[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 17 (Monday, February 2, 2015)]
[Senate]
[Pages S691-S694]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN RELATIONS
______
RULES OF PROCEDURE
Mr. CORKER. Mr. President, the Committee on Foreign Relations has
adopted rules governing its procedures for the 114th Congress. Pursuant
to rule XXVI, paragraph 2, of the Standing Rules of the Senate, on
behalf of myself and Senator Menendez, 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 THE COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN RELATIONS
RULE 1--JURISDICTION
(a) Substantive.--In accordance with Senate Rule
XXV.1(j)(1), the jurisdiction of the committee shall extend
to all proposed legislation, messages, petitions, memorials,
and other matters relating to the following subjects:
1. Acquisition of land and buildings for embassies and
legations in foreign countries.
2. Boundaries of the United States.
3. Diplomatic service.
4. Foreign economic, military, technical, and humanitarian
assistance.
5. Foreign loans.
6. International activities of the American National Red
Cross and the International Committee of the Red Cross.
7. International aspects of nuclear energy, including
nuclear transfer policy.
8. International conferences and congresses.
9. International law as it relates to foreign policy.
10. International Monetary Fund and other international
organizations established primarily for international
monetary purposes (except that, at the request of the
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, any
proposed legislation relating to such subjects reported by
the Committee on Foreign Relations shall be referred to the
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs).
11. Intervention abroad and declarations of war.
12. Measures to foster commercial intercourse with foreign
nations and to safeguard American business interests abroad.
13. National security and international aspects of
trusteeships of the United States.
14. Ocean and international environmental and scientific
affairs as they relate to foreign policy.
15. Protection of United States citizens abroad and
expatriation.
16. Relations of the United States with foreign nations
generally.
17. Treaties and executive agreements, except reciprocal
trade agreements.
18. United Nations and its affiliated organizations.
19. World Bank group, the regional development banks, and
other international organizations established primarily for
development assistance purposes.
The committee is also mandated by Senate Rule XXV.1(j)(2)
to study and review, on a comprehensive basis, matters
relating to the national security policy, foreign policy, and
international economic policy as it relates to foreign policy
of the United States, and matters relating to food, hunger,
and nutrition in foreign countries, and report thereon from
time to time.
(b) Oversight.--The committee also has a responsibility
under Senate Rule XXVI.8(a)(2), which provides that ``. . .
. each standing committee . . . shall review and study, on a
continuing basis, the application, administration, and
execution of those laws or parts of laws, the subject matter
of which is within the jurisdiction of the committee.''
(c) ``Advice and Consent'' Clauses.--The committee has a
special responsibility to assist the Senate in its
constitutional function of providing ``advice and consent''
to all treaties entered into by the United States and all
nominations to the principal executive branch positions in
the field of foreign policy and diplomacy.
RULE 2--SUBCOMMITTEES
(a) Creation.--Unless otherwise authorized by law or Senate
resolution, subcommittees shall be created by majority vote
of the committee and shall deal with such legislation and
oversight of programs and policies as the committee directs.
Legislative measures or other matters may be referred to a
subcommittee for consideration in the discretion of the
chairman or by vote of a majority of the committee. If the
principal subject matter of a measure or matter to be
referred falls within the jurisdiction of more than one
subcommittee, the chairman or the committee may refer the
matter to two or more subcommittees for joint consideration.
(b) Assignments.--Assignments of members to subcommittees
shall be made in an equitable fashion. No member of the
committee may receive assignment to a second subcommittee
until, in order of seniority, all members of the committee
have chosen assignments to one subcommittee, and no member
shall receive assignments to a third subcommittee until, in
order of seniority, all members have chosen assignments to
two subcommittees.
No member of the committee may serve on more than four
subcommittees at any one time.
The chairman and ranking member of the committee shall be
ex officio members, without vote, of each subcommittee.
