Congressional Record, Volume 171 Issue 24 (Wednesday, February 5, 2025)

[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 24 (Wednesday, February 5, 2025)]
[Senate]
[Pages S661-S662]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

U.S. SENATE COMMITTEE ON INDIAN AFFAIRS RULES OF PROCEDURE

Ms. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate
Committee on Indian Affairs Rules for the 119th Congress be printed in
the Record.
There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in
the Record, as follows:

Senate Committee on Indian Affairs--119th Congress Committee Rules

COMMITTEE ON INDIAN AFFAIRS RULES OF PROCEDURE

Rule 1. The Standing Rules of the Senate, Senate Resolution
4, and the provisions of the Legislative Reorganization Act
of 1946, as amended by the Legislative Reorganization Act of
1970, as supplemented by these rules, are adopted as the
rules of the Committee to the extent the provisions of such
Rules, Resolution, and Acts are applicable to the Committee
on Indian Affairs.

MEETING OF THE COMMITTEE

Rule 2. The Committee shall meet on Wednesday while the
Congress is in session for the purpose of conducting
business, unless for the convenience of the Members, the
Chairman shall set some other day for a meeting. Additional
meetings may be called by the Chairman as he or she may deem
necessary.

OPEN HEARINGS AND MEETINGS

Rule 3(a). Hearings and business meetings of the Committee
shall be open to the public except when the Chairman by a
majority vote orders a closed hearing or meeting.
(b). Except as otherwise provided in the Rules of the
Senate, a transcript or electronic recording shall be kept of
each hearing and business meeting of the Committee.

HEARING PROCEDURE

Rule 4(a). Public notice, including notice to Members of
the Committee, shall be given of the date, place, and subject
matter of any hearing to be held by the Committee at least
one week in advance of such hearing unless the Chairman of
the Committee, with the concurrence of the Vice Chairman,
determines that holding the hearing would be non-
controversial or that special circumstances require expedited
procedures and a majority of the Committee Members attending
concur. In no case shall a hearing be conducted within less
than 24 hours' notice.
(b). Each witness who is to appear before the Committee
shall submit his or her testimony by way of electronic mail,
at least two (2) business days prior to a hearing, in a
format determined by the Committee and sent to an electronic
mail address specified by the Committee. In the event a
federal witness fails to timely file the written statement in
accordance with this rule, the federal witness shall testify
as to the reason the testimony is late.
(c). Each Member shall be limited to five (5) minutes of
questioning of any witness until such time as all Members
attending who so desire have had an opportunity to question
the witness unless the Committee shall decide otherwise.
(d) The Chairman, in consultation with the Vice Chairman,
may authorize remote hearings via video conference.

BUSINESS MEETING AGENDA

Rule 5(a). A legislative measure or subject shall be
included in the agenda of the next following business meeting
of the Committee if a written request by a Member for
consideration of such measure or subject has been filed with
the Chairman of the Committee at

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least one week prior to such meeting. Nothing in this rule
shall be construed to limit the authority of the Chairman of
the Committee to include legislative measures or subjects on
the Committee agenda in the absence of such request.
(b). Any bill, resolution, or other matter to be considered
by the Committee at a business meeting shall be filed with
the Clerk of the Committee. Notice of, and the agenda for,
any business meeting of the Committee, and a copy of any
bill, resolution, or other matter to be considered at the
meeting, shall be provided to each Member and made available
to the public at least three (3) business days prior to such
meeting, and no new items may be added after the agenda is
published, except by the approval of the Chairman with the
concurrence of the Vice Chairman or by a majority of the
Members of the Committee. The notice and agenda of any
business meeting may be provided to the Members by electronic
mail, provided that a paper copy will be provided to any
Member upon request. The Clerk shall promptly notify absent
Members of any action taken by the Committee on matters not
included in the published agenda.
(c). Any amendment(s) to any bill or resolution to be
considered shall be filed by a Member of the Committee with
the Clerk not less than 48 hours in advance of the scheduled
business meeting. This rule may be waived by the Chairman
with the concurrence of the Vice Chairman.

QUORUM

Rule 6(a). Except as provided in subsection (b), a majority
of the Members shall constitute a quorum for the transaction
of business of the Committee. Except as provided in Senate
Rule XXVI 7(a), a quorum is presumed to be present unless a
Committee Member notes the absence of a quorum.
(b). One Member shall constitute a quorum for the purpose
of conducting a hearing or taking testimony on any measure or
matter before the Committee.

VOTING

Rule 7(a). A recorded vote of the Members shall be taken
upon the request of any Member.
(b). A measure may be reported without a recorded vote from
the Committee unless an objection is made by any Member, in
which case a recorded vote by the Members shall be required.
A Member shall have the right to have his or her additional
views included in the Committee report on the measure in
accordance with Senate Rule XXVI 10.
(c). A Committee vote to report a measure to the Senate
shall also authorize the staff of the Committee to make
necessary technical and conforming changes to the measure.
(d). Proxy voting shall be permitted on all matters, except
that proxies may not be counted for the purpose of
determining the presence of a quorum. Unless further limited,
a proxy shall be exercised only for the date for which it is
given and upon the terms published in the agenda for that
date.

SWORN TESTIMONY AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

Rule 8(a). Witnesses in Committee hearings who are required
to give testimony shall be deemed under oath.
(b). At any hearing to confirm a Presidential nomination,
the testimony of the nominee and, at the request of any
Member, any other witnesses that come before the Committee
shall also be under oath. Every nominee shall submit a
questionnaire on forms to be provided by the Committee,
ethics agreement, and public financial disclosure report,
(OGE Form 278 or a successor form) which shall be sworn to by
the nominee as to its completeness and accuracy and be
accompanied by a letter issued by the nominee within five (5)
days immediately preceding the hearing affirming that nothing
has changed in their financial status or documents since the
documents were originally filed with the Committee. The
public financial disclosure report and ethics agreement shall
be made available to the public by the Committee unless the
Committee, in executive session, determines that special
circumstances require a full or partial exception to this
rule.

CONFIDENTIAL TESTIMONY

Rule 9. No confidential testimony taken by, or confidential
material presented to the Committee, or any report of the
proceedings of a closed Committee hearing or business meeting
shall be made public in whole or in part, or by way of
summary, unless authorized by a majority of the Members of
the Committee at a business meeting called for the purpose of
making such a determination.

DEFAMATORY STATEMENTS

Rule 10. Any person whose name is mentioned or who is
specifically identified in, or who believes that testimony or
other evidence presented at, an open Committee hearing tends
to defame him or her or otherwise adversely affects his or
her reputation may file with the Committee for its
consideration and action a sworn statement of facts relevant
to such testimony of evidence.

BROADCASTING OF HEARINGS OR MEETINGS

Rule 11. Any meeting or hearing by the Committee which is
open to the public may be covered in whole or in part by
television, Internet, radio broadcast, or still photography.
Photographers and reporters using mechanical recording,
filming, or broadcasting devices shall position their
equipment so as not to interfere with the sight, vision, and
hearing of Members and staff on the dais or with the orderly
process of the meeting or hearing.

AUTHORIZING SUBPOENAS

Rule 12. The Chairman may, with the agreement of the Vice
Chairman, or the Committee may, by majority vote, authorize
the issuance of subpoenas.

AMENDING THE RULES

Rule 13. These rules may be amended only by a vote of a
majority of all the Members of the Committee in a business
meeting of the Committee: Provided, that no vote may be taken
on any proposed amendment unless such amendment is reproduced
in full in the Committee agenda for such meeting at least
seven (7) days in advance of such meeting.

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