[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 3]
[Senate]
[Pages 3590-3593]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




           COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN RELATIONS RULES OF PROCEDURE

  Mr. KERRY. Mr. President, pursuant to the requirements of paragraph 2 
of Senate rule XXVI, I ask to have printed in the Record the rules of 
the Committee on Foreign Relations for the 111th Congress adopted by 
the committee on February 5, 2009.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

              RULES OF THE COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN RELATIONS

                       (Adopted February 5, 2009)


                          rule 1--jurisdiction

       (a) Substantive.--In accordance with Senate Rule XXV.1(j), 
     the jurisdiction of the committee shall extend to all 
     proposed legislation, messages, petitions, memorials, and 
     other matters relating to the following subjects:
          1. Acquisition of land and buildings for embassies and 
     legations in foreign countries.
          2. Boundaries of the United States.
          3. Diplomatic service.
          4. Foreign economic, military, technical, and 
     humanitarian assistance.
          5. Foreign loans.
          6. International activities of the American National Red 
     Cross and the International Committee of the Red Cross.
          7. International aspects of nuclear energy, including 
     nuclear transfer policy.
          8. International conferences and congresses.
          9. International law as it relates to foreign policy.
         10. International Monetary Fund and other international 
     organizations established primarily for international 
     monetary purposes (except that, at the request of the 
     Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, any 
     proposed legislation relating to such subjects reported by 
     the Committee on Foreign Relations shall be referred to the 
     Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs).
         11. Intervention abroad and declarations of war.
         12. Measures to foster commercial intercourse with 
     foreign nations and to safeguard American business interests 
     abroad.
         13. National security and international aspects of 
     trusteeships of the United States.
         14. Ocean and international environmental and scientific 
     affairs as they relate to foreign policy.
         15. Protection of United States citizens abroad and 
     expatriation.
         16. Relations of the United States with foreign nations 
     generally.
         17. Treaties and executive agreements, except reciprocal 
     trade agreements.
         18. United Nations and its affiliated organizations.
         19. World Bank group, the regional development banks, and 
     other international organizations established primarily for 
     development assistance purposes.
       The committee is also mandated by Senate Rule XXV.1(j) to 
     study and review, on a comprehensive basis, matters relating 
     to the national security policy, foreign policy, and 
     international economic policy as it relates to foreign policy 
     of the United States, and matters relating to food, hunger, 
     and nutrition in foreign countries, and report thereon from 
     time to time.
       (b) Oversight.--The committee also has a responsibility 
     under Senate Rule XXVI.8, which provides that ``.  . . . each 
     standing committee . . . shall review and study, on a 
     continuing basis, the application, administration, and 
     execution of those laws or parts of laws, the subject matter 
     of which is within the jurisdiction of the committee.''
       (c) ``Advice and Consent'' Clauses.--The committee has a 
     special responsibility to assist the Senate in its 
     constitutional function of providing ``advice and consent'' 
     to all treaties entered into by the United States and all 
     nominations to the principal executive branch positions in 
     the field of foreign policy and diplomacy.