(c) Hearings.--Except when funds have been specifically
made available by the Senate for a subcommittee purpose, no
subcommittee of the Committee on Foreign Relations shall hold
hearings involving expenses without prior approval of the
chairman of the full
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committee or by decision of the full committee. Hearings of
subcommittees shall be scheduled after consultation with the
chairman of the committee with a view toward avoiding
conflicts with hearings of other subcommittees insofar as
possible. Hearings of subcommittees shall not be scheduled to
conflict with meetings or hearings of the full committee.
The proceedings of each subcommittee shall be governed by
the rules of the full committee, subject to such
authorizations or limitations as the committee may from time
to time prescribe.
RULE 3--MEETINGS AND HEARINGS
(a) Regular Meeting Day.--The regular meeting day of the
Committee on Foreign Relations for the transaction of
committee business shall be on Tuesday of each week, unless
otherwise directed by the chairman.
(b) Additional Meetings and Hearings.--Additional meetings
and hearings of the committee may be called by the chairman
as he may deem necessary. If at least three members of the
committee desire that a special meeting of the committee be
called by the chairman, those members may file in the offices
of the committee their written request to the chairman for
that special meeting. Immediately upon filing of the request,
the chief clerk of the committee shall notify the chairman of
the filing of the request. If, within three calendar days
after the filing of the request, the chairman does not call
the requested special meeting, to be held within seven
calendar days after the filing of the request, a majority of
the members of the committee may file in the offices of the
committee their written notice that a special meeting of the
committee will be held, specifying the date and hour of that
special meeting. The committee shall meet on that date and
hour. Immediately upon the filing of the notice, the clerk
shall notify all members of the committee that such special
meeting will be held and inform them of its date and hour.
(c) Hearings, Selection of Witnesses.--To ensure that the
issue which is the subject of the hearing is presented as
fully and fairly as possible, whenever a hearing is conducted
by the committee or a subcommittee upon any measure or
matter, the ranking member of the committee or subcommittee
may select and call an equal number of non-governmental
witnesses to testify at that hearing.
(d) Public Announcement.--The committee, or any
subcommittee thereof, shall make public announcement of the
date, place, time, and subject matter of any meeting or
hearing to be conducted on any measure or matter at least
seven calendar days in advance of such meetings or hearings,
unless the chairman of the committee, or subcommittee, in
consultation with the ranking member, determines that there
is good cause to begin such meeting or hearing at an earlier
date.
(e) Procedure.--Insofar as possible, proceedings of the
committee will be conducted without resort to the formalities
of parliamentary procedure and with due regard for the views
of all members. Issues of procedure which may arise from time
to time shall be resolved by decision of the chairman, in
consultation with the ranking member. The chairman, in
consultation with the ranking member, may also propose
special procedures to govern the consideration of particular
matters by the committee.
(f) Closed Sessions.--Each meeting and hearing of the
Committee on Foreign Relations, or any subcommittee thereof
shall be open to the public, except that a meeting or hearing
or series of meetings or hearings by the committee or a
subcommittee 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 paragraphs (1) through (6)
would require the meeting or hearing to be closed followed
immediately by a record vote in open session by a majority of
the members of the committee or subcommittee when it is
determined that the matters to be discussed or the testimony
to be taken at such meeting or hearing or series of meetings
or hearings--
(1) 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;
(2) will relate solely to matters of committee staff
personnel or internal staff management or procedure;
(3) 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;
(4) 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;
(5) will disclose information relating to the trade
secrets or financial or commercial information pertaining
specifically to a given person if--
(A) an Act of Congress requires the information to be kept
confidential by government officers and employees; or
(B) 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
(6) may divulge matters required to be kept confidential
under other provisions of law or government regulations.
A closed meeting or hearing may be opened by a majority
vote of the committee.
(g) Staff Attendance.--A member of the committee may have
one member of his or her personal staff, for whom that member
assumes personal responsibility, accompany and be seated
nearby at committee meetings and hearings. The chairman or
ranking member may authorize the attendance and seating of
such a staff member at committee meetings and hearings where
the member of the committee is not present.
