[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 27 (Thursday, February 13, 2003)]
[House]
[Pages H678-H679]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 PUBLICATION OF THE RULES OF THE COMMITTEE ON VETERANS' AFFAIRS, 108TH 
                                CONGRESS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I submit the following for 
publication in the Record.

          COMMITTEE RULES OF PROCEDURE FOR THE 108TH CONGRESS

                      (Adopted February 11, 2003)

                  Rule 1--Applicability of House Rules

       The Rules of the House are the rules of the Committee on 
     Veterans' Affairs and its subcommittees so far as applicable, 
     except that a motion to recess from day to day is a 
     privileged motion in Committees and subcommittees. Each 
     subcommittee of the Committee is a part of the Committee and 
     is subject to the authority and direction of the Committee 
     and to its rules so far as applicable.

                Rule 2--Committee Meetings and Hearings


                    regular and additional meetings

       (a)(1) The regular meeting day for the Committee shall be 
     at 10 a.m. on the second Wednesday of each month in such 
     place as the Chairman may designate. However, the Chairman 
     may dispense with a regular Wednesday meeting of the 
     Committee.
       (2)(A) The Chairman of the Committee may call and convene, 
     as he considers necessary, additional meetings of the 
     Committee for the consideration of any bill or resolution 
     pending before the Committee or for the conduct of other 
     Committee business. The Committee shall meet for such purpose 
     pursuant to the call of the Chairman.
       (B) The Chairman shall notify each member of the Committee 
     of the agenda of each regular and additional meeting of the 
     Committee at least 24 hours before the time of the meeting, 
     except under circumstances the Chairman determines to be of 
     an emergency nature. Under such circumstances, the Chairman 
     shall make an effort to consult the ranking minority member, 
     or in such member's absence, the next ranking minority party 
     member of the Committee.


                   wireless telephone use prohibited

       (b) No person may use a wireless telephone during a 
     Committee or subcommittee meeting or hearing.


                          public announcement

       (c)(1) The Chairman, in the case of a hearing to be 
     conducted by the Committee, and the subcommittee Chairman, in 
     the case of a hearing to be conducted by a subcommittee, 
     shall make public announcement of the date, place, and 
     subject matter of any hearing to be conducted on any measure 
     or matter at least one week before the commencement of that 
     hearing unless the Committee or the subcommittee determines 
     that there is good cause to begin the hearing at an earlier 
     date. In the latter event, the Chairman or the 
     subcommittee, Chairman, as the case may be, shall consult 
     with the ranking minority member and make such public 
     announcement at the earliest possible date. The clerk of 
     the Committee shall promptly notify the Daily Clerk of the 
     Congressional Record and the Committee scheduling service 
     of the House Information Resources as soon as possible 
     after such public announcement is made.
       (2) Meetings and hearings of the Committee and each of its 
     subcommittees shall be open to the public unless closed in 
     accordance with clause 2(g) of House rule XI.


                          quorum and rollcalls

       (d)(1) A majority of the members of the Committee shall 
     constitute a quorum for business and a majority of the 
     members of any subcommittee shall constitute a quorum thereof 
     for business, except that two members shall constitute a 
     quorum for the purpose of taking testimony and receiving 
     evidence.
       (2) No measure or recommendation shall be reported to the 
     House of Representatives unless a majority of the Committee 
     was actually present.
       (3) There shall be kept in writing a record of the 
     proceedings of the Committee and each of its subcommittees, 
     including a record of the votes on any question on which, a 
     recorded vote is demanded. The result of each such record 
     vote shall be mad available by the Committee for inspection 
     by the public at reasonable times in the offices of the 
     Committee. Information so available for public inspection 
     shall include a description of the amendment, motion, order 
     or other proposition and the name of each member voting for 
     and each member voting against such amendment, motion, order, 
     or proposition, and the names of those members present but 
     not voting.
       (4) A record vote may be demanded by one-fifth of the 
     members present or, in the apparent absence of a quorum, by 
     any one member. With respect to any record vote on any motion 
     to amend or report, the total number of votes cast for and 
     against, and the names of those members voting for and 
     against, shall be included in the report of the Committee on 
     the bill or resolution.
       (5) No vote by any member of the Committee or a 
     subcommittee with respect to any measure or matter may be 
     cast by proxy.