                         RULE 2--SUBCOMMITTEES

       (a) Creation.--Unless otherwise authorized by law or Senate 
     resolution, subcommittees shall be created by majority vote 
     of the committee and shall deal with such legislation and 
     oversight of programs and policies as the committee directs. 
     Legislative measures or other matters may be referred to a 
     subcommittee for consideration in the discretion of the 
     chairman or by vote of a majority of the committee. If the 
     principal subject matter of a measure or matter to be 
     referred falls within the jurisdiction of more than one 
     subcommittee, the chairman or the committee may refer the 
     matter to two or more subcommittees for joint consideration.
       (b) Assignments.--Assignments of members to subcommittees 
     shall be made in an equitable fashion. No member of the 
     committee may receive assignment to a second subcommittee 
     until, in order of seniority, all members of the committee 
     have chosen assignments to one subcommittee, and no member 
     shall receive assignments to a third subcommittee until, in 
     order of seniority, all members have chosen assignments to 
     two subcommittees.
       No member of the committee may serve on more than four 
     subcommittees at any one time.
       The chairman and ranking member of the committee shall be 
     ex officio members, without vote, of each subcommittee.
       (c) Meetings.--Except when funds have been specifically 
     made available by the Senate for a subcommittee purpose, no 
     subcommittee of the Committee on Foreign Relations shall hold 
     hearings involving expenses without prior approval of the 
     chairman of the full committee or by decision of the full 
     committee. Meetings of subcommittees shall be scheduled after 
     consultation with the chairman of the committee with a view 
     toward avoiding conflicts with meetings of other 
     subcommittees insofar as possible. Meetings of subcommittees 
     shall not be scheduled to conflict with meetings of the full 
     committee.
       The proceedings of each subcommittee shall be governed by 
     the rules of the full committee, subject to such 
     authorizations or limitations as the committee may from time 
     to time prescribe.


                            RULE 3--MEETINGS

       (a) Regular Meeting Day.--The regular meeting day of the 
     Committee on Foreign Relations for the transaction of 
     committee business shall be on Tuesday of each week, unless 
     otherwise directed by the chairman.
       (b) Additional Meetings.--Additional meetings and hearings 
     of the committee may be called by the chairman as he may deem 
     necessary. If at least three members of the committee desire 
     that a special meeting of the committee be called by the 
     chairman, those members may file in the offices of the 
     committee their written request to the chairman for that 
     special meeting. Immediately upon filing of the request, the 
     chief clerk of the committee shall notify the chairman of the 
     filing of the request. If, within three calendar days after 
     the filing of the request, the chairman does not call the 
     requested special meeting, to be held within seven calendar 
     days after the filing of the request, a majority of the 
     members of the committee may file in the offices of the 
     committee their written notice that a special meeting of the 
     committee will be held, specifying the date and hour of that 
     special meeting. The committee shall meet on that date and 
     hour. Immediately upon the filing of the notice, the clerk 
     shall notify all members of the committee that such special 
     meeting will be held and inform them of its date and hour.
       (c) Hearings, Selection of Witnesses.--To ensure that the 
     issue which is the subject of the hearing is presented as 
     fully and fairly as possible, whenever a hearing is conducted 
     by the committee or a subcommittee upon any measure or 
     matter, the ranking member of the committee or subcommittee 
     may call an

[[Page 3591]]

     equal number of non-governmental witnesses selected by the 
     ranking member to testify at that hearing.
       (d) Public Announcement.--The committee, or any 
     subcommittee thereof, shall make public announcement of the 
     date, place, time, and subject matter of any meeting or 
     hearing to be conducted on any measure or matter at least one 
     week in advance of such meetings or hearings, unless the 
     chairman of the committee, or subcommittee, in consultation 
     with the ranking member, determines that there is good cause 
     to begin such meeting or hearing at an earlier date.
       (e) Procedure.--Insofar as possible, proceedings of the 
     committee will be conducted without resort to the formalities 
     of parliamentary procedure and with due regard for the views 
     of all members. Issues of procedure which may arise from time 
     to time shall be resolved by decision of the chairman, in 
     consultation with the ranking member. The chairman, in 
     consultation with the ranking member, may also propose 
     special procedures to govern the consideration of particular 
     matters by the committee.
       (f) Closed Sessions.--Each meeting of the Committee on 
     Foreign Relations, or any subcommittee thereof, including 
     meetings to conduct hearings, shall be open to the public, 
     except that a meeting or series of meetings by the committee 
     or a subcommittee 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 paragraphs (1) through (6) 
     would require the meeting to be closed followed immediately 
     by a record vote in open session by a majority of the members 
     of the committee or subcommittee when it is determined that 
     the matters to be discussed or the testimony to be taken at 
     such meeting or meetings--
          (1) 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;
          (2) will relate solely to matters of committee staff 
     personnel or internal staff management or procedure;
          (3) 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;
          (4) 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;
          (5) will disclose information relating to the trade 
     secrets or financial or commercial information pertaining 
     specifically to a given person if--
          (A) an Act of Congress requires the information to be 
     kept confidential by government officers and employees; or
          (B) 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
          (6) may divulge matters required to be kept confidential 
     under other provisions of law or government regulations.
       A closed meeting may be opened by a majority vote of the 
     committee.
       (g) Staff Attendance.--A member of the committee may have 
     one member of his or her personal staff, for whom that member 
     assumes personal responsibility, accompany and be seated 
     nearby at committee meetings.
       Each member of the committee may designate members of his 
     or her personal staff, who hold a top secret security 
     clearance, for the purpose of their eligibility to attend 
     closed sessions of the committee, subject to the same 
     conditions set forth for committee staff under Rules 12, 13, 
     and 14.
       In addition, the majority leader and the minority leader of 
     the Senate, if they are not otherwise members of the 
     committee, may designate one member of their staff with a top 
     secret security clearance to attend closed sessions of the 
     committee, subject to the same conditions set forth for 
     committee staff under Rules 12, 13, and 14. Staff of other 
     Senators who are not members of the committee may not attend 
     closed sessions of the committee.
       Attendance of committee staff at meetings shall be limited 
     to those designated by the staff director or the minority 
     staff director.
       The committee, by majority vote, or the chairman, with the 
     concurrence of the ranking member, may limit staff attendance 
     at specified meetings.