Each member of the committee may designate members of his
or her personal staff for whom that member assumes personal
responsibility, who holds, at a minimum, a top secret
security clearance, for the purpose of their eligibility to
attend closed sessions of the committee, subject to the same
conditions set forth for committee staff under Rules 12, 13,
and 14.
In addition, the majority leader and the minority leader of
the Senate, if they are not otherwise members of the
committee, may designate one member of their staff for whom
that leader assumes personal responsibility and who holds, at
a minimum, a top secret security clearance, to attend closed
sessions of the committee, subject to the same conditions set
forth for committee staff under Rules 12, 13, and 14.
Staff of other Senators who are not members of the
committee may not attend closed sessions of the committee.
Attendance of committee staff at meetings and hearings
shall be limited to those designated by the staff director or
the minority staff director.
The committee, by majority vote, or the chairman, with the
concurrence of the ranking member, may limit staff attendance
at specified meetings or hearings.
RULE 4--QUORUMS
(a) Testimony.--For the purpose of taking sworn or unsworn
testimony at any duly scheduled meeting a quorum of the
committee and each subcommittee thereof shall consist of one
member of such committee or subcommittee.
(b) Business.--A quorum for the transaction of committee or
subcommittee business, other than for reporting a measure or
recommendation to the Senate or the taking of testimony,
shall consist of one-third of the members of the committee or
subcommittee, including at least one member from each party.
(c) Reporting.--A majority of the membership of the
committee, including at least one member from each party,
shall constitute a quorum for reporting any measure or
recommendation to the Senate. No measure or recommendation
shall be ordered reported from the committee unless a
majority of the committee members is physically present,
including at least one member from each party, and a majority
of those present concurs.
RULE 5--PROXIES
Proxies must be in writing with the signature of the absent
member. Subject to the requirements of Rule 4 for the
physical presence of a quorum to report a matter, proxy
voting shall be allowed on all measures and matters before
the committee. However, proxies shall not be voted on a
measure or matter except when the absent member has been
informed of the matter on which he is being recorded and has
affirmatively requested that he or she be so recorded.
RULE 6--WITNESSES
(a) General.--The Committee on Foreign Relations will
consider requests to testify on any matter or measure pending
before the committee.
(b) Presentation.--If the chairman so determines, the oral
presentation of witnesses shall be limited to 10 minutes.
However, written statements of reasonable length may be
submitted by witnesses and other interested persons who are
unable to testify in person.
(c) Filing of Statements.--A witness appearing before the
committee, or any subcommittee thereof, shall submit an
electronic copy of the written statement of his proposed
testimony at least 24 hours prior to his appearance, unless
this requirement is waived by the chairman and the ranking
member following their determination that there is good cause
for failure to file such a statement.
(d) Expenses.--Only the chairman may authorize expenditures
of funds for the expenses of witnesses appearing before the
committee or its subcommittees.
(e) Requests.--Any witness called for a hearing may submit
a written request to the chairman no later than 24 hours in
advance for his testimony to be in closed or open session, or
for any other unusual procedure. The chairman shall determine
whether to grant any such request and shall notify the
committee members of the request and of his decision.
RULE 7--SUBPOENAS
(a) Authorization.--The chairman or any other member of the
committee, when authorized by a majority vote of the
committee at a meeting or by proxies, shall have authority to
subpoena the attendance of witnesses or the production of
memoranda, documents, records, or any other materials. At the
request of any member of the committee, the committee shall
authorize the issuance of a subpoena only at a meeting of the
committee. When the committee authorizes a
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subpoena, it may be issued upon the signature of the chairman
or any other member designated by the committee.
