[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 30 (Thursday, February 13, 2025)]
[Senate]
[Pages S967-S969]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
U.S. SENATE COMMITTEE ON THE BUDGET RULES OF PROCEDURE
Mr. GRAHAM. Mr. President, rule XXVI, paragraph 2, of the Standing
Rules of the Senate requires each committee to adopt rules to govern
the procedure of the committee and to publish those rules in the
Congressional Record not later than March 1 of the first year of each
Congress. Today, the Committee on the Budget adopted committee rules of
procedure.
Consistent with Standing Rule XXVI, I ask unanimous consent to have a
copy of the rules of procedure of the Committee on the Budget printed
in the Congressional Record.
There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in
the Record, as follows:
Committee on the Budget--Rules for the 119th Congress
rules of procedure
I. Meetings
(1) Meeting Schedule. The committee shall hold its regular
meeting on the first Thursday of each month. Additional
meetings may be called by the chair as the chair deems
necessary to expedite committee business.
(2) Open to the Public. Each meeting of the committee,
including meetings to conduct hearings, shall be open to the
public, except that a portion or portions of any such meeting
may be closed to the public if the committee determines by
record vote in open session of a majority of the members of
the committee present that the matters to be discussed or the
testimony to be taken at such portion or portions--
(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 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--
(i) an act of Congress requires the information to be kept
confidential by Government officers and employees; or
(ii) 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 other provisions of law or Government regulations.
(3) Notice. Notice of, and the agenda for, any business
meeting or markup shall be provided to each member and made
available
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to the public at least 72 hours prior to such meeting or
markup.
II. Consideration of Budget Resolutions
(1) Amendment Consideration Generally. If the chair of the
committee makes proposed legislative text of a budget
resolution available to all committee members by 12:00 p.m.,
five days prior to the start of a meeting or markup to
consider the resolution, during that meeting or markup:
(a) it shall not be in order to consider a first degree
amendment unless the amendment has been submitted to the
chief clerk by 5:00 p.m. two days prior to the start of the
meeting or markup, except that an amendment in the nature of
a substitute offered by the chair of the committee shall not
be required to be filed in advance;
(b) it shall not be in order to consider a second degree
amendment unless the amendment has been submitted to the
chief clerk by 5:00 p.m. on the day prior to the start of the
meeting or markup; and
(c) it shall not be in order to consider a side-by-side
amendment unless the amendment has been submitted to the
chief clerk by 5:00 p.m. on the day prior to the start of the
meeting or markup, and the amendment is filed in relation to
a particular first degree amendment that is considered by the
committee.
(2) Amendments with No Force or Effect. During
consideration of a budget resolution, it shall not be in
order to consider an amendment that would have no force or
effect if adopted.
III. Order of Recognition
Those members who are present at the start of any meeting
of the committee including meetings to conduct hearings,
shall be recognized in order of seniority based on time
served as a member of the committee. Any members arriving
after the start of the meeting shall be recognized, in order
of appearance, after the most junior member.
IV. Quorums and Voting
(1) Definition of Quorum. Except as provided in paragraphs
(2) and (3) of this section, a quorum for the transaction of
committee business shall consist of not less than one-third
of the membership of the entire committee: Provided, that
proxies shall not be counted in making a quorum.
(2) Reporting. A majority of the committee shall constitute
a quorum for reporting to the Senate budget resolutions,
legislative measures, nominations, or recommendations:
Provided, that proxies shall not be counted in making a
quorum.
(3) Testimony. For the purpose of taking sworn or unsworn
testimony, a quorum of the committee shall consist of one
Senator.
(4) Polling Authority.
(a) The committee may poll--
(i) internal committee matters including those concerning
the committee's staff, records, and budget;
(ii) steps in an investigation, including issuance of
subpoenas, applications for immunity orders, and requests for
documents from agencies; and
(iii) other committee business that the committee has
designated for polling at a meeting, except that the
committee may not vote by poll on reporting to the Senate
budget resolutions, legislative measures, nominations, or
recommendations, and may not vote by poll on closing a
meeting or hearing to the public.
(b) To conduct a poll, the chair shall circulate polling
sheets to each member specifying the matter being polled and
the time limit for completion of the poll. If any member
requests, the matter shall be held for a meeting rather than
being polled. The chief clerk shall keep a record of polls;
if the committee determines by record vote in open session of
a majority of the members of the committee present that the
polled matter is one of those enumerated in Committee on the
Budget Rules of Procedure I(2)(a)-(f), then the record of the
poll shall be confidential. Any member may move at the
committee meeting following a poll for a vote on the
polled decision.
V. Proxies
When a record vote is taken in the committee on any budget
resolutions, legislative measures, nominations,
recommendations, amendments, or any other questions, a quorum
being present, a member who is unable to attend the meeting
may vote by proxy if the absent member has been informed of
the matter on which the vote is being recorded and has
affirmatively requested to be so recorded; except that no
member may vote by proxy during the deliberations on budget
resolutions unless a member is experiencing a health issue
and the chair and ranking member agree to allow that member
to vote by proxy on amendments to a budget resolution. While
proxies may be voted on a motion to report a measure or
matter from the committee, such a motion shall also require
the concurrence of a majority of the members who are
physically present at the time such action is taken.