                            RULE 4--QUORUMS

       (a) Testimony.--For the purpose of taking sworn or unsworn 
     testimony at any duly scheduled meeting a quorum of the 
     committee and each subcommittee thereof shall consist of one 
     member.
       (b) Business.--A quorum for the transaction of committee or 
     subcommittee business, other than for reporting a measure or 
     recommendation to the Senate or the taking of testimony, 
     shall consist of one-third of the members of the committee or 
     subcommittee, including at least one member from each party.
       (c) Reporting.--A majority of the membership of the 
     committee, including at least one member from each party, 
     shall constitute a quorum for reporting any measure or 
     recommendation to the Senate. No measure or recommendation 
     shall be ordered reported from the committee unless a 
     majority of the committee members is physically present, and 
     a majority of those present concurs.


                            RULE 5--PROXIES

       Proxies must be in writing with the signature of the absent 
     member. Subject to the requirements of Rule 4 for the 
     physical presence of a quorum to report a matter, proxy 
     voting shall be allowed on all measures and matters before 
     the committee. However, proxies shall not be voted on a 
     measure or matter except when the absent member has been 
     informed of the matter on which he is being recorded and has 
     affirmatively requested that he or she be so recorded.


                           RULE 6--WITNESSES

       (a) General.--The Committee on Foreign Relations will 
     consider requests to testify on any matter or measure pending 
     before the committee.
       (b) Presentation.--If the chairman so determines, the oral 
     presentation of witnesses shall be limited to 10 minutes. 
     However, written statements of reasonable length may be 
     submitted by witnesses and other interested persons who are 
     unable to testify in person.
       (c) Filing of Statements.--A witness appearing before the 
     committee, or any subcommittee thereof, shall file a written 
     statement of his proposed testimony at least 48 hours prior 
     to his appearance, unless this requirement is waived by the 
     chairman and the ranking member following their determination 
     that there is good cause for failure to file such a 
     statement. Witnesses appearing on behalf of the executive 
     branch shall provide an additional 100 copies of their 
     statement to the committee.
       (d) Expenses.--Only the chairman may authorize expenditures 
     of funds for the expenses of witnesses appearing before the 
     committee or its subcommittees.
       (e) Requests.--Any witness called for a hearing may submit 
     a written request to the chairman no later than 24 hours in 
     advance for his testimony to be in closed or open session, or 
     for any other unusual procedure. The chairman shall determine 
     whether to grant any such request and shall notify the 
     committee members of the request and of his decision.