(b) Return.--A subpoena, or a request to an agency, for
documents may be issued whose return shall occur at a time
and place other than that of a scheduled committee meeting. A
return on such a subpoena or request which is incomplete or
accompanied by an objection constitutes good cause for a
hearing on shortened notice. Upon such a return, the chairman
or any other member designated by him may convene a hearing
by giving 4 hours notice by telephone or electronic mail to
all other members. One member shall constitute a quorum for
such a hearing. The sole purpose of such a hearing shall be
to elucidate further information about the return and to rule
on the objection.
(c) Depositions.--At the direction of the committee, staff
is authorized to take depositions from witnesses.
RULE 8--REPORTS
(a) Filing.--When the committee has ordered a measure or
recommendation reported, the report thereon shall be filed in
the Senate at the earliest practicable time.
(b) Supplemental, Minority and Additional Views.--A member
of the committee who gives notice of his intentions to file
supplemental, minority, or additional views at the time of
final committee approval of a measure or matter, shall be
entitled to not less than 3 calendar days in which to file
such views, in writing (including by electronic mail), with
the chief clerk of the committee, with the 3 days to begin at
11:00 p.m. on the same day that the committee has ordered a
measure or matter reported. Such views shall then be included
in the committee report and printed in the same volume, as a
part thereof, and their inclusion shall be noted on the cover
of the report. In the absence of timely notice, the committee
report may be filed and printed immediately without such
views.
(c) Roll Call Votes.--The results of all roll call votes
taken in any meeting of the committee on any measure, or
amendment thereto, shall be announced in the committee
report. The announcement shall include a tabulation of the
votes cast in favor and votes cast in opposition to each such
measure and amendment by each member of the committee.
RULE 9--TREATIES
(a) General.--The committee is the only committee of the
Senate with jurisdiction to review and report to the Senate
on treaties submitted by the President for Senate advice and
consent to ratification. Because the House of Representatives
has no role in the approval of treaties, the committee is
therefore the only congressional committee with
responsibility for treaties.
(b) Committee Proceedings.--Once submitted by the President
for advice and consent, each treaty is referred to the
committee and remains on its calendar from Congress to
Congress until the committee takes action to report it to the
Senate or recommend its return to the President, or until the
committee is discharged of the treaty by the Senate.
(c) Floor Proceedings.--In accordance with Senate Rule
XXX.2, treaties which have been reported to the Senate but
not acted on before the end of a Congress ``shall be resumed
at the commencement of the next Congress as if no proceedings
had previously been had thereon.''
(d) Hearings.--Insofar as possible, the committee should
conduct a public hearing on each treaty as soon as possible
after its submission by the President. Except in
extraordinary circumstances, treaties reported to the Senate
shall be accompanied by a written report.
RULE 10--NOMINATIONS
(a) Waiting Requirement.--Unless otherwise directed by the
chairman and the ranking member, the Committee on Foreign
Relations shall not consider any nomination until 5 business
days after it has been formally submitted to the Senate.
(b) Public Consideration.--Nominees for any post who are
invited to appear before the committee shall be heard in
public session, unless a majority of the committee decrees
otherwise, consistent with Rule 3(f).
(c) Required Data.--No nomination shall be reported to the
Senate unless (1) the nominee has been accorded a security
clearance on the basis of a thorough investigation by
executive branch agencies; (2) the nominee has filed a
financial disclosure report and a related ethics undertaking
with the committee; (3) the committee has been assured that
the nominee does not have any interests which could conflict
with the interests of the government in the exercise of the
nominee's proposed responsibilities; (4) for persons
nominated to be chief of mission, ambassador-at-large, or
minister, the committee has received a complete list of any
contributions made by the nominee or members of his immediate
family to any Federal election campaign during the year of
his or her nomination and for the 4 preceding years; (5) for
persons nominated to be chiefs of mission, the report
required by Section 304(a)(4) of the Foreign Service Act of
1980 on the demonstrated competence of that nominee to
perform the duties of the position to which he or she has
been nominated; and (6) the nominee has provided the
committee with a signed and notarized copy of the committee
questionnaire for executive branch nominees.
