[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 29 (Thursday, February 12, 2009)]
[Senate]
[Page S2223]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


       COMMITTEE ON RULES AND ADMINISTRATION RULES AND PROCEDURE

  Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, the Committee on Rules and Administration 
has adopted rules governing its procedures for the 111th Congress. 
Pursuant to rule XXVI, paragraph 2, of the Standing Rules of the 
Senate, on behalf of myself and Senator Bennett, I ask unanimous 
consent that a copy of the committee rules be printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

                           RULES OF PROCEDURE

      COMMITTEE ON RULES AND ADMINISTRATION, UNITED STATES SENATE

                      (Adopted: February 11, 2009)


                   TITLE I--MEETINGS OF THE COMMITTEE

       1. The regular meeting dates of the Committee shall be the 
     second and fourth Wednesdays of each month, at 10:00 a.m. in 
     room SR-301, Russell Senate Office Building. Additional 
     meetings of the Committee may be called by the Chairman as he 
     may deem necessary or pursuant to the provision of paragraph 
     3 of Rule XXVI of the Standing Rules of the Senate.
       2. Meetings of the committee, including meetings to conduct 
     hearings, shall be open to the public, except that a meeting 
     or series of meetings by the committee 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 
     subparagraphs (A) through (F) would require the meeting to be 
     closed followed immediately by a recorded vote in open 
     session by a majority of the Members of the committee when it 
     is determined that the matters to be discussed or the 
     testimony to be taken at such meeting or meetings:
       A. 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;
       B. will relate solely to matters of the committee staff 
     personnel or internal staff management or procedure;
       C. 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;
       D. 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;
       E. will disclose information relating to the trade secrets 
     or financial or commercial information pertaining 
     specifically to a given person if:
       (1) an Act of Congress requires the information to be kept 
     confidential by Government officers and employees; or
       (2) 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
       F. may divulge matters required to be kept confidential 
     under the provisions of law or Government regulations. 
     (Paragraph 5(b) of rule XXVI of the Standing Rules.)
       3. Written notices of committee meetings will normally be 
     sent by the committee's staff director to all Members of the 
     committee at least a week in advance. In addition, the 
     committee staff will telephone or e-mail reminders of 
     committee meetings to all Members of the committee or to the 
     appropriate assistants in their offices.
       4. A copy of the committee's intended agenda enumerating 
     separate items of legislative business and committee business 
     will normally be sent to all Members of the committee and 
     released to the public at least 1 day in advance of all 
     meetings. This does not preclude any Member of the committee 
     from discussing appropriate non-agenda topics.
       5. After the Chairman and the Ranking Minority Member, 
     speaking order shall be based on order of arrival, 
     alternating between Majority and Minority Members, unless 
     otherwise directed by the Chairman.
       6. Any witness who is to appear before the committee in any 
     hearing shall file with the clerk of the committee at least 3 
     business days before the date of his or her appearance, a 
     written statement of his or her proposed testimony and an 
     executive summary thereof, in such form as the chairman may 
     direct, unless the Chairman and the Ranking Minority Member 
     waive such requirement for good cause.
       7. In general, testimony will be restricted to 5 minutes 
     for each witness. The time may be extended by the Chairman, 
     upon the Chair's own direction or at the request of a Member. 
     Each round of questions by Members will also be limited to 5 
     minutes.


                           TITLE II--QUORUMS

       1. Pursuant to paragraph 7(a)(1) of rule XXVI of the 
     Standing Rules, a majority of the Members of the committee 
     shall constitute a quorum for the reporting of legislative 
     measures.
       2. Pursuant to paragraph 7(a)(1) of rule XXVI of the 
     Standing Rules, one-third of the Members of the committee 
     shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business, 
     including action on amendments to measures prior to voting to 
     report the measure to the Senate.
       3. Pursuant to paragraph 7(a)(2) of rule XXVI of the 
     Standing Rules, 2 Members of the committee shall constitute a 
     quorum for the purpose of taking testimony under oath and 1 
     Member of the committee shall constitute a quorum for the 
     purpose of taking testimony not under oath; provided, 
     however, that in either instance, once a quorum is 
     established, any one Member can continue to take such 
     testimony.
       4. Under no circumstances may proxies be considered for the 
     establishment of a quorum.


                           TITLE III--VOTING

       1. Voting in the committee on any issue will normally be by 
     voice vote.
       2. If a third of the Members present so demand a roll call 
     vote instead of a voice vote, a record vote will be taken on 
     any question by roll call.
       3. The results of roll call votes taken in any meeting upon 
     any measure, or any amendment thereto, shall be stated in the 
     committee report on that measure unless previously announced 
     by the committee, and such report or announcement shall 
     include a tabulation of the votes cast in favor of and the 
     votes cast in opposition to each such measure and amendment 
     by each Member of the committee. (Paragraph 7(b) and (c) of 
     rule XXVI of the Standing Rules.)
       4. Proxy voting shall be allowed on all measures and 
     matters before the committee. However, the vote of the 
     committee to report a measure or matter shall require the 
     concurrence of a majority of the Members of the committee who 
     are physically present at the time of the vote. Proxies will 
     be allowed in such cases solely for the purpose of recording 
     a Member's position on the question and then only in those 
     instances when the absentee committee Member has been 
     informed of the question and has affirmatively requested that 
     he be recorded. (Paragraph 7(a) (3) of rule XXVI of the 
     Standing Rules.)


                          TITLE IV--AMENDMENTS

       1. Provided at least five business days' notice of the 
     agenda is given, and the text of the proposed bill or 
     resolution has been made available at least five business 
     calendar days in advance, 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 such amendment has been delivered to the office of the 
     Committee and circulated via e-mail to each of the offices by 
     at least 5:00 p.m. the day prior to the scheduled start of 
     the meeting.
       2. In the event the Chairman introduces a substitute 
     amendment or a Chairman's mark, the requirements set forth in 
     Paragraph 1 of this Title shall be considered waived unless 
     such substitute amendment or Chairman's mark has been made 
     available at least five business days in advance of the 
     scheduled meeting.
       3. It shall be in order, without prior notice, for a Member 
     to offer a motion to strike a single section of any bill, 
     resolution, or amendment under consideration.
       4. This section of the rule may be waived by agreement of 
     the Chairman and the Ranking Minority Member.


         TITLE V--DELEGATION OF AUTHORITY TO COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN

       1. The Chairman is authorized to sign himself or by 
     delegation all necessary vouchers and routine papers for 
     which the committee's approval is required and to decide in 
     the committee's behalf all routine business.
       2. The Chairman is authorized to engage commercial 
     reporters for the preparation of transcripts of committee 
     meetings and hearings.
       3. The Chairman is authorized to issue, in behalf of the 
     committee, regulations normally promulgated by the committee 
     at the beginning of each session.


  TITLE VI--DELEGATION OF AUTHORITY TO COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN AND RANKING 
                            MINORITY MEMBER

       The Chairman and Ranking Minority Member, acting jointly, 
     are authorized to approve on behalf of the committee any rule 
     or regulation for which the committee's approval is required, 
     provided advance notice of their intention to do so is given 
     to Members of the committee.

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