                           RULE 7--SUBPOENAS

       (a) Authorization.--The chairman or any other member of the 
     committee, when authorized by a majority vote of the 
     committee at a meeting or by proxies, shall have authority to 
     subpoena the attendance of witnesses or the production of 
     memoranda, documents, records, or any other materials. At the 
     request of any member of the committee, the committee shall 
     authorize the issuance of a subpoena only at a meeting of the 
     committee. When the committee authorizes a subpoena, it may 
     be issued upon the signature of the chairman or any other 
     member designated by the committee.
       (b) Return.--A subpoena, or a request to an agency, for 
     documents may be issued whose return shall occur at a time 
     and place other than that of a scheduled committee meeting. A 
     return on such a subpoena or request which is incomplete or 
     accompanied by an objection constitutes good cause for a 
     hearing on shortened notice. Upon such a return, the chairman 
     or any other member designated by him may convene a hearing 
     by giving 2 hours notice by telephone to all other members. 
     One member shall constitute a quorum for such a hearing. The 
     sole purpose of such a hearing shall be to elucidate further 
     information about the return and to rule on the objection.
       (c) Depositions.--At the direction of the committee, staff 
     is authorized to take depositions from witnesses.


                            RULE 8--REPORTS

       (a) Filing.--When the committee has ordered a measure or 
     recommendation reported, the report thereon shall be filed in 
     the Senate at the earliest practicable time.
       (b) Supplemental, Minority and Additional Views.--A member 
     of the committee who gives notice of his intentions to file 
     supplemental, minority, or additional views at the time of 
     final committee approval of a measure or matter, 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, with the 3 days to begin at 11:00 p.m. on the same 
     day that the committee has ordered a measure or matter 
     reported. Such views shall then be included in the committee 
     report and printed in the same volume, as a part thereof, and 
     their inclusion 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.
       (c) Rollcall Votes.--The results of all rollcall votes 
     taken in any meeting of the committee on any measure, or 
     amendment thereto, shall be announced in the committee 
     report. The announcement shall include a tabulation of the 
     votes cast in favor and votes cast in opposition to each such 
     measure and amendment by each member of the committee.

[[Page 3592]]




                            RULE 9--TREATIES

       (a) The committee is the only committee of the Senate with 
     jurisdiction to review and report to the Senate on treaties 
     submitted by the President for Senate advice and consent to 
     ratification. Because the House of Representatives has no 
     role in the approval of treaties, the committee is therefore 
     the only congressional committee with responsibility for 
     treaties.
       (b) Once submitted by the President for advice and consent, 
     each treaty is referred to the committee and remains on its 
     calendar from Congress to Congress until the committee takes 
     action to report it to the Senate or recommend its return to 
     the President, or until the committee is discharged of the 
     treaty by the Senate.
       (c) In accordance with Senate Rule XXX.2, treaties which 
     have been reported to the Senate but not acted on before the 
     end of a Congress ``shall be resumed at the commencement of 
     the next Congress as if no proceedings had previously been 
     had thereon.''
       (d) Insofar as possible, the committee should conduct a 
     public hearing on each treaty as soon as possible after its 
     submission by the President. Except in extraordinary 
     circumstances, treaties reported to the Senate shall be 
     accompanied by a written report.


