice Chairman in the absence of the Chairman, or the 
     Ranking Majority Member present in the absence of the Vice 
     Chairman, shall preside at all meetings.
       (d) No meeting of the Committee or any Subcommittee shall 
     be scheduled except by majority vote of the Committee or by 
     authorization of the Chairman of the Committee.
       (e) The Committee shall notify the office designated by the 
     Committee on Rules and Administration of the time, place, and 
     purpose of each meeting. In the event such meeting is 
     canceled, the Committee shall immediately notify such 
     designated office.
       (f) Written notice of a Committee meeting, accompanied by 
     an agenda enumerating the items of business to be considered, 
     shall be sent to all Committee members at least 72 hours (not 
     counting Saturdays, Sundays, and Federal holidays) in advance 
     of each meeting. In the event that the giving of such 72-hour 
     notice is prevented by unforeseen requirements or Committee 
     business, the Committee staff shall communicate notice by the 
     quickest appropriate means to members or appropriate staff 
     assistants of members and an agenda shall be furnished prior 
     to the meeting.
       (g) Subject to the second sentence of this paragraph, it 
     shall not be in order for the Committee to consider any 
     amendment in the first degree proposed to any measure under 
     consideration by the Committee unless a written copy of such 
     amendment has been delivered to each member of the Committee 
     at least 24 hours before the meeting at which the amendment 
     is to be proposed. This paragraph may be waived by a majority 
     vote of the members and shall apply only when 72-hour written 
     notice has been provided in accordance with paragraph (f).


                              ii. quorums

       (a) Subject to the provisions of paragraph (b), seven 
     members of the Committee and four members of a Subcommittee 
     shall constitute a quorum for the reporting or approving of 
     any measure or matter or recommendation. Four members of the 
     Committee or Subcommittee shall constitute a quorum for 
     purposes of transacting any other business.
       (b) In order to transact any business at a Committee
        or Subcommittee meeting, at least one member of the 
     minority shall be present. If, at any meeting, business 
     cannot be transacted because of the absence of such a 
     member, the matter shall lay over for a calendar day. If 
     the presence of a minority member is not then obtained, 
     business may be transacted by the appropriate quorum.
       (c) One member shall constitute a quorum for the purpose of 
     receiving testimony.


                              iii. voting

       (a) Votes may be cast by proxy. A proxy may be written or 
     oral, and may be conditioned by personal instructions. A 
     proxy shall be valid only for the day given except that a 
     written proxy may be valid for the period specified therein.
       (b) There shall be a complete record kept of all Committee 
     action. Such record shall contain the vote cast by each 
     member of the Committee on any question on which a rollcall 
     vote is requested.


                           iv. subcommittees

       (a) No member of the Committee may serve on more than two 
     Subcommittees. No member of the Committee shall receive 
     assignment to a second Subcommittee until all members of the 
     Committee, in order of seniority, have chosen assignments to 
     one Subcommittee.
       (b) The Committee Chairman and the Ranking Minority Member 
     shall be ex officio nonvoting members of each Subcommittee of 
     the Committee.
       (c) Subcommittees shall be considered de novo whenever 
     there is a change in Committee Chairmanship and, in such 
     event, Subcommittee seniority shall not necessarily apply.
       (d) Should a Subcommittee fail to report back to the 
     Committee on any measure within a reasonable time, the 
     Chairman may withdraw the measure from such Subcommittee and 
     so notify the Committee for its disposition.


