[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 38 (Monday, March 1, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Pages S922-S923]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
MORNING BUSINESS
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SENATE COMMITTEE ON THE JUDICIARY RULES OF PROCEDURE
Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, the Committee on the Judiciary has adopted
rules governing its procedures for the 117th Congress. Pursuant to
rules XXVI, paragraph 2, of the Standing Rules of the Senate, on behalf
of myself and Ranking Member Grassley, I ask unanimous consent that a
copy of the committee rules be printed in the Record.
Rules of Procedure United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary
I. MEETINGS OF THE COMMITTEE
1. Meetings of the Committee may be called by the Chair as
he or she may deem necessary on at least three calendar days'
notice of the date, time, place and subject matter of the
meeting, or in the alternative with the consent of the
Ranking Minority Member, or pursuant to the provision of the
Standing Rules of the Senate, as amended.
2. Unless a different date and time are set by the Chair
pursuant to (1) of this section, Committee meetings shall be
held beginning at 10:00 a.m. on Thursdays the Senate is in
session, which shall be the regular meeting day for the
transaction of business.
3. At the request of any member, or by action of the Chair,
a bill, matter, or nomination on the agenda of the Committee
may be held over until the next meeting of the Committee or
for one week, whichever occurs later.
II. HEARINGS OF THE COMMITTEE
1. The Committee shall provide a public announcement of the
date, time, place and subject matter of any hearing to be
conducted by the Committee or any Subcommittee at least seven
calendar days prior to the commencement of that hearing,
unless the Chair with the consent of the Ranking Minority
Member determines that good cause exists to begin such
hearing at an earlier date. Witnesses shall provide a written
statement of their testimony and curriculum vitae to the
Committee at least 24 hours preceding the hearings in as many
copies as the Chair of the Committee or Subcommittee
prescribes.
2. In the event 14 calendar days' notice of a hearing has
been made, witnesses appearing before the Committee,
including any witness representing a Government agency, must
file with the Committee at least 48 hours preceding
appearance written statements of their testimony and
curriculum vitae in as many copies as the Chair of the
Committee or Subcommittee prescribes.
3. In the event a witness fails timely to file the written
statement in accordance with this rule, the Chair may permit
the witness to testify, or deny the witness the privilege of
testifying before the Committee, or permit the witness to
testify in response to questions from Senators without the
benefit of giving an opening statement.
III. QUORUMS
1. Seven Members of the Committee, actually present, shall
constitute a quorum for the purpose of discussing business.
Nine Members of the Committee, including at least two Members
of the minority, shall constitute a quorum for the purpose of
transacting business. No bill, matter, or nomination shall be
ordered reported from the Committee, however, unless a
majority of the Committee is actually present at the time
such action is taken and a majority of those present support
the action taken.
2. For the purpose of taking down sworn testimony, a quorum
of the Committee and each Subcommittee thereof, now or
hereafter appointed, shall consist of one Senator.
IV. BRINGING A MATTER TO A VOTE
The Chair shall entertain a non-debatable motion to bring a
matter before the Committee to a vote. If there is objection
to bring the matter to a vote without further debate, a roll
call vote of the Committee shall be taken, and debate shall
be terminated if the motion to bring the matter to a vote
without further debate passes with twelve votes in the
affirmative, one of which must be cast by the minority.
V. AMENDMENTS
1. Provided at least seven calendars days' notice of the
agenda is given, and the text of the proposed bill or
resolution has been made available at least seven calendar
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.
2. 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.
3. The time limit imposed on the filing of amendments shall
apply to no more than three bills identified by the Chair and
included on the Committee's legislative agenda.
4. This section of the rule may be waived by agreement of
the Chair and the Ranking Minority Member.
VI. PROXY VOTING
When a recorded vote is taken in the Committee on any bill,
resolution, amendment,
[[Page S923]]
or any other question, a quorum being present, Members who
are unable to attend the meeting may submit votes by proxy,
in writing or by telephone, or through personal instructions.
A proxy must be specific with respect to the matters it
addresses.
VII. SUBCOMMITTEES
1. Any Member of the Committee may sit with any
Subcommittee during its hearings or any other meeting, but
shall not have the authority to vote on any matter before the
Subcommittee unless a Member of such Subcommittee.
2. Subcommittees shall be considered de novo whenever there
is a change in the Subcommittee chair and seniority on the
particular Subcommittee shall not necessarily apply.