                          RULE 10--NOMINATIONS

       (a) Waiting Requirement.--Unless otherwise directed by the 
     chairman and the ranking member, the Committee on Foreign 
     Relations shall not consider any nomination until 6 calendar 
     days after it has been formally submitted to the Senate.
       (b) Public Consideration.--Nominees for any post who are 
     invited to appear before the committee shall be heard in 
     public session, unless a majority of the committee decrees 
     otherwise, consistent with Rule 3(f).
       (c) Required Data.--No nomination shall be reported to the 
     Senate unless (1) the nominee has been accorded a security 
     clearance on the basis of a thorough investigation by 
     executive branch agencies; (2) the nominee has filed a 
     financial disclosure report and a related ethics undertaking 
     with the committee; (3) the committee has been assured that 
     the nominee does not have any interests which could conflict 
     with the interests of the government in the exercise of the 
     nominee's proposed responsibilities; (4) for persons 
     nominated to be chief of mission, ambassador-at-large, or 
     minister, the committee has received a complete list of any 
     contributions made by the nominee or members of his immediate 
     family to any Federal election campaign during the year of 
     his or her nomination and for the 4 preceding years; and (5) 
     for persons nominated to be chiefs of mission, the report 
     required by Section 304(a)(4) of the Foreign Service Act of 
     1980 on the demonstrated competence of that nominee to 
     perform the duties of the position to which he or she has 
     been nominated.


                            RULE 11--TRAVEL

       (a) Foreign Travel.--No member of the Committee on Foreign 
     Relations or its staff shall travel abroad on committee 
     business unless specifically authorized by the chairman, who 
     is required by law to approve vouchers and report 
     expenditures of foreign currencies, and the ranking member. 
     Requests for authorization of such travel shall state the 
     purpose and, when completed, a full substantive and financial 
     report shall be filed with the committee within 30 days. This 
     report shall be furnished to all members of the committee and 
     shall not be otherwise disseminated without authorization of 
     the chairman or the ranking member. Except in extraordinary 
     circumstances, staff travel shall not be approved unless the 
     reporting requirements have been fulfilled for all prior 
     trips. Except for travel that is strictly personal, travel 
     funded by non-U.S. Government sources is subject to the same 
     approval and substantive reporting requirements as U.S. 
     Government-funded travel. In addition, members and staff are 
     reminded to consult the Senate Code of Conduct, and, as 
     appropriate, the Senate Select Committee on Ethics, in the 
     case of travel sponsored by non-U.S. Government sources.
       Any proposed travel by committee staff for a subcommittee 
     purpose must be approved by the subcommittee chairman and 
     ranking member prior to submission of the request to the 
     chairman and ranking member of the full committee.
       (b) Domestic Travel.--All official travel in the United 
     States by the committee staff shall be approved in advance by 
     the staff director, or in the case of minority staff, by the 
     minority staff director.
       (c) Personal Staff.--As a general rule, no more than one 
     member of the personal staff of a member of the committee may 
     travel with that member with the approval of the chairman and 
     the ranking member of the committee. During such travel, the 
     personal staff member shall be considered to be an employee 
     of the committee.
       (d) Personal Representatives of the Member (PRM).--For the 
     purposes of this rule regarding staff foreign travel, the 
     officially-designated personal representative of the member 
     (PRM) shall be deemed to have the same rights, duties, and 
     responsibilities as members of the staff of the Committee on 
     Foreign Relations. Furthermore, for the purposes of this 
     section, each member of the committee may designate one 
     personal staff member as the ``Personal Representative of the 
     Member.''


