[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 3 (Friday, January 5, 2001)]
[Senate]
[Page S48]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




SENATE RESOLUTION 8--RELATIVE TO SENATE PROCEDURE IN THE 107TH CONGRESS

  Mr. DASCHLE (for himself and Mr. Lott) submitted the following 
resolution; which was considered and agreed to:

                               S. Res. 8

       Resolved, That, notwithstanding the provisions of Rule XXV, 
     or any other provision of the Standing Rules or Standing 
     Orders of the Senate, the committees of the Senate, including 
     Joint and Special Committees, for the 107th Congress shall be 
     composed equally of members of both parties, to be appointed 
     at a later time by the two Leaders; that the budgets and 
     office space for such committees, and all other subgroups, 
     shall likewise be equal, with up to an additional 10% to be 
     allocated for administrative expenses to be determined by the 
     Rules Committee, with the total administrative expenses 
     allocation for all committees not to exceed historic levels; 
     and that the Chairman of a full committee may discharge a 
     subcommittee of any legislative or Executive Calendar item 
     which has not been reported because of a tie vote and place 
     it on the full committee's agenda.
       Sec. 2. Provided, That such committee ratios shall remain 
     in effect for the remainder of the 107th Congress, except 
     that if at any time during the 107th Congress either party 
     attains a majority of the whole number of Senators, then each 
     committee ratio shall be adjusted to reflect the ratio of the 
     parties in the Senate, and the provisions of this resolution 
     shall have no further effect, except that the members 
     appointed by the two Leaders, pursuant to this resolution, 
     shall no longer be members of the committees, and the 
     committee chairmanships shall be held by the party which has 
     attained a majority of the whole number of Senators.
       Sec. 3. Pursuant to the provisions and exceptions listed 
     above, the following additional Standing Orders shall be in 
     effect for the 107th Congress:
       (1) If a committee has not reported out a legislative item 
     or nomination because of a tie vote, then, after notice of 
     such tie vote has been transmitted to the Senate by that 
     committee and printed in the Record, the Majority Leader or 
     the Minority Leader may, only after consultation with the 
     Chairman and Ranking Member of the committee, make a motion 
     to discharge such legislative item or nomination, and time 
     for debate on such motion shall be limited to 4 hours, to be 
     equally divided between the two Leaders, with no other 
     motions, points of order, or amendments in order: Provided, 
     That following the use or yielding back of time, a vote occur 
     on the motion to discharge, without any intervening action, 
     motion, or debate, and if agreed to it be placed immediately 
     on the Calendar of Business (in the case of legislation) or 
     the Executive Calendar (in the case of a nomination).
       (2) Notwithstanding the provisions of Rule XXII, to insure 
     that any cloture motion shall be offered for the purpose of 
     bringing to a close debate, in no case shall it be in order 
     for any cloture motion to be made on an amendable item during 
     its first 12 hours of Senate debate: Provided, That all other 
     provisions of Rule XXII remain in status quo.
       (3) Both Leaders shall seek to attain an equal balance of 
     the interest of the two parties when scheduling and debating 
     legislative and executive business generally, and in keeping 
     with the present Senate precedents, a motion to proceed to 
     any Legislative or Executive Calendar item shall continue to 
     be considered the prerogative of the Majority Leader, 
     although the Senate Rules do not prohibit the right of the 
     Democratic Leader, or any other Senator, to move to proceed 
     to any item.

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