[Deschler's Precedents, Volume 4, Chapters 15 - 17]
[Chapter 17. Committees]
[C. Committee Procedure]
[Â§ 15. Adoption of Committee Rules]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]


[Page 2688-2698]
 
                               CHAPTER 17
 
                               Committees
 
                         C. COMMITTEE PROCEDURE
 
Sec. 15. Adoption of Committee Rules

    Committees have historically adopted rules under which they 
function.
    The requirement that standing committees adopt written rules 
(10) was first incorporated into the rules on Jan. 22, 1971 
(H. Res. 5, 92d Cong. 1st Sess.), having been included in the 
Legislative Reorganization Act of 1970 (84 Stat. 1140). Effective Jan. 
3, 1975, committee rules were required to be adopted in an open 
meeting, to incorporate the provisions of the House rules on committee 
procedures, and to be published in the Congressional 
Record.(11)
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10. Rule XI clause 2(a), House Rules and Manual Sec. 704 (1979).
11. A federal court has interpreted that provision of the Legislative 
        Reorganization Act requiring the printing of the Senate (but 
        not House) committee rules in the Congressional Record to be 
        mandatory, and held that a Senate committee meeting of one 
        Senator was not a ``competent'' tribunal to support a perjury 
        conviction, where the committee rule allowing one Senator to 
        take testimony had not been printed in the Record. [U.S. v 
        Reinecke, 524 F2d 435 
        (1975).]                          -------------------
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Rules Consistent With House Rules

Sec. 15.1 In the 92d Congress, the rules were amended to make mandatory 
    the requirement that committees adopt written rules not 
    inconsistent with the rules of the House.

    On Jan. 21, 1971,(12) Mr. William M. Colmer, of 
Mississippi, offered a resolution (H. Res. 5), and asked for its 
immediate consideration. The Clerk then read the resolution, as 
follows:
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12. 117 Cong. Rec. 14, 92d Cong. 1st Sess.
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        Resolved, That the Rules of the House of Representatives of the 
    Ninety-first Congress, together with all applicable provisions of 
    the Legislative Reorganization Act of 1946, as amended, and the 
    Legislative Reorganization Act of 1970, be, and they are hereby 
    adopted as the Rules of the House of Representatives of the Ninety-
    second Congress, with the following amendments as part thereof, to 
    wit: . . .

[[Page 2689]]

        In Rule XI, strike out paragraph (a) of clause 27 
    (13) and insert in lieu thereof the following:
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13. In the previous Congress, Rule Xl clause 27(a) had [H. Jour. 1792, 
        91st Cong. 2d Sess. (1970)] read:
            ``27. (a) The Rules of the House are the rules of its 
        committees so far as applicable, except that a motion to recess 
        from day to day is a motion of high privilege in committees. 
        Committees may adopt additional rules not inconsistent 
        therewith.''
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        ``(a) The Rules of the House are the rules of its committees 
    and subcommittees so far as applicable, except that a motion to 
    recess from day to day is a motion of high privilege in committees 
    and subcommittees. Committees shall adopt written rules not 
    inconsistent with the Rules of the House and those rules shall be 
    binding on each subcommittee of that committee. Each subcommittee 
    of a committee is a part of that committee and is subject to the 
    authority and direction of that committee.''

    When the resolution, as amended, was agreed to,(1~4) the 
provision requiring committees to adopt written rules not inconsistent 
with those of the House became effective.
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14. 117 Cong. Rec. 144, 92d Cong. 1st Sess., Jan. 22 1971.
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Insertion of Rules in the Record

Sec. 15.2 When the Committee on Rules adopts rules of procedure the 
    chairman of the committee inserts them in the Record.