RULE 11--TRAVEL
(a) Foreign Travel.--No member of the Committee on Foreign
Relations or its staff shall travel abroad on committee
business unless specifically authorized by the chairman, who
is required by law to approve vouchers and report
expenditures of foreign currencies, and the ranking member.
Requests for authorization of such travel shall state the
purpose and, when completed, a full substantive and financial
report shall be filed with the committee within 30 days. This
report shall be furnished to all members of the committee and
shall not be otherwise disseminated without authorization of
the chairman and the ranking member. Except in extraordinary
circumstances, staff travel shall not be approved unless the
reporting requirements have been fulfilled for all prior
trips. Except for travel that is strictly personal, travel
funded by non-U.S. Government sources is subject to the same
approval and substantive reporting requirements as U.S.
Government-funded travel. In addition, members and staff are
reminded to consult the Senate Code of Conduct, and, as
appropriate, the Senate Select Committee on Ethics, in the
case of travel sponsored by non-U.S. Government sources.
Any proposed travel by committee staff for a subcommittee
purpose must be approved by the subcommittee chairman and
ranking member prior to submission of the request to the
chairman and ranking member of the full committee.
(b) Domestic Travel.--All official travel in the United
States by the committee staff shall be approved in advance by
the staff director, or in the case of minority staff, by the
minority staff director.
(c) Personal Staff Travel.--As a general rule, no more than
one member of the personal staff of a member of the committee
may travel with that member with the approval of the chairman
and the ranking member of the committee. During such travel,
the personal staff member shall be considered to be an
employee of the committee.
(d) PRM Travel.--For the purposes of this rule regarding
staff foreign travel, the officially-designated personal
representative of the member pursuant to rule 14(b), shall be
deemed to have the same rights, duties, and responsibilities
as members of the staff of the Committee on Foreign
Relations.
RULE 12--TRANSCRIPTS AND MATERIALS PROVIDED TO THE COMMITTEE
(a) General.--The Committee on Foreign Relations shall keep
verbatim transcripts of all committee and subcommittee
meetings and hearings and such transcripts shall remain in
the custody of the committee, unless a majority of the
committee decides otherwise. Transcripts of public hearings
by the committee shall be published unless the chairman, with
the concurrence of the ranking member, determines otherwise.
The committee, through the chief clerk, shall also maintain
at least one copy of all materials provided to the committee
by the Executive Branch; such copy shall remain in the
custody of the committee and be subject to the committee's
rules and procedures, including those rules and procedures
applicable to the handling of classified materials.
Such transcripts and materials shall be made available to
all members of the committee, committee staff, and designated
personal representatives of members of the committee, except
as otherwise provided in these rules.
(b) Classified or Restricted Transcripts or Materials.--
(1) The chief clerk of the committee shall have
responsibility for the maintenance and security of classified
or restricted transcripts or materials, and shall ensure that
such transcripts or materials are handled in a manner
consistent with the requirements of the United States Senate
Security Manual.
(2) A record shall be maintained of each use of classified
or restricted transcripts or materials as required by the
Senate Security Manual.
(3) Classified transcripts or materials may not leave the
committee offices, or SVC-217 of the Capitol Visitors Center,
except for the purpose of declassification or archiving,
consistent with these rules.
(4) Extreme care shall be exercised to avoid taking notes
or quotes from classified transcripts or materials. Their
contents may not be divulged to any unauthorized person.
(5) Subject to any additional restrictions imposed by the
chairman with the concurrence of the ranking member, only the
following persons are authorized to have access to classified
or restricted transcripts or materials:
(A) Members and staff of the committee in the committee
offices or in SVC-217 of the Capitol Visitors Center;
(B) Designated personal representatives of members of the
committee, and of the majority and minority leaders, with
appropriate security clearances, in the committee offices or
in SVC-217 of the Capitol Visitors Center;
(C) Senators not members of the committee, by permission
of the chairman, in the committee offices or in SVC-217 of
the Capitol Visitors Center; and
(D) Officials of the executive departments involved in the
meeting, hearing, or matter, with authorization of the
chairman, in the committee offices or SVC-217 of the Capitol
Visitors Center.
