[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 136 (Friday, October 4, 2013)]
[Senate]
[Page S7171]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                                DECORUM

  Mr. REID. Mr. President, following the suggestion in the prayer of 
Admiral Black, I want to take a few minutes to talk about Senate 
decorum, Senate procedure. This is constructive criticism for the 
entire Senate and self-criticism for me.
  I think we have all here in the Senate kind of lost the aura of 
Robert Byrd, who was such a stickler for Senate procedure. I think we 
have all let things get away from us a little bit. The Senate is a very 
special place with very particular rules. These rules help to keep 
debate among Senators civil, even when we are discussing matters in 
which Senators completely disagree.
  One of those rules concerns how we address each other here in the 
Senate. The practice we observe is that when Senators speak, they 
address themselves only to the Presiding Officer, through the Chair to 
the Senator from Missouri, or whatever the case might be.
  When Senators refer to other Senators--this is something we all have 
to listen to--whether those other Senators are in the Chamber or not, 
Senators must address and refer to each other in the third person and 
through the Chair. Thus, Senators should refer to the Senator from 
Vermont or the Senator from Illinois or the Senator from Nevada or the 
chairman of the Appropriations Committee or the President pro tempore 
or the manager of the bill.
  Senators should avoid using other Senators' first names. Senators 
should avoid addressing other Senators directly as ``you.'' These rules 
are a little unusual, but they have been in place here for a couple of 
centuries. As people would generally talk directly to other people if 
they are in the same room with each other, they are a little unusual, 
because that is how we address one another.
  But the Senate rules preserve distance--a little distance, not a lot 
of distance, but distance. So Senators are more likely to debate ideas 
and less likely to talk about personalities. I think all of us--that is 
why I said I am directing a little self-criticism here. I think we all 
have to understand that these rules create a little bit of distance so 
Senators are more likely to debate ideas and less likely talk about 
personalities. If we do that, we maintain more civil decorum as a 
result. So I bring this matter to the attention of Senators, because we 
have fallen out of this habit. It has gotten worse the last month or 
so. I will work harder. I hope my Senators will work their best to 
maintain these habits of civility and decorum going forward.
  The Parliamentarians and Presiding Officers have all been directed to 
make sure we do a better job of following the basic rules of the 
Senate.

                          ____________________