[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 157 (Wednesday, October 19, 2011)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6760-S6761]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       RULES OF THE JOINT SELECT COMMITTEE AND DEFICIT REDUCTION

  Mrs. MURRAY. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Rules of 
the Joint Committee on Deficit Reduction be printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

           RULES OF THE JOINT COMMITTEE ON DEFICIT REDUCTION

                           Rule I--In General

       1. The provisions of the Budget Control Act of 2011 (P.L. 
     112-25) governing the proceedings of the Joint Select 
     Committee on Deficit Reduction are hereby incorporated by 
     reference and nothing herein shall be construed as 
     superseding any provision of that Act.
       2. The rules of the Senate and the House of 
     Representatives, to the extent that they are applicable to 
     committees, including rule XXVI of the Standing Rules of the 
     Senate and clause 2 of rule XI of the Rules of the House of 
     Representatives for the 112th Congress, and do not conflict 
     with the applicable provisions of the Budget Control Act, 
     shall govern the proceedings of the Joint Select Committee.
       3. If a measure or matter is publicly available in 
     electronic form on the website maintained by the Joint Select 
     Committee, it shall be considered to have been available to 
     members of the Joint Select Committee for purposes of these 
     rules.
       4. In each case where authority is granted to the Co-Chairs 
     of the joint Select Committee, such authority may only be 
     exercised jointly by the Co-Chairs.

                     Rule II--Meetings and Hearings


                                Meetings

       1. The joint Select Committee shall regularly meet for the 
     transaction of business at times and dates determined jointly 
     by the Co-Chairs.
       2. (a) The Co-Chairs shall provide an agenda to the Joint 
     Select Committee members not less than 48 hours in advance of 
     any such meeting.
       (b) The Co-Chairs shall make the text of any measure or 
     matter described in a meeting agenda available to the members 
     of the joint Select Committee not less than 24 hours in. 
     advance of any such meeting, except that no vote on such 
     measure or matter shall occur in violation of section 
     401(b)(5)(D) of the Budget Control Act of 2011.


                                Hearings

       3. (a) Consistent with section 401(b)(5)(1)(ii)(I) of the 
     Budget Control Act of 2011, the Co-Chairs shall make a public 
     announcement of the date, place, time, and subject matter of 
     any hearing not less than seven days in advance of such 
     hearing, unless the Co-Chairs jointly determine that there is 
     good cause to begin such hearing at an earlier date.
       (b) Each witness appearing before the Joint Select 
     Committee shall file a written statement of testimony at 
     least two calendar days before the appearance of the witness.
       (c) The Co-Chairs shall each control up to 15 minutes each 
     for the opening statements of Members of the Joint Committee 
     at each hearing.


                           Voting and Quorums

       4. Seven members of the Joint Select Committee shall 
     constitute a quorum for purposes of voting, meeting, and 
     holding hearings.
       5. The Co-Chairs shall conduct a record vote on any motion, 
     amendment, measure, or matter upon the request of any member 
     of the Joint Select Committee.
       6. The Co-Chairs may jointly agree to set a series of votes 
     on any amendment or agreeing to a measure or matter, or 
     postpone a requested record vote on such amendment, measure 
     or matter, to occur at a time certain. Reasonable notice 
     shall be given to members prior to resuming proceedings on 
     any postponed question.
       7. The Joint Committee may not vote on any final report, 
     final recommendations, or a final bill unless the 
     Congressional Budget Office estimates are available for 
     consideration by all members of the Joint Committee at least 
     48 hours prior to the vote.
       8. No proxy voting shall be allowed on behalf of the 
     members of the Joint Select Committee.

                     Rule III--Staffing and Records


                                 Staff

       1. The staff of the Joint Select Committee shall be 
     appointed as provided in sections 401(b)(4)(c)(ii) and 401(c) 
     of the Budget Control Act of 2011.


                                Records

       2. The Joint Select Committee shall maintain a complete 
     record of all committee action, including--

[[Page S6761]]

       (a) in the case of a hearing or meeting transcript, 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; and
       (b) the result of each record vote taken by the Joint 
     Select Committee, including a description of the amendment, 
     motion, order, or other proposition, the name of each member 
     voting for and voting against such amendment, motion, order, 
     or other proposition, and the names of the members of the 
     Joint Select Committee present but not voting.
       3. Upon the termination of the Joint Select Committee, the 
     records of the Joint Select Committee shall be treated as 
     Senate records under S. Res, 474, 96th Congress as directed 
     by the Secretary of the Senate.

                       Rule IV--Content of Report

       In the report required under section 401(b)(3)(B)(i) of the 
     Budget Control Act of 2011, the Joint Select Committee shall 
     include--
       (a) with respect to each record vote on a motion to report 
     the Joint Select Committee's recommendations or accompanying 
     legislative language, and on any amendment offered to the 
     recommendations or language, the total number of votes cast 
     for and against, and the names of members voting for and 
     against;
       (b) an estimate by the Congressional Budget Office of the 
     budgetary effects of the legislation (in the same manner as 
     the estimate required by section 401(b)(5)(D)(ii) of the 
     Budget Control Act of 2011); and
       (c) a statement on the deficit reduction achieved by the 
     legislation over the period of fiscal years 2012 to 2021 (in 
     the manner as required by section 401(b)(3)(B)(i)(II) of the 
     Budget Control Act of 2011); and
       (d) a statement by the Joint Select Committee on the 
     possible effects of the legislation on economic growth, 
     employment, and United States competitiveness, if 
     practicable; and
       (e) the text of any statute or part thereof that is 
     proposed to be repealed and a comparative print of any part 
     of the legislative language proposing to amend a statute and 
     of the statute or part thereof proposed to be amended, 
     showing by appropriate typographical devices the omissions 
     and insertions proposed.

                 Rule V--Public Access and Transparency

       1. (a) The Joint Select Committee shall establish and 
     maintain a publicly available website, and shall make its 
     publications available in electronic form thereon. Such 
     publications will include final Committee transcripts and 
     hearing materials as available.
       (b) Not later than 24 hours after the adoption of any 
     amendment to the report or legislative language, the Co-
     Chairs shall make the text of each such amendment publicly 
     available in electronic form on the Joint Select Committee's 
     website.
       (c) Not later than 48 hours after a record vote is 
     completed, the information described in clause 2(b) of rule 
     III shall be made publicly available in electronic form on 
     the Joint Select Committee's website.
       2. Each hearing and meeting of the Joint Select Committee 
     shall be open to the public and the media unless the Joint 
     Select Committee, in open session and a quorum being present, 
     determines by majority vote that such hearing or meeting 
     shall be held in closed session. No vote on the 
     recommendations, report or legislative language of the Joint 
     Select Committee, or amendment thereto, may be taken in 
     closed session.
       3. To the maximum extent practicable, the Joint Select 
     Committee shall--
       (a) provide audio and video coverage of each hearing or 
     meeting for the transaction of business in a manner that 
     allows the public to easily listen to and view the 
     proceedings; and
       (b) maintain the recordings of such coverage in a manner 
     that is easily accessible to the public.

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