[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 28 (Thursday, February 16, 2017)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1295-S1296]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                            MORNING BUSINESS

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                 COMMITTEE ON RULES AND ADMINISTRATION

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                           RULES OF PROCEDURE

  Mr. SHELBY. Mr. President, the Committee on Rules and Administration 
has adopted rules governing its procedures for the 115th Congress. 
Pursuant to rule XXVI, paragraph 2, of the Standing Rules of the 
Senate, on behalf of myself and Senator Klobuchar, 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:

       COMMITTEE ON RULES AND ADMINISTRATION UNITED STATES SENATE


                       MEETINGS OF THE COMMITTEE

       Rule 1. The regular meeting date 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.
       Rule 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

[[Page S1296]]

     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.)
       Rule 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.
       Rule 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.
       Rule 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.
       Rule 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.
       Rule 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.


                                QUORUMS

       Rule 8. 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.
       Rule 9. 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.
       Rule 10. 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.
       Rule 11. Under no circumstances may proxies be considered 
     for the establishment of a quorum.


                                 VOTING

       Rule 12. Voting in the committee on any issue will normally 
     be by voice vote.
       Rule 13. If a third of the Members present so demand a roll 
     call vote instead of a voice vote, a record la vote will be 
     taken on any question by roll call.
       Rule 14. 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.)
       Rule 15. 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.)


                               AMENDMENTS

       Rule 16. 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 
     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.
       Rule 17. In the event the Chairman introduces a substitute 
     amendment or a Chairman's mark, the requirements set forth in 
     Rule 16 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.
       Rule 18. 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.
       Rule 19. This section of the rule may be waived by 
     agreement of the Chairman and the Ranking Minority Member.


             DELEGATION OF AUTHORITY TO COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN

       Rule 20. 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.
       Rule 21. The Chairman is authorized to engage commercial 
     reporters for the preparation of transcripts of committee 
     meetings and hearings.
       Rule 22. The Chairman is authorized to issue, on behalf of 
     the committee, regulations normally promulgated by the 
     committee at the beginning of each session.


  DELEGATION OF AUTHORITY TO COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN AND RANKING MINORITY 
                                 MEMBER

       Rule 23. 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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