3. Except for matters retained at the full Committee,
matters shall be referred to the appropriate Subcommittee or
Subcommittees by the Chair, except as agreed by a majority
vote of the Committee or by the agreement of the Chair and
the Ranking Minority Member.
4. Provided all members of the Subcommittee consent, a bill
or other matter may be polled out of the Subcommittee. In
order to be polled out of a Subcommittee, a majority of the
members of the Subcommittee who vote must vote in favor of
reporting the bill or matter to the Committee.
VIII. ATTENDANCE RULES
1. Official attendance at all Committee business meetings
of the Committee shall be kept by the Committee Clerk.
Official attendance at all Subcommittee business meetings
shall be kept by the Subcommittee Clerk.
2. Official attendance at all hearings shall be kept,
provided that Senators are notified by the Committee Chair
and Ranking Minority Member, in the case of Committee
hearings, and by the Subcommittee Chair and Ranking Minority
Member, in the case of Subcommittee Hearings, 48 hours in
advance of the hearing that attendance will be taken;
otherwise, no attendance will be taken. Attendance at all
hearings is encouraged.
IX. SUBPOENAS
The Chair of the Committee, with the agreement of the
Ranking Member or by a vote of the Committee, may subpoena
the attendance of a witness at a Committee or Subcommittee
hearing or Committee deposition, or the production of
memoranda, documents, records, or any other materials. Any
such subpoena shall be issued upon the signature of the Chair
or any other Member of the Committee designated by the Chair.
X. DEPOSITIONS
1. Any subpoena issued for a deposition that is to be
conducted by staff shall be accompanied by a notice of
deposition identifying the Majority staff officers designated
by the Chair and the Minority staff officers designated by
the Ranking Member to take the deposition, and the Majority
and Minority shall be afforded the opportunity to participate
on equal terms.
2. Unless waived by agreement of the Chair and Ranking
Member, any deposition shall have at least one Member present
for the duration of the deposition. All Members shall be
notified of the date, time, and location of any deposition.
3. Any Member of the Committee may attend and participate
in the taking of any deposition.
4. A witness at a deposition shall be examined upon oath
administered by an individual authorized by law to administer
oaths, or administered by any Member of the Committee if one
is present.
5. Unless otherwise specified, the deposition shall be in
private.
Committee on the Judiciary Subcommittee Jurisdictions With Membership--
117th Congress
Subcommittee on Competition Policy, Antitrust, and Consumer Rights
Jurisdiction: Oversight of antitrust law and competition
policy and antitrust law, including the Sherman, Clayton, and
Federal Trade Commission Acts; (2) oversight of antitrust
enforcement and competition policy at the Justice Department;
(3) oversight of antitrust enforcement and competition policy
at the Federal Trade Commission; (4) oversight of competition
throughout the federal government at other federal agencies.
Senator Klobuchar, Chair, Senator Leahy, Senator
Blumenthal, Senator Booker, Senator Ossoff, Senator Lee,
Ranking Member, Senator Hawley, Senator Cotton, Senator
Tillis, Senator Blackburn.
Subcommittee on Immigration, Citizenship, and Border Safety
Jurisdiction: (1) Immigration, citizenship, and refugee
laws; (2) Oversight of the immigration functions of the
Department of Homeland Security, including U.S. Citizenship
and Immigration Services, U.S. Customs and Border Protection,
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and Ombudsman
Citizenship and Immigration Services; (3) Oversight of the
immigration-related functions of the Department of Justice,
the Department of State, the Department of Health and Human
Services Office of Refugee Resettlement, and the Department
of Labor; (4) Oversight of international migration,
internally displaced persons, and refugee laws and policy;
and (5) Private immigration relief bills.
Senator Padilla, Chair, Senator Feinstein, Senator
Klobuchar, Senator Coon, Senator Blumenthal, Senator Hirono,
Senator Booker, Senator Cornyn, Ranking Member, Senator
Graham, Senator Cruz, Senator Cotton, Senator Kennedy,
Senator Tillis, Senator Blackburn.
Subcommittee on the Constitution
Jurisdiction: (1) Constitutional amendments; (2) Oversight
of the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice;
(3) Enforcement and protection of constitutional rights; (4)
Statutory guarantees of civil rights and civil liberties; (5)
Separation of powers; (6) Federal-State relations; and (7)
Interstate compacts.
Senator Blumenthal, Chair, Senator Feinstein, Senator
Whitehouse, Senator Ossoff, Senator Cruz, Ranking Member,
Senator Cornyn, Senator Lee, Senator Sasse.