(6) Any restrictions imposed by the committee upon access
to a meeting or hearing of the committee shall also apply to
the transcript of such meeting, except by special
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permission of the chairman and ranking member.
(7) In addition to restrictions resulting from the
inclusion of any classified information in the transcript of
a committee meeting or hearing, members and staff shall not
discuss with anyone the proceedings of the committee in
closed session or reveal information conveyed or discussed in
such a session unless that person would have been permitted
to attend the session itself or is a member or staff of a
relevant committee or executive branch agency and possess an
appropriate security clearance, or unless such communication
is specifically authorized by the chairman, the ranking
member, or in the case of staff, by the staff director or
minority staff director. A record shall be kept of all such
authorizations.
(c) Declassification.--
(1) All noncurrent records of the committee are governed
by Rule XI of the Standing Rules of the Senate and by S. Res.
474 (96th Congress). Any classified transcripts or materials
transferred to the National Archives and Records
Administration under Rule XI may not be made available for
public use unless they have been subject to declassification
review in accordance with applicable laws or Executive
orders.
(2) Any transcript or classified committee report, or any
portion thereof, may be declassified, in accordance with
applicable laws or Executive orders, sooner than the time
period provided for under S. Res. 474 if:
(A) the chairman originates such action, with the
concurrence of the ranking member;
(B) the other current members of the committee who
participated in such meeting or report have been notified of
the proposed declassification, and have not objected thereto,
except that the committee by majority vote may overrule any
objections thereby raised to early declassification; and
(C) the executive departments that participated in the
meeting or originated the classified information have been
consulted regarding the declassification.
RULE 13--CLASSIFIED INFORMATION
(a) General.--The handling of classified information in the
Senate is governed by S. Res. 243 (100th Congress), which
established the Office of Senate Security. All handling of
classified information by the committee shall be consistent
with the procedures set forth in the United States Senate
Security Manual issued by the Office of Senate Security.
(b) Security Manager.--The chief clerk is the security
manager for the committee. The chief clerk shall be
responsible for implementing the provisions of the Senate
Security Manual and for serving as the committee liaison to
the Office of Senate Security. The staff director, in
consultation with the minority staff director, may appoint an
alternate security manager as circumstances warrant.
(c) Transportation of Classified Material.--Classified
material may only be transported between Senate offices by
appropriately cleared staff members who have been
specifically authorized to do so by the security manager.
(d) Access to Classified Material.--In general, Senators
and staff undertake to confine their access to classified
information on the basis of a ``need to know'' such
information related to their committee responsibilities.
(e) Staff Clearances.--The chairman, or, in the case of
minority staff, the ranking member, shall designate the
members of the committee staff whose assignments require
access to classified and compartmented information and shall
seek to obtain the requisite security clearances pursuant to
Office of Senate Security procedures.
(f) PRM Clearances.--For the purposes of this rule
regarding security clearances and access to compartmented
information, the officially-designated personal
representative of the member (PRM) pursuant to rule 14(b),
shall be deemed to have the same rights, duties, and
responsibilities as members of the staff of the Committee on
Foreign Relations.
(g) Regulations.--The staff director is authorized to make
such administrative regulations as may be necessary to carry
out the provisions of this rule.
RULE 14--STAFF
(a) Responsibilities.--
(1) The staff works for the committee as a whole, under
the general supervision of the chairman of the committee, and
the immediate direction of the staff director, except that
such part of the staff as is designated minority staff shall
be under the general supervision of the ranking member and
under the immediate direction of the minority staff director.