VI. Hearings and Hearing Procedures
(1) Exemption from Two-Hour Rule. Pursuant to rule XXVI,
paragraph 5(a), of the Standing Rules of the Senate, the
committee is exempt from the prohibition on Senate committees
meeting while the Senate is in session without special leave,
after the conclusion of the first two hours after the meeting
of the Senate commenced and in no case after two o'clock
postmeridian unless consent therefor has been obtained from
the majority leader and the minority leader (or in the event
of the absence of either such leaders, from their
designee(s)).
(2) Notice. The committee shall make public announcement of
the date, place, time, and subject matter of any hearing to
be conducted on any measure or matter at least 1 week in
advance of such hearing, unless the chair and ranking member
determine that there is good cause to begin such hearing at
an earlier date.
(3) Witness Testimony Deadline. At least 24 hours prior to
the scheduled start time of the hearing, a witness appearing
before the committee shall file a written statement of
proposed testimony, including visual exhibits intended for
display during testimony, with the chief clerk who is
responsible for circulating the proposed testimony to all
members at the same time. The requirement that a witness
submit testimony 24 hours prior to a hearing may be waived by
the chair and the ranking member, following their
determination that there is good cause for the failure of
compliance.
(4) Witness Testimony Time Limit. Oral statements of
witnesses shall be based upon their filed statements but
shall be limited to 5 minutes duration. This period may be
limited or extended at the discretion of the chair presiding
at the hearings.
VII. Committee Reports
(1) Report Generally. When the committee has ordered a
measure or recommendation reported, following final action,
the report thereon shall be filed in the Senate at the
earliest practicable time.
(2) Supplemental Report. A member of the committee, who
gives notice of an intention to file supplemental, minority,
or additional views at the time of final committee approval
of budget resolutions, legislative measures, nominations, or
recommendations, shall be entitled to not less than 3
calendar days in which to file such views, in writing, with
the chief clerk of the committee. Such views shall then be
included in the committee report and printed in the same
volume, as a part thereof, and their inclusions 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.
VIII. Use of Display Materials in Committee by Members
Committee members may use the electronic display system
provided in the committee hearing room or physical graphic
displays during any meetings or hearings of the committee.
Physical graphic displays are limited to the following:
Charts, photographs, or renderings:
Size: no larger than 36 inches by 48 inches.
Where: on an easel stand next to the member's seat or at
the rear of the committee room.
The member may display such materials only at the time the
member is speaking, and no more than two may be displayed at
a time.
IX. Confirmation Standards and Procedures
(1) Standards. In considering a nomination, the committee
shall inquire into the nominee's experience, qualifications,
suitability, and integrity to serve in the position to which
he or she has been nominated. The committee shall recommend
confirmation if it finds that the nominee has the necessary
integrity and is affirmatively qualified by reason of
training, education, or experience to carry out the functions
of the office to which he or she was nominated.
(2) Information Concerning the Nominee. Each nominee shall
submit the following information to the chief clerk, who will
distribute to the chair and ranking member at the same time:
(a) A detailed biographical resume which contains
information concerning education, employment, and background
which generally relates to the position to which the
individual is nominated, and which is to be made public;
(b) Information concerning financial and other background
of the nominee which is to be made public; provided, that
financial information that does not relate to the nominee's
qualifications to hold the position to which the individual
is nominated, tax returns or reports prepared by federal
agencies that may be submitted by the nominee shall, after
review by the chair, ranking member, or any other member of
the committee upon request, be maintained in a manner to
ensure confidentiality; and
(c) Copies of other relevant documents and responses to
pre-hearing questions and responses to questions for the
record submitted in accordance with the deadline following
the committee hearing, as the committee may so request, such
as responses to questions concerning the policies and
programs the nominee intends to pursue upon taking office.
(3) Report on the Nominee. After a review of all
information pertinent to the nomination, a confidential
report on the nominee may be prepared by the committee staff
for the chair, the ranking member, and, upon request, for any
other member of the committee. The report shall summarize the
steps taken and the results of the committee inquiry,
including any unresolved matters that have been raised during
the course of the inquiry.
(4) Hearings. The committee shall conduct a hearing,
subject to the hearing notice requirement, during which the
nominee shall be called to testify under oath on all matters
relating to the nominee's suitability for office, including
the policies and programs
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which the nominee would pursue while in that position. No
hearing or meeting to consider the confirmation shall be held
until at least 72 hours after the following events have
occurred: the nominee has responded to the requirements set
forth in subsection (2)--including responding to pre-hearing
questions and questions for the record for hearings and
meetings, respectively, and, if a report described in
subsection (3) has been prepared, it has been presented to
the chair and ranking member, and is available to other
members of the committee, upon request.
(5) OMB Nominees. Pursuant to S. Res. 445, 108th Congr.
Sec. 101 (2004) (adopted), the Committee on the Budget and
the Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs
shall have joint jurisdiction over the nominations of persons
nominated by the President to fill the positions of Director
of Deputy Director for Budget within the Office and
Management and Budget, and if one committee votes to order
reported such a nomination, the other must report within 30
calendar days session, or be automatically discharged.
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