    On Jan. 7, 1969,(15) Speaker John W. McCormack, of 
Massachusetts, recognized William M. Colmer, of Mississippi, Chairman 
of the Committee on Rules, who made the following statement:
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15. 115 Cong. Rec. 290, 91st Cong. 1st Sess.
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        Mr. Speaker, in conformity with and carrying out the provisions 
    of Rule XI of the House,(16) the Committee on Rules, on 
    January 7, 1969, unanimously adopted the following rules of 
    procedure for the Committee on Rules:
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16. Rule XI did not at that time require Mr. Colmer to insert the rules 
        adopted by his committee in the Record. Certain practices were 
        prescribed as mandatory for all standing committees, however 
        [H. Jour. 1436, 91st Cong. 1st Sess. (1969)] such as the fixing 
        of regular meeting days [clause 26] and the prohibition against 
        adopting rules inconsistent with those of the House [clause 
        27(a)] among others [clauses 26, 27(a)-(q)].
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        Rules of Procedure for the Committee on Rules, Adopted January 
                                    7, 1969

                                rule 1. meetings

            The Committee on Rules shall meet at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday 
        of each week while the Congress is in session. Meetings shall 
        be called to order and presided over by the Chairman, or in the 
        absence of the Chairman, by the ranking Majority Member of the 
        Committee present, as Acting Chairman.

[[Page 2690]]

            Meetings and hearings of the Committee shall be open to the 
        public except when a majority of the Committee determine that 
        testimony received may bear upon matters affecting national 
        security. Executive sessions of the Committee shall be closed.
            For the purpose of hearing testimony, a majority of the 
        Committee shall constitute a quorum.
            A printed transcript of any hearing or public meeting of 
        the Committee may be had if the Chairman decides it is 
        necessary, or if a majority of the Members request it.
            A Tuesday meeting of the Committee may be dispensed with 
        where, in the judgment of the Chairman, there is no need 
        therefor, and additional meetings may be called by the Chairman 
        or by written request of a majority of the Committee duly filed 
        with the counsel of the Committee.

                                 rule 2. voting

            No measure or recommendation shall be reported or tabled by 
        the Committee unless a majority of the Committee is actually 
        present.
            A roll call vote of the Members of the Committee may be had 
        upon the request of any Member.

                               rule 3. reporting

            Whenever the Committee authorizes the favorable reporting 
        of a bill or resolution from the Committee the Chairman or 
        Acting Chairman shall report the same or designate some Member 
        of the Committee to report the same to the House, as provided 
        in the Rules of the House.

                           rule 4. committee staffing

            The professional and clerical staffs of the Committee shall 
        be under the general supervision and direction of the Chairman, 
        who shall establish and assign the duties and responsibilities 
        of the members of the staffs and delegate such authority as the 
        Chairman deems appropriate, with the exception of the Minority 
        staff, who shall be selected by and under the general 
        supervision and direction of the Ranking Minority Member of the 
        Committee.

                             rule 5. miscellaneous

            The Committee shall prepare, maintain, and publish for the 
        Members of the Committee, so far as practicable, a calendar 
        listing all matters formally before it. Information on the 
        Calendar shall include the numbers of the bills or resolutions, 
        a brief description of a bill's contents, including the 
        legislative committee reporting it and the name of the 
        principal sponsoring Member. For purposes of this rule, matters 
        formally before the Committee include: bills or resolutions 
        over which the Committee has original jurisdiction, and bills 
        or resolutions from other committees concerning which the 
        chairman or designated member of such committee has requested a 
        hearing in writing and forwarded to the Committee on Rules a 
        copy of such bill or resolution as reported, together with the 
        final printed committee report.
            Upon adoption of the rules and procedures of the Committee 
        at the opening of each Congress, the Chairman may have these 
        rules and procedures printed in an early issue of The 
        Congressional Record.(17)
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17. See the introduction to Sec. 14, supra, for a detailed analysis of 
        the requirements imposed upon committees by Rule XI.
            For an earlier instance in which the Committee on Rules 
        made public its rules of procedure, see 113 Cong. Rec. 4774, 
        4775, 90th Cong.f 1st Sess., Feb. 28, 1967.
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Sec. 15.3 The Committee on Internal Security having adopted

[[Page 2691]]

    its committee rules covering such subjects as the conduct of 
    investigative hearings, the protection of witnesses and their 
    testimony, and the participation of counsel in committee hearings, 
    the chairman of the committee inserted the rules in the Record.

