[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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