[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 197 (Thursday, December 13, 2018)]
[Senate]
[Pages S7598-S7599]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 SENATE RESOLUTION 729--AMENDING RULE XV OF THE STANDING RULES OF THE 
 SENATE TO PROVIDE FOR CONSIDERATION OF A MINIMUM NUMBER OF AMENDMENTS

  Mr. MERKLEY submitted the following resolution; which was referred to 
the Committee on Rules and Administration:

                              S. Res. 729

       Resolved,

     SECTION 1. GUARANTEED AMENDMENTS.

       Rule XV of the Standing Rules of the Senate is amended by 
     adding at the end the following:
       ``6.(a) During the consideration of any bill, resolution, 
     or other amendable matter, it shall be in order for the 
     Senate to consider not less than 5 amendments offered by 
     members of the majority and not less than 5 amendments 
     offered by members of the minority. If a motion to invoke 
     cloture under the provisions of rule XXII is presented to the 
     Senate, and fewer than the 5 amendments guaranteed to each of 
     the minority and the majority under this paragraph have been 
     considered, then, notwithstanding the status of any pending 
     amendments, it shall be in order for as many members of the 
     majority as appropriate, and as many members of the minority 
     as appropriate, to offer 1 amendment each, in alternating 
     order, until in total 5 amendments offered by members of the 
     majority and 5 amendments offered by members of the minority 
     have been considered.
       ``(b) Amendments offered under this paragraph may only 
     pertain to matter encompassed by the title of the bill, 
     resolution, or other matter, except that 1 amendment offered 
     by a member of the majority and 1 amendment offered by a 
     member of the minority may be exempted from this requirement. 
     An amendment exempted from this requirement shall only be 
     agreed to upon an affirmative vote of three-fifths of 
     Senators duly chosen and sworn.
       ``(c) The majority leader and minority leader may, by 
     mutual agreement, call up

[[Page S7599]]

     additional amendments under the provisions of this paragraph. 
     Such additional amendments shall be offered in equal number 
     by members of the majority and members of the minority, and 
     may only pertain to subject matter encompassed by the title 
     of the bill, resolution, or other matter.
       ``(d) Consideration by the Senate of an amendment offered 
     under the provisions of this paragraph shall be limited to 
     not more than 2 hours, divided equally between the majority 
     and the minority.''.

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