    On Feb. 24, 1969,(18) Richard H. Ichord, of Missouri, 
Chairman of the Committee on Internal Security, made the following 
statement:
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18. 115 Cong. Rec. 4191, 91st Cong. 1st Sess.
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        . . . For the information of the House, I . . . note that the 
    new committee (1) has adopted rules of procedures which 
    I believe are the most comprehensive and the fairest rules ever 
    adopted by a committee of this Congress. I . . . append a copy of 
    the new Rules of Procedure of the Committee on Internal Security. I 
    think you will agree that the rules go as far as possible in 
    protecting the rights of persons appearing before the committee, 
    while still constituting a workable set of rules for the purposes 
    of a legislative body.(2)
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 1. The Committee on Internal Security replaced the Committee on Un-
        American Activities, see Sec. 41, infra.
 2. Mr. Ichord had asked and was granted permission to extend his 
        remarks at this point in the Record and to include extraneous 
        matter.
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    The rules of which Mr. Ichord spoke, were printed in the Record as 
follows: (3)
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 3. 115 Cong. Rec. 4192, 4193, 91st Cong. 1st Sess.
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                        Committee Rules of Procedure

                      i--initiation of investigations

        No investigation shall be undertaken by the Committee unless 
    authorized by a majority of the members thereof. Committee 
    investigations shall be limited to those legislative purposes 
    committed to it by the mandate of the House. The subjects of 
    inquiry of any investigation shall be set forth in the Committee 
    resolution authorizing such investigation.

      ii--committee and subcommittee meetings--quorum--appointment of 
                               subcommittees

        A--Committee or subcommittee meetings to make authorizations or 
    decisions with respect to investigations shall be called only upon 
    a minimum of 24 hours' written or verbal notice to the office of 
    each member while the Congress is in session, and 3 days' written 
    notice when not in session. Any objection to the sufficiency of 
    notice of any meeting shall be deemed waived, unless written 
    objection is filed with the Chairman of the Committee or 
    subcommittee.
        B--The Chairman of the Committee is authorized and empowered 
    from time to time to appoint subcommittees, and to reconstitute the 
    membership thereof, composed of three or more members of the 
    Committee, at least one of whom shall be of the minority political 
    party, and a majority of whom

[[Page 2692]]

    shall constitute a quorum, for the purpose of conducting any 
    investigation initiated by the Committee or performing any and all 
    acts which the Committee as a whole is authorized to perform for 
    the purpose of any such investigation. No subcommittee shall have 
    the authority to release executive testimony, or to report any 
    measure or recommendation to the House.

               iii--delegation of authority to subcommittees

        In addition to the general authority delegated to subcommittees 
    under the preceding section, each subcommittee is delegated 
    authority:
        A--Subject to the provisions of section X hereof, to determine 
    by majority vote thereof whether the hearings conducted by it shall 
    be open to the public or shall be in executive session; and
        B--To admit to the hearing room whatever public information 
    media it deems advisable or necessary, provided that the decision 
    of the subcommittee shall not be in conflict with the rulings of 
    the Speaker of the House of Representatives.

                        iv--subpenaing of witnesses

        A--Subpenas may be issued under the signature of the Chairman 
    of the Committee or of any subcommittee, or by any member 
    designated by such chairman, when authorized by a majority of the 
    members of such Committee or subcommittee, and may be served by any 
    person designated by any such Chairman or member.
        B--Each subpoena shall contain a statement of the Committee 
    resolution authorizing the particular investigation with respect to 
    which the witness is summoned to testify or to produce papers, and 
    shal1 contain a statement notifying the witness that if he desires 
    a conference with a representative of the Committee prior to the 
    date of the hearing, he may call or write to counsel of the 
    Committee.
        C--Witnesses shall be subpenaed at a reasonably sufficient time 
    in advance of any hearing, said time to be determined by the 
    Committee or subcommittee, in order to give the witness an 
    opportunity to prepare for the hearing and to employ counsel, 
    should he so desire.

               v--publication of names of subpenaed witnesses

        No member of the Committee or staff shall make public the name 
    of any witness subpenaed before the Committee or subcommittee prior 
    to the date and time set for his appearance.