Subcommittee on Criminal Justice and Counterterrorism
Jurisdiction: (1) Oversight of the Department of Justice's
(a) Criminal Division, (b) Drug Enforcement Administration,
(c) Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys, (d) Office on
Violence Against Women, (e) U.S. Marshals Service, (f)
Community Oriented Policing Services and related law
enforcement grants, (g) Bureau of Prisons, (h) Office of the
Pardon Attorney, (i) U.S. Parole Commission, (j) Federal
Bureau of Investigation, and (k) Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco,
Firearms, and Explosives, as it relates to crime or drug
policy; (2) Oversight of the U.S. Sentencing Commission; (3)
Youth violence and directly related issues; (4) Federal
programs under the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency
Prevention Act of 1974, as amended (including the Runaway and
Homeless Youth Act); (5) Criminal justice and victims' rights
policy; (6) Oversight of the Office of National Drug Control
Policy; (7) Oversight of the U.S. Secret Service; (8)
Corrections, rehabilitation, reentry and other detention-
related policy; and (9) Parole and probation policy; (10)
Oversight of anti-terrorism enforcement and policy; (11)
Oversight of Department of Homeland Security functions as
they relate to anti-terrorism enforcement and policy; (12)
Oversight of State Department consular operations as they
relate to antiterrorism enforcement and policy; (13)
Oversight of encryption policies and export licensing; and
(14) Oversight of espionage laws and their enforcement.
Senator Booker, Chair, Senator Leahy, Senator Feinstein,
Senator Whitehouse, Senator Klobuchar, Senator Padilla,
Senator Ossoff, Senator Cotton, Ranking Member, Senator
Graham, Senator Cornyn, Senator Lee, Senator Cruz, Senator
Hawley, Senator Kennedy.
Subcommittee on Intellectual Property
Jurisdiction: (1) the United States Patent and Trademark
Office; (2) the United States Copyright Office; (3) Oversight
of the functions of the federal government as they relate to
intellectual property; (4) Patents; (5) Copyrights; (6)
Trademarks; and (7) Trade Secrets.
Senator Leahy, Chair, Senator Coons, Senator Hirono,
Senator Padilla, Senator Tillis, Ranking Member, Senator
Cornyn, Senator Cotton, Senator Blackburn.
Subcommittee on Federal Courts, Oversight, Agency Action, and Federal
Rights
Jurisdiction: (1) Federal court jurisdiction,
administration and management; (2) Rules of evidence and
procedure; (3) Creation of new courts and judgeships; (4)
Bankruptcy; (5) Access to civil justice, legal reform and
liability issues; (6) Local courts in territories and
possessions; (7) Administrative practices and procedures
including agency rulemaking and adjudication; (8) Judicial
review of agency action; (9) Third party enforcement of
federal rights; (10) Oversight of the Department of Justice
grant programs, as well as government waste and abuse; (11)
private relief bills other than immigration; and (12)
Oversight of the Foreign Claims Settlement Act.
Senator Whitehouse, Chair, Senator Leahy, Senator Hirono,
Senator Booker, Senator Padilla, Senator Ossoff, Senator
Kennedy, Ranking Member, Senator Graham, Senator Lee, Senator
Cruz, Senator Sasse, Senator Tillis.
Subcommittee on Human Rights and the Law
Jurisdiction: (1) Human rights laws and policies; (2)
Enforcement and implementation of human rights laws; (3)
Judicial proceedings regarding human rights laws; and (4)
Judicial and executive branch interpretations of human rights
laws.
Senator Feinstein, Chair, Senator Coons, Senator
Blumenthal, Senator Hawley, Ranking Member, Senator Sasse,
Senator Kennedy.
Subcommittee on Privacy, Technology, and the Law
Jurisdiction: (1) Oversight of laws and policies governing
the collection, protection, use and dissemination of
personally identifiable information by the private sector and
by the government, including online privacy issues; (2) Use
of technology to protect privacy, civil rights, and civil
liberties; enhance the free flow of information; and
encourage innovation; and (3) Privacy and civil liberties
implications of new or emerging technologies.
Senator Coons, Chair, Senator Whitehouse, Senator
Klobuchar, Senator Hirono, Senator Ossoff, Senator Sasse,
Ranking Member, Senator Graham, Senator Hawley, Senator
Kennedy, Senator Blackburn.
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