(2) Any member of the committee should feel free to call
upon the staff at any time for assistance in connection with
committee business. Members of the Senate not members of the
committee who call upon the staff for assistance from time to
time should be given assistance subject to the overriding
responsibility of the staff to the committee.
(3) The staff's primary responsibility is with respect to
bills, resolutions, treaties, and nominations and other
matters within the jurisdiction of the committee. In addition
to carrying out assignments from the committee and its
individual members, the staff has a responsibility to
originate suggestions for committee or subcommittee
consideration. The staff also has a responsibility to make
suggestions to individual members regarding matters of
special interest to such members.
(4) It is part of the staff's duty to keep itself as well
informed as possible in regard to developments affecting
foreign relations and national security and in regard to the
administration of foreign programs of the United States.
Significant trends or developments which might otherwise
escape notice should be called to the attention of the
committee, or of individual Senators with particular
interests.
(5) The staff shall pay due regard to the constitutional
separation of powers between the Senate and the executive
branch. It therefore has a responsibility to help the
committee bring to bear an independent, objective judgment of
proposals by the executive branch and when appropriate to
originate sound proposals of its own. At the same time, the
staff shall avoid impinging upon the day-to-day conduct of
foreign affairs.
(6) In those instances when committee action requires the
expression of minority views, the staff shall assist the
minority as fully as the majority to the end that all points
of view may be fully considered by members of the committee
and of the Senate. The staff shall bear in mind that under
our constitutional system it is the responsibility of the
elected members of the Senate to determine legislative issues
in the light of as full and fair a presentation of the facts
as the staff may be able to obtain.
(b) Personal Representatives of the Member (PRM).--Each
Senator on the committee shall be authorized to designate one
personal staff member as the member's personal representative
of the member and designee to the committee (PRM) that shall
be deemed to have the same rights, duties, and
responsibilities as members of the staff of the Committee on
Foreign Relations where specifically provided for in these
rules.
(c) Restrictions.--
(1) The staff shall regard its relationship to the
committee as a privileged one, in the nature of the
relationship of a lawyer to a client. In order to protect
this relationship and the mutual confidence which must
prevail if the committee-staff relationship is to be a
satisfactory and fruitful one, the following criteria shall
apply, unless staff has consulted with and obtained, as
appropriate, the approval of the Senate Ethics Committee and
advance permission from the staff director (or the minority
staff director in the case of minority staff):
(A) members of the staff shall not be identified with any
special interest group in the field of foreign relations or
allow their names to be used by any such group; and
(B) members of the staff shall not accept public speaking
engagements or write for publication in the field of foreign
relations.
(2) The staff shall not discuss their private
conversations with members of the committee without specific
advance permission from the Senator or Senators concerned.
(3) The staff shall not discuss with anyone the
proceedings of the committee in closed session or reveal
information conveyed or discussed in such a session unless
that person would have been permitted to attend the session
itself or is a member or staff of a relevant committee or
executive branch agency and possesses an appropriate security
clearance, or unless such communication is specifically
authorized by the staff director or minority staff director.
Unauthorized disclosure of information from a closed session
or of classified information shall be cause for immediate
dismissal and may, in certain cases, be grounds for criminal
prosecution.
RULE 15--STATUS AND AMENDMENT OF RULES
(a) Status.--In addition to the foregoing, the Committee on
Foreign Relations is governed by the Standing Rules of the
Senate, which shall take precedence in the event of a clear
inconsistency. In addition, the jurisdiction and
responsibilities of the committee with respect to certain
matters, as well as the timing and procedure for their
consideration in committee, may be governed by statute.
(b) Amendment.--These rules may be modified, amended, or
repealed by a majority of the committee, provided that a
notice in writing (including by electronic mail) of the
proposed change has been given to each member at least 72
hours prior to the meeting at which action thereon is to be
taken. However, rules of the committee which are based upon
Senate rules may not be superseded by committee vote alone.
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