                         vi--distribution of rules

        All witnesses appearing before the Committee or subcommittee 
    shall be furnished a printed copy of the Rules of Procedure of the 
    Committee and clause 27 of Rule XI of the House of Representatives.

                   vii--witness fees and travel allowance

        Each witness who has been subpenaed, upon the completion of his 
    testimony before the Committee or subcommittee, may report to the 
    office of counsel of the Committee, Cannon House Office Building, 
    Washington, D.C., and there sign appropriate vouchers for travel 
    allowances and attendance fees. If hearings are held in

[[Page 2693]]

    cities other than Washington, D.C., the witness may contact the 
    counsel of the Committee, or his representative, prior to leaving 
    the hearing room.

                      viii--subjects of investigation

        The subjects of any investigation in connection with which 
    witnesses are summoned or shall otherwise appear, shall be publicly 
    announced in an opening statement before administration of oath or 
    affirmation or receipt of testimony at any hearing and a copy 
    thereof shall be made available to each witness. The information 
    sought to be elicited at the hearings shall be germane to the 
    subject as so stated.

                          ix--testimony under oath

        A--All witnesses at public or executive investigative hearings 
    who testify as to matters of fact shall give all testimony under 
    oath or affirmation which shall be administered by the Chairman or 
    a member of the Committee or subcommittee.
        B--No witness shall be compelled to testify under oath or 
    affirmation at any Committee or subcommittee hearing unless a 
    quorum of the Committee or subcommittee is present to receive such 
    testimony. 

                           x--executive hearings

        A--The Committee or subcommittee shall receive evidence or 
    testimony in executive session--
        (1) When the Committee or subcommittee determines that evidence 
    or testimony at an investigative hearing may tend to defame, 
    degrade, or incriminate any person in proceedings pursuant to House 
    Rule XI, 27(m);
        (2) When the Committee or subcommittee determines that the 
    interrogation of a witness in a public hearing might compromise 
    classified information, or might endanger the national security; or
        (3) When the Committee or subcommittee determines that the 
    interrogation of a witness in a public hearing might tend adversely 
    to affect the national interest.
        B--Testimony or evidence given in executive session and the 
    identity of witnesses called to testify in such session shall not 
    be disclosed by any member or employee of the Committee without the 
    Committee's approval.
        C--No person shall be allowed to be present during a hearing of 
    a Committee or subcommittee held in executive session, except 
    members and employees of the Committee, the witness and his 
    counsel, officials, stenographers, or interpreters of the 
    Committee, and any other person whose presence the Committee or 
    subcommittee deems indispensable for the conduct of the hearing.

            xi--release of testimony taken in executive session

        A--No testimony taken or material presented in an executive 
    session, or any summary or excerpt thereof, shall be made public or 
    presented at a public hearing, either in whole or in part, unless 
    authorized by a majority of the Committee.
        B--No evidence or testimony, or any summary or excerpt thereof, 
    given in executive session which the Committee determines may tend 
    to defame, degrade, or incriminate any person shall be released, or 
    presented at a public hearing, unless such person shall have been 
    afforded the opportunities pro

[[Page 2694]]

    vided by House Rule XI, 27(m), and any pertinent evidence or 
    testimony given by such person, or on his behalf, is made a part of 
    the transcript, summary, or excerpt to be released.
        C--Persons afforded opportunities under House Rule XI, 27(m), 
    shall be advised that testimony, or an extract or summary thereof, 
    received pursuant to such rule may subsequently be publicly 
    released or offered at a public hearing.

                       xii--transcripts of testimony

        A--A complete and accurate record shall be made of all 
    testimony and proceedings at Committee and subcommittee hearings.
        B--A witness examined under oath or affirmation in a hearing 
    shall, upon request, be given a reasonable opportunity before any 
    transcript is made public to inspect the transcript of his 
    testimony to determine whether it was correctly transcribed and 
    may, if he so desires, be accompanied by his counsel during such 
    inspection.
        C--A witness or his counsel may copy at the office of the 
    Committee, or obtain for his own use at his own expense, a 
    transcript of any testimony of the witness which has been given 
    publicly or made public, and with the approval of a majority of the 
    Committee may obtain for his own use and at his own expense a copy 
    of the transcript of any executive testimony of the witness which 
    has not been made public. The witness or his counsel shall be 
    permitted to examine the transcript of his testimony taken in 
    executive session.
        D--Any corrections in the transcript of the testimony of the 
    witness which the witness desires to make shall be submitted in 
    writing to the counsel of the Committee within five (5) days of the 
    taking of his testimony, and the request shall be acted upon by the 
    Committee or subcommittee receiving such testimony.