                         postponing proceedings

       (e) Committee and subcommittee chairmen may postpone 
     further proceedings when a record vote is ordered on the 
     question of approving a measure or matter or on adopting an 
     amendment, and may resume proceedings within two legislative 
     days on a postponed question after reasonable notice. When 
     proceedings resume on a postponed question, notwithstanding 
     any intervening order for the previous question, an 
     underlying proposition shall remain subject to further debate 
     or amendment to the same extent as when the question was 
     postponed.


                  calling and interrogating witnesses

       (f)(1) Committee and subcommittee members may question 
     witnesses only when they have been recognized by the Chairman 
     of the Committee or subcommittee for that purpose, and only 
     for a 5-minute period until all members present have had 
     an opportunity to question a witness. The 5-minute period 
     for questioning a witness by any one member may be 
     extended only with the unanimous consent of all members 
     present. The questioning of witnesses in both Committee 
     and subcommittee hearings shall be initiated by the 
     Chairman, followed by the ranking minority party member 
     and all other members alternating between the majority and 
     minority. Except as otherwise announced by the Chairman at 
     the beginning of a hearing, members who are present at the 
     start of the hearing will be recognized before other 
     members who arrive after the hearing has begun. In 
     recognizing members to question witnesses in this fashion, 
     the Chairman shall take into consideration the ratio of 
     the majority to minority members present and shall 
     establish the order of recognition for questioning in such 
     a manner as not to disadvantage the members of the 
     majority.
       (2) Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraph (1) 
     regarding the 5-minute rule, the Chairman after consultation 
     with the ranking minority member may designate an equal 
     number of members of the Committee or subcommittee majority 
     and minority party to question a witness for a period not 
     longer than 30 minutes. In no event shall the Chairman allow 
     a member to question a witness for an extended period under 
     this rule until all members present have had the opportunity 
     to ask questions under the 5-minute rule. The Chairman after 
     consultation with the ranking minority member may permit 
     Committee staff for its majority and minority party members 
     to question a witness for equal specified periods of time.
       (3) So far as practicable: (A) each witness who is to 
     appear before the Committee or a subcommittee shall file with 
     the clerk of the Committee, at least 48 hours in advance of 
     the appearance of the witness, a written statement of the 
     testimony of the witness and shall limit any oral 
     presentation to a summary of the written statement; and (B) 
     each witness appearing in a non-governmental capacity shall 
     include with the written statement of proposed testimony a 
     curriculum vitae and a disclosure of the amount and source 
     (by agency and program) of any Federal grant (or subgrant 
     thereof) or contract (or subcontract thereof) received during 
     the current fiscal year or either of the two preceding fiscal 
     years.
       (4) When a hearing is conducted by the Committee or a 
     subcommittee on any measure or matter, the minority party 
     members on the Committee shall be entitled, upon request to 
     the Chairman of the majority of those minority members before 
     the completion of the hearing, to call witnesses selected by 
     the minority to testify with respect to that measure or 
     matter during at least one day of the hearing thereon.


                     media coverage of proceedings

       (g) Any meeting of the Committee or its subcommittees that 
     is open to the public shall be open to coverage by radio, 
     television, and still photography in accordance with the 
     provisions of clause 4 of House rule XI.

[[Page H679]]

                               subpoenas

       (h) Pursuant to clause 2(m) of House rule XI, a subpoena 
     may be authorized and issued by the Committee or a 
     subcommittee in the conduct of any investigation or series of 
     investigations or activities, only when authorized by a 
     majority of the members voting, a majority being present.

                Rule 3--General Oversight Responsibility

       (a) In order to assist the House in:
       (1) Its analysis, appraisal, evaluation of (A) the 
     application, administration, execution, and effectiveness of 
     the laws enacted by the Congress, or (B) conditions and 
     circumstances which may indicate the necessity or 
     desirability of enacting new or additional legislation, and
       (2) its formulation, consideration and enactment of such 
     modifications or changes in those laws, and of such 
     additional legislation, as may be necessary or appropriate, 
     the Committee and its various subcommittees, consistent with 
     their jurisdiction as set forth in Rule 4, shall have 
     oversight responsibilities as provided in subsection (b).
       (b)(1) The Committee and its subcommittees shall review and 
     study, on a continuing basis, the applications, 
     administration, execution, and effectiveness of those laws, 
     or parts of laws, the subject matter of which is within the 
     jurisdiction of the Committee or subcommittee, and the 
     organization and operation of the Federal agencies and 
     entities having responsibilities in or for the administration 
     and execution thereof, in order to determine whether such 
     laws and the programs thereunder are being implemented and 
     carried out in accordance with the intent of the Congress and 
     whether such programs should be continued, curtailed, or 
     eliminated.
       (2) In addition, the Committee and its subcommittees shall 
     review and study any conditions or circumstances which may 
     indicate the necessity or desirability of enacting new or 
     additional legislation within the jurisdiction of the 
     Committee or subcommittee (whether or not any bill or 
     resolution has been introduced with respect thereto), and 
     shall on continuing basis undertake future research and 
     forecasting on matters within the jurisdiction of the 
     Committee or subcommittee.
       (3) Not later than February 15 of the first session of a 
     Congress, the Committee shall meet in open session, with a 
     quorum present, to adopt its oversight plans for that 
     Congress for submission to the Committee on House 
     Administration and the Committee on Government Reform, in 
     accordance with the provisions of clause 2(d) of House rule 
     X.

