    [Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 37 (Tuesday, February 25, 2025)]
    [Senate]
    [Pages S1336-S1337]
    From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      U.S. SENATE COMMITTEE ON RULES AND ADMINISTRATION RULES OF PROCEDURE

      Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, the Committee on Rules and
    Administration has adopted rules governing its procedures for the 119th
    Congress. Pursuant to rule XXVI, paragraph 2, of the Standing Rules of
    the Senate, on behalf of myself and Senator Padilla, 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:

                               Rules of Procedure

                           meetings of the committee

           Rule 1. The regular meeting dates 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
         Chair as he or she 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 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 Committees 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 Committees 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 one 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 Chair 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 Chair.
           Rule 6. Any witness who is to appear before the Committee
         in any hearing shall file with the clerk of the Committee at
         least three 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 Chair may direct, unless the Chair and the Ranking
         Minority Member waive such requirement for good cause.
           Rule 7. In general, testimony will be restricted to five
         minutes for each witness. The time may be extended by the
         Chair, upon the Chairs own direction or at the request of a
         Member. Each round of questions by Members will also be
         limited to five 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, two Members of the Committee shall constitute
         a quorum for the purpose of taking testimony under oath and
         one Member of the Committee shall constitute a quorum for the
         purpose of taking testimony not under oath; provided,
         however, that in either instance,

    [[Page S1337]]

         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 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 Members 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 or she 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 by at least 5:00 p.m. the day prior to the scheduled
         start of the meeting and circulated to each of the offices by
         at least 6:00 p.m.
           Rule 17. In the event the Chair introduces a substitute
         amendment or a Chairs mark, the requirements set forth in
         Rule 16 shall be considered waived unless such substitute
         amendment or Chairs 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 Chair and the Ranking Minority Member.

                   delegation of authority to committee chair

           Rule 20. The Chair is authorized to personally sign or sign
         by delegation all necessary vouchers and routine papers for
         which the Committees approval is required and to decide on
         the Committees behalf all routine business.
           Rule 21. The Chair is authorized to engage commercial
         reporters for the preparation of transcripts of Committee
         meetings and hearings.
           Rule 22. The Chair 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 chair and ranking minority member

           Rule 23. The Chair and Ranking Minority Member, acting
         jointly, are authorized to approve on behalf of the Committee
         any rule or regulation for which the Committees approval is
         required, provided advance notice of their intention to do so
         is given to Members of the Committee.
           Rule 24. The Chair, with the concurrence of the Ranking
         Minority Member of the Committee, is authorized to subpoena
         the attendance of witnesses and the production of
         correspondence, books, papers, documents, and other
         materials. Regardless of whether a subpoena has been
         concurred in by the Ranking Minority Member, such subpoena
         may be authorized by vote of the Members of the Committee.
         When a subpoena is authorized, either by a vote of the
         Committee or by the Chair with the concurrence of the Ranking
         Member, the subpoena may be issued upon the signature of the
         Chair or of any other Member of the Committee designated by
         the Chair.

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