                          RULE 12--TRANSCRIPTS

       (a) General.--The Committee on Foreign Relations shall keep 
     verbatim transcripts of all committee and subcommittee 
     meetings and such transcripts shall remain in the custody of 
     the committee, unless a majority of the committee decides 
     otherwise. Transcripts of public hearings by the committee 
     shall be published unless the chairman, with the concurrence 
     of the ranking member, determines otherwise.
       (b) Classified or Restricted Transcripts.--
          (1) The chief clerk of the committee shall have 
     responsibility for the maintenance and security of classified 
     or restricted transcripts, and shall ensure that such 
     transcripts are handled in a manner consistent with the 
     requirements of the United States Senate Security Manual.
          (2) A record shall be maintained of each use of 
     classified or restricted transcripts as required by the 
     Senate Security Manual.
          (3) Classified transcripts may not leave the committee 
     offices, or SVC-217 of the Capitol Vistors Center, except for 
     the purpose of declassification.
          (4) Extreme care shall be exercised to avoid taking 
     notes or quotes from classified transcripts. Their contents 
     may not be divulged to any unauthorized person.
          (5) Subject to any additional restrictions imposed by 
     the chairman with the concurrence of the ranking member, only 
     the following persons are authorized to have access to 
     classified or restricted transcripts.
          (A) Members and staff of the committee in the committee 
     offices or in SVC-217 of the Capitol Vistors Center;
          (B) Designated personal representatives of members of 
     the committee, and of the majority and minority leaders, with 
     appropriate security clearances, in the committee offices or 
     in SVC-217 of the Capitol Vistors Center;
          (C) Senators not members of the committee, by permission 
     of the chairman, in the committee offices or in SVC-217 of 
     the Capitol Vistors Center; and
          (D) Officials of the executive departments involved in 
     the meeting, in the committee offices or SVC-217 of the 
     Capitol Vistors Center.
          (6) Any restrictions imposed upon access to a meeting of 
     the committee shall also apply to the transcript of such 
     meeting, except by special permission of the chairman and 
     ranking member.
          (7) In addition to restrictions resulting from the 
     inclusion of any classified information in the transcript of 
     a committee meeting, members and staff shall not discuss with 
     anyone the proceedings of the committee in closed session or 
     reveal information conveyed or discussed in such a session 
     unless that person would have been permitted to attend the 
     session itself, or unless such communication is specifically 
     authorized by the chairman, the ranking member, or in the 
     case of staff, by the staff director or minority staff 
     director. A record shall be kept of all such authorizations.
       (c) Declassification.--
          (1) All noncurrent records of the committee are governed 
     by Rule XI of the Standing Rules of the Senate and by S. Res. 
     474 (96th Congress). Any classified transcripts transferred 
     to the National Archives and Records Administration under 
     Rule XI may not be made available for public use unless they 
     have been subject to declassification review in accordance 
     with applicable laws or Executive orders.
          (2) Any transcript or classified committee report, or 
     any portion thereof, may be declassified, in accordance with 
     applicable laws or Executive orders, sooner than the time 
     period provided for under S. Res. 474 if:
          (A) the chairman originates such action, with the 
     concurrence of the ranking member;
          (B) the other current members of the committee who 
     participated in such meeting or report have been notified of 
     the proposed declassification, and have not objected thereto, 
     except that the committee by majority vote may overrule any 
     objections thereby raised to early declassification; and
          (C) the executive departments that participated in the 
     meeting or originated the classified information have been 
     consulted and consented to the declassification.


                    RULE 13--CLASSIFIED INFORMATION

       (a) The handling of classified information in the Senate is 
     governed by S. Res. 243 (100th Congress), which established 
     the Office of Senate Security. All handling of classified 
     information by the committee shall be consistent with the 
     procedures set forth in the United States Senate Security 
     Manual issued by the Office of Senate Security.
       (b) The chief clerk is the security manager for the 
     committee. The chief clerk shall be responsible for 
     implementing the provisions of the Senate Security Manual and 
     for serving as the committee liaison to the Office of Senate 
     Security. The staff director, in consultation with the 
     minority staff director, may appoint an alternate security 
     manager as circumstances warrant.
       (c) Classified material may only be transported between 
     Senate offices by appropriately cleared staff members who 
     have been specifically authorized to do so by the security 
     manager.
       (d) In general, Senators and staff undertake to confine 
     their access to classified information on the basis of a 
     ``need to know''

[[Page 3593]]

     such information related to their committee responsibilities.
       (e) The staff director is authorized to make such 
     administrative regulations as may be necessary to carry out 
     the provisions of this rule.