                   v. hearings and hearing procedures

       (a) Except as specifically otherwise provided, the rules 
     governing meetings shall govern hearings.
       (b) At least 1 week in advance of the date of any hearing, 
     the Committee or a Subcommittee shall undertake, consistent 
     with the provisons of paragraph 4 of rule XXVI of the 
     Standing Rules of the Senate, to make public announcement of 
     the date, place, time, and subject matter of such hearing.
       (c) The Committee or a Subcommittee shall require each 
     witness who is scheduled to testify at any hearing to file 40 
     copies of such witness' testimony with the Committee not 
     later than 48 hours prior to the witness'
      scheduled appearance unless the Chairman and Ranking 
     Minority member determine there is good cause for failure 
     to do so.
       (d) The presiding officer at any hearing is authorized to 
     limit the time allotted to each witness appearing before the 
     Committee or Subcommittee.
       (e) The Chairman, with the concurrence of the Ranking 
     Minority Member of the Committee, is authorized to subpoena 
     the attendance of witnesses and the production of memoranda, 
     documents, records, and any other materials. If the Chairman 
     or a Committee staff member designated by the Chairman has 
     not received from the Ranking Minority member or a Committee 
     staff member designated by the Ranking Minority member notice 
     of the Ranking Minority Member's nonconcurrence in the 
     subpoena within 48 hours (excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and 
     Federal holidays) of being notified of the Chairman's 
     intention to subpoena attendance or production, the Chairman 
     is authorized following the end of the 48-hour period 
     involved to subpoena the same without the Ranking Minority 
     Member's concurrence. Regardless of whether a subpoena has 
     been concurred in by the Ranking Minority member, such 
     subpoena may be authorized by vote of the members of the 
     Committee. When the Committee or Chairman authorizes a 
     subpoena, the subpoena may be issued upon the signature of 
     the Chairman or of any other member of the Committee 
     designated by the Chairman.
       (f) Witnesses at hearings will be required to give 
     testimony under oath whenever the Chairman or Ranking 
     Minority Member deems such to be advisable. At any hearing to 
     confirm a Presidential nomination, the testimony of the 
     nominee and, at the request of any member, any other witness 
     shall be under oath.


                           vi. media coverage

       Any Committee or Subcommittee meeting or hearing which is 
     open to the public may be covered by television, radio, and 
     print media. Photographers, reporters, and crew members using 
     mechanical recording, filming, or broadcasting devices shall 
     position and use their equipment so as not to interfere with 
     the seating, vision, or hearing of the Committee members or 
     staff or with the orderly conduct of the meeting or hearing. 
     The presiding member of the meeting or hearing may for good 
     cause terminate, in whole or in part, the use of such 
     mechanical devices or take such other action as the 
     circumstances and the orderly conduct of the meeting or 
     hearing may warrant.
                      [[Page S2531]] vii. general

       All applicable requirements of the Standing Rules of the 
     Senate shall govern the Committee and its Subcommittees.


                     viii. presidential nominations

       Each Presidential nominee whose nomination is subject to 
     Senate confirmation and referred to this Committee shall 
     submit a statement of his or her background and financial 
     interests, including the financial interests of his or her 
     spouse and of children living in the nominee's household, on 
     a form approved by the Committee which shall be sworn to as 
     to its completeness
      and accuracy. The Committee form shall be in two parts--
       (A) information concerning employment, education, and 
     background of the nominee which generally relates to the 
     position to which the individual is nominated, and which is 
     to be made public; and
       (B) information concerning the financial and other 
     background of the nominee, to be made public when the 
     Committee determines that such information bears directly on 
     the nominee's qualifications to hold the position to which 
     the individual is nominated.
       Committee action on a nomination, including hearings or a 
     meeting to consider a motion to recommend confirmation, shall 
     not be initiated until at least five days after the nominee 
     submits the form required by this rule unless the Chairman, 
     with the concurrence of the Ranking Minority Member, waives 
     this waiting period.


        ix. naming of department of veterans affairs facilities

       It is the policy of the Committee that no Department of 
     Veterans Affairs facility shall be named after any individual 
     unless--
       (A) such individual is deceased and was--
       (1) a veteran who (i) was instrumental in the construction 
     or the operation of the facility to be named, or (ii) was a 
     recipient of the Medal of Honor or, as determined by the 
     Chairman and Ranking Minority Member, otherwise performed 
     military service of an extraordinarily distinguished 
     character;
       (2) a member of the United States House of Representatives 
     or Senate who had a direct association with such facility;
       (3) an Administrator of Veterans' Affairs, a Secretary of 
     Veterans Affairs, a Secretary of Defense or of a service 
     branch, or a military or other Federal civilian official of 
     comparable or higher rank; or
       (4) an individual who, as determined by the Chairman and 
     Ranking Minority Member, performed outstanding service for 
     veterans;
       (B) each member of the Congressional delegation 
     representing the State in which the designated facility is 
     located has indicated in writing such member's support of the 
     proposal to name such facility after such individual; and
       (C) the pertinent State department or chapter of each 
     Congressionally chartered veterans' organization having a 
     national membership of at least 500,000 has indicated in 
     writing its support of such proposal.


                       x. amendments to the rules

       The rules of the Committee may be changed, modified, 
     amended, or suspended at any time, provided, however, that no 
     less than a majority of the entire membership so determine at 
     a regular meeting with due notice, or at a meeting 
     specifically called for that purpose. The rules governing 
     quorums for reporting legislative matters shall govern rules 
     changes, modification, amendments, or suspension.
     

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