[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 2]
[Senate]
[Pages 1593-1596]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                     COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN RELATIONS

                                 ______
                                 

                           RULES OF PROCEDURE

  Mr. CORKER. Mr. President, the Committee on Foreign Relations has 
adopted rules governing its procedures for the 115th Congress. Pursuant 
to rule XXVI, paragraph 2, of the Standing Rules of the Senate, on 
behalf of myself and Senator Cardin, 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 THE COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN RELATIONS

                       (Adopted January 31, 2017)


                          rule 1--jurisdiction

       (a) Substantive.--In accordance with Senate Rule 
     XXV.1(j)(1), 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)(2) 
     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(a)(2), 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) Hearings.--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. Hearings of subcommittees shall be scheduled after 
     consultation with the chairman of the committee with a view 
     toward avoiding conflicts with hearings of other 
     subcommittees insofar as possible. Hearings of subcommittees 
     shall not be scheduled to conflict with meetings or hearings 
     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 and hearings

       (a) Regular Meeting Day.--The regular meeting day of the 
     Committee on Foreign

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     Relations for the transaction of committee business shall be 
     on Tuesday of each week, unless otherwise directed by the 
     chairman.
       (b) Additional Meetings and Hearings.--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 select and call an equal number of non-governmental 
     witnesses 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 
     seven calendar days 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 and hearing of the 
     Committee on Foreign Relations, or any subcommittee thereof 
     shall be open to the public, except that a meeting or hearing 
     or series of meetings or hearings 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 or hearing 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 hearing or series of meetings 
     or hearings--
       (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 or hearing 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 and hearings. The chairman or 
     ranking member may authorize the attendance and seating of 
     such a staff member at committee meetings and hearings where 
     the member of the committee is not present.
       Each member of the committee may designate members of his 
     or her personal staff for whom that member assumes personal 
     responsibility, who holds, at a minimum, 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 for whom 
     that leader assumes personal responsibility and who holds, at 
     a minimum, 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 and hearings 
     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 or hearings.


                            rule 4--quorums

       (a) Testimony.--For the purpose of taking sworn or sworn 
     testimony at any duly scheduled meeting a quorum of the 
     committee and each subcommittee thereof shall consist of one 
     member of such committee or subcommittee.
       (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, 
     including at least one member from each party, 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 submit an 
     electronic copy of the written statement of his proposed 
     testimony at least 24 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.
       (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

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     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 4 hours 
     notice by telephone or electronic mail 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 (including by electronic mail), 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) Roll Call Votes.--The results of all roll call 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.


                            rule 9--treaties

       (a) General.--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) Committee Proceedings.--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) Floor Proceedings.--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) Hearings.--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 5 business 
     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; (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; and (6) the nominee has provided the 
     committee with a signed and notarized copy of the committee 
     questionnaire for executive branch nominees.


                            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 and 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 Travel.--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) PRM Travel.--For the purposes of this rule regarding 
     staff foreign travel, the officially-designated personal 
     representative of the member pursuant to rule 14(b), shall be 
     deemed to have the same rights, duties, and responsibilities 
     as members of the staff of the Committee on Foreign 
     Relations.


      rule 12--transcripts and materials provided to the committee

       (a) General.--The Committee on Foreign Relations shall keep 
     verbatim transcripts of all committee and subcommittee 
     meetings and hearings 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.
       The committee, through the chief clerk, shall also maintain 
     at least one copy of all materials provided to the committee 
     by the Executive Branch; such copy shall remain in the 
     custody of the committee and be subject to the committee's 
     rules and procedures, including those rules and procedures 
     applicable to the handling of classified materials.
       Such transcripts and materials shall be made available to 
     all members of the committee, committee staff, and designated 
     personal representatives of members of the committee, except 
     as otherwise provided in these rules.
       (b) Classified or Restricted Transcripts or Materials.--
       (1) The chief clerk of the committee shall have 
     responsibility for the maintenance and security of classified 
     or restricted transcripts or materials, and shall ensure that 
     such transcripts or materials 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 or materials as required by the 
     Senate Security Manual.
       (3) Classified transcripts or materials may not leave the 
     committee offices, or SVC-217 of the Capitol Visitors Center, 
     except for the purpose of declassification or archiving, 
     consistent with these rules.
       (4) Extreme care shall be exercised to avoid taking notes 
     or quotes from classified transcripts or materials. 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 or materials:
       (A) Members and staff of the committee in the committee 
     offices or in SVC-217 of the Capitol Visitors 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 Visitors Center;
       (C) Senators not members of the committee, by permission of 
     the chairman, in the committee offices or in SVC-217 of the 
     Capitol Visitors Center; and
       (D) Officials of the executive departments involved in the 
     meeting, hearing, or matter, with authorization of the 
     chairman, in the committee offices or SVC-217 of the Capitol 
     Visitors Center.

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       (6) Any restrictions imposed by the committee upon access 
     to a meeting or hearing 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 or hearing, 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 is a member or staff of a 
     relevant committee or executive branch agency and possess an 
     appropriate security clearance, 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 or materials 
     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 regarding the declassification.


                    rule 13--classified information

       (a) General.--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) Security Manager.--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) Transportation of Classified Material.--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) Access to Classified Material.--In general, Senators 
     and staff undertake to confine their access to classified 
     information on the basis of a ``need to know'' such 
     information related to their committee responsibilities.
       (e) Staff Clearances.--The chairman, or, in the case of 
     minority stag the ranking member, shall designate the members 
     of the committee staff whose assignments require access to 
     classified and compartmented information and shall seek to 
     obtain the requisite security clearances pursuant to Office 
     of Senate Security procedures.
       (f) PRM Clearances.--For the purposes of this rule 
     regarding security clearances and access to compartmented 
     information, the officially-designated personal 
     representative of the member (PRM) pursuant to rule 14(b), 
     shall be deemed to have the same rights, duties, and 
     responsibilities as members of the staff of the Committee on 
     Foreign Relations.
       (g) Regulations.--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 and other 
     matters within the jurisdiction of the committee. 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 national security 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) Personal Representatives of the Member (PRM). --Each 
     Senator on the committee shall be authorized to designate one 
     personal staff member as the member's personal representative 
     of the member and designee to the committee (PRM) that shall 
     be deemed to have the same rights, duties, and 
     responsibilities as members of the staff of the Committee on 
     Foreign Relations where specifically provided for in these 
     rules.
       (c) 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, unless staff has consulted with and obtained, as 
     appropriate, the approval of the Senate Ethics Committee and 
     advance permission from the staff director (or the minority 
     staff director in the case of minority staff):
       (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; and
       (B) members of the staff shall not accept public speaking 
     engagements or write for publication in the field of foreign 
     relations.
       (2) The staff shall not discuss their private conversations 
     with members of the committee without specific advance 
     permission from the Senator or Senators concerned.
       (3) 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 is 
     a member or staff of a relevant committee or executive branch 
     agency and possesses an appropriate security clearance, 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 certain cases, 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 (including by electronic mail) of the 
     proposed change has been given to each member at least 72 
     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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