                             RULE 14--STAFF

       (a) Responsibilities.--
          (1) The staff works for the committee as a whole, under 
     the general supervision of the chairman of the committee, and 
     the immediate direction of the staff director, except that 
     such part of the staff as is designated minority staff shall 
     be under the general supervision of the ranking member and 
     under the immediate direction of the minority staff director.
          (2) Any member of the committee should feel free to call 
     upon the staff at any time for assistance in connection with 
     committee business. Members of the Senate not members of the 
     committee who call upon the staff for assistance from time to 
     time should be given assistance subject to the overriding 
     responsibility of the staff to the committee.
          (3) The staff's primary responsibility is with respect 
     to bills, resolutions, treaties, and nominations.
          In addition to carrying out assignments from the 
     committee and its individual members, the staff has a 
     responsibility to originate suggestions for committee or 
     subcommittee consideration. The staff also has a 
     responsibility to make suggestions to individual members 
     regarding matters of special interest to such members.
          (4) It is part of the staff's duty to keep itself as 
     well informed as possible in regard to developments affecting 
     foreign relations and in regard to the administration of 
     foreign programs of the United States. Significant trends or 
     developments which might otherwise escape notice should be 
     called to the attention of the committee, or of individual 
     Senators with particular interests.
          (5) The staff shall pay due regard to the constitutional 
     separation of powers between the Senate and the executive 
     branch. It therefore has a responsibility to help the 
     committee bring to bear an independent, objective judgment of 
     proposals by the executive branch and when appropriate to 
     originate sound proposals of its own. At the same time, the 
     staff shall avoid impinging upon the day-to-day conduct of 
     foreign affairs.
          (6) In those instances when committee action requires 
     the expression of minority views, the staff shall assist the 
     minority as fully as the majority to the end that all points 
     of view may be fully considered by members of the committee 
     and of the Senate. The staff shall bear in mind that under 
     our constitutional system it is the responsibility of the 
     elected members of the Senate to determine legislative issues 
     in the light of as full and fair a presentation of the facts 
     as the staff may be able to obtain.
       (b) Restrictions.--
          (1) The staff shall regard its relationship to the 
     committee as a privileged one, in the nature of the 
     relationship of a lawyer to a client. In order to protect 
     this relationship and the mutual confidence which must 
     prevail if the committee-staff relationship is to be a 
     satisfactory and fruitful one, the following criteria shall 
     apply:
          (A) members of the staff shall not be identified with 
     any special interest group in the field of foreign relations 
     or allow their names to be used by any such group;
          (B) members of the staff shall not accept public 
     speaking engagements or write for publication in the field of 
     foreign relations without specific advance permission from 
     the staff director, or, in the case of minority staff, from 
     the minority staff director. In the case of the staff 
     director and the minority staff director, such advance 
     permission shall be obtained from the chairman or the ranking 
     member, as appropriate. In any event, such public statements 
     should avoid the expression of personal views and should not 
     contain predictions of future, or interpretations of past, 
     committee action; and
          (C) staff shall not discuss their private conversations 
     with members of the committee without specific advance 
     permission from the Senator or Senators concerned.
          (2) The staff shall not discuss with anyone the 
     proceedings of the committee in closed session or reveal 
     information conveyed or discussed in such a session unless 
     that person would have been permitted to attend the session 
     itself, or unless such communication is specifically 
     authorized by the staff director or minority staff director. 
     Unauthorized disclosure of information from a closed session 
     or of classified information shall be cause for immediate 
     dismissal and may, in the case of some kinds of information, 
     be grounds for criminal prosecution.


                 RULE 15--STATUS AND AMENDMENT OF RULES

       (a) Status.--In addition to the foregoing, the Committee on 
     Foreign Relations is governed by the Standing Rules of the 
     Senate, which shall take precedence in the event of a clear 
     inconsistency. In addition, the jurisdiction and 
     responsibilities of the committee with respect to certain 
     matters, as well as the timing and procedure for their 
     consideration in committee, may be governed by statute.
       (b) Amendment.--These rules may be modified, amended, or 
     repealed by a majority of the committee, provided that a 
     notice in writing of the proposed change has been given to 
     each member at least 48 hours prior to the meeting at which 
     action thereon is to be taken. However, rules of the 
     committee which are based upon Senate rules may not be 
     superseded by committee vote alone.

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