                         Rule 4--Subcommittees


            establishment and jurisdiction of subcommittees

       (a)(1) There shall be three subcommittees of the Committee 
     as follows:
       (A) Subcommittee on Health, which shall have legislative, 
     oversight and investigative jurisdiction over veterans' 
     hospitals, medical care, and treatment of veterans.
       (B) Subcommittee on Benefits, which shall have legislative, 
     oversight and investigative jurisdiction over compensation, 
     general and special pensions of all the wars of the United 
     States, life insurance issued by the Government on account of 
     service in the Armed Force, cemeteries of the United States 
     in which veterans of any war or conflict are or may be 
     buried, whether in the United States or abroad, except 
     cemeteries administered by the Secretary of the Interior, 
     burial benefits, education of veterans, vocational 
     rehabilitation, veterans' housing programs, readjustment of 
     servicemen to civilian life, and soldiers' and sailors' civil 
     relief.
       (C) Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, which 
     shall have authority over matters that are referred to the 
     subcommittee by the Chairman of the full Committee for 
     investigation and appropriate recommendations. Provided 
     however, That the operations of the Subcommittee on Oversight 
     and Investigations shall in no way limit the responsibility 
     of the other subcommittees on the Committee on Veterans' 
     Affairs for carrying out their oversight duties. This 
     subcommittee shall not have legislative jurisdiction and no 
     bills or resolutions shall be referred to it.
       In addition, each subcommittee shall have responsibility 
     for such other measures or matters as the Chairman refers to 
     it.
       (2) Any vacancy in the membership of a subcommittee shall 
     not affect the power of the remaining members to execute the 
     functions of that subcommittee.


                       referral to subcommittees

       (b)(1) The Chairman of the Committee may refer a measure or 
     matter, which is within the general responsibility of more 
     than one of the subcommittees of the Committee, as the 
     Chairman deems appropriate.
       (2) In referring any measure or matter to a subcommittee, 
     the Chairman of the Committee may specify a date by which the 
     subcommittee shall report thereon to the Committee.


                           powers and duties

       (c)(1) Each subcommittee is authorized to meet, hold 
     hearings, receive evidence, and report to the full Committee 
     on all matters referred to it or under its jurisdiction. 
     Subcommittee chairmen shall set dates for hearings and 
     meetings of their respective subcommittees after consultation 
     with the Chairman of the Committee and other subcommittee 
     chairmen with a view toward avoiding simultaneous scheduling 
     of Committee and subcommittee meetings or hearings whenever 
     possible.
       (2) Whenever a subcommittee has ordered a bill, resolution, 
     or other matter to be reported to the Committee, the Chairman 
     of the subcommittee reporting the bill, resolution, or matter 
     to the full Committee, or any member authorized by the 
     subcommittee to do so shall notify the Chairman and the 
     ranking minority party member of the Committee of the 
     Subcommittee's action.
       (3) A member of the Committee who is not a member of a 
     particular subcommittee may sit with the subcommittee during 
     any of its meetings and hearings, but shall not have 
     authority to vote, cannot be counted for a quorum, and cannot 
     raise a point of order at the meeting or hearing.
       (4) Each subcommittee of the Committee shall provide the 
     Committee with copies of such records of votes taken in the 
     subcommittee and such other records with respect to the 
     subcommittee as the Chairman of the Committee deems necessary 
     for the Committee to comply with all rules and regulations of 
     the House.

                    Rule 5--Transcripts and Records

       (a)(1) There shall be a transcript made of each regular and 
     additional meeting and hearing of the Committee and its 
     subcommittees. Any such transcript shall be a substantially 
     verbatim account of remarks actually made during the 
     proceedings, subject only to technical, grammatical, and 
     typographical corrections authorized by the person making the 
     remarks involved.
       (2) The Committee shall keep a record of all actions of the 
     Committee and each of its subcommittees. The record shall 
     contain all information required by clause 2(e)(1) of House 
     rule XI and shall be available for public inspection at 
     reasonable times in the offices of the Committee.
       (3) The records of the Committee at the National Archives 
     and Records Administration shall be made available for public 
     use in accordance with House rule VII. The Chairman shall 
     notify the ranking minority member of any decision, pursuant 
     to clause 3(b)(3) or clause 4(b) of the rule, to withhold a 
     record otherwise available, and the matter shall be presented 
     to the Committee for a determination on written request of 
     any member of the Committee.

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