                  xiii--committee reports or publications

        A--No Committee report or document shall be made or released to 
    the public without the approval of a majority of the Committee, and 
    no statement of the contents of such report, or document, shall be 
    released by any member of the Committee or its staff prior to its 
    official issuance. Drafts of such reports or documents shall be 
    submitted to the office of each Committee member at least 3 days in 
    advance of the meeting at which it is to be considered for release.
        B--Whenever a minority of the Committee dissents from a report 
    or document approved by a majority thereof, the minority shall be 
    given a reasonable time in which to prepare a minority report, 
    which shall be filed at the same time as the majority report, and 
    published in the same volume or document.
        C--A report or document made public by the Committee concerning 
    any investigation in which sworn testimony was taken shall include 
    pertinent testimony received in rebuttal taken during such 
    investigation, unless the same has been previously made public, or 
    is made public concurrently with the report or publication.

        xiv--additional rights of persons affected by a hearing or 
                           committee publication

        Any person who believes that his character or reputation has 
    been ad

[[Page 2695]]

    versely affected by evidence or testimony adduced in a public 
    hearing, or in the released testimony of an executive hearing, or 
    in the published reports or documents of the Committee, within a 
    reasonable time shall:
        (1) Communicate with the counsel of the Committee; and/or
        (2) Request in writing an opportunity to appear, at his own 
    expense, in person before the Committee or any subcommittee thereof 
    to testify as a witness in public or executive session.
        The Committee or subcommittee shall make such determination 
    with respect to such communication or request, and shall take such 
    other action, as to reason and justice shall pertain, including an 
    allowance of witness fees and travel.

          xv--rights of witnesses while testifying (4)

        A person testifying under oath or affirmation before the 
    Committee or subcommittee shall have the following rights:
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 4. All witnesses are invited at any time to confer with Committee 
        counsel prior to hearings. [Footnote from excerpt.]
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        (a) To be accompanied by counsel of his own choosing. The 
    Committee seeks factual testimony within the personal knowledge of 
    the witness, and such testimony must be given by the witness 
    himself.
        (b) To make complete and concise answers to questions and, when 
    necessary, to make concise explanations of such answers. The 
    witness shall be limited to giving information relevant and germane 
    to the subject under investigation.
        (c) Rulings upon legal objections interposed by the witness or 
    his counsel to procedures or to the admissibility of testimony and 
    evidence shall be made by the presiding member of the Committee, or 
    subcommittee, and such rulings shall be the rulings of the 
    Committee or subcommittee, unless a disagreement thereon is 
    expressed by a majority of the said Committee or subcommittee.
        (d) Communications claimed to be privileged, as between husband 
    and wife, attorney and client, physician and patient, clergyman or 
    priest and penitent, and between a State or Federal law enforcement 
    officer and informant, shall be respected, and one spouse shall not 
    be questioned concerning the activities of the other, but the 
    Committee or subcommittee shall not be bound to make its rulings 
    with regard thereto or on the reception of evidence or the 
    examination of witnesses except as required by the Rules of the 
    House of Representatives.(5)
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 5. The rules of legislative bodies and their committees differ from 
        those of courts. The procedures of any body must be geared to 
        its purpose. Courts have one purpose, congressional committees 
        another. Courts conduct trials to determine guilt or innocence, 
        or to adjudicate rights. Court proceedings are adversary in 
        nature; committee proceedings are not. Committees hold hearings 
        to develop information that will assist in the enactment of 
        legislation. Courtroom procedures are not followed in 
        congressional hearings or vice versa, because any attempt to 
        apply the rules of one to the other would tend to frustrate the 
        attainment of the different purposes for which they were 
        created. Court procedures governing the reception of evidence 
        and the examination of witnesses are not binding on the 
        committees of the Congress. [Footnote from excerpt.]

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[[Page 2696]]

        (e) Any witness desiring to make a prepared or written 
    statement for the record of the proceedings shall file a copy of 
    such statement with the counsel of the Committee not less than 48 
    hours in advance of the hearing at which the statement is to be 
    presented. All such statements or portions thereof so received 
    which are relevant and germane to the subject of investigation may, 
    at the conclusion of the testimony of the witness and with the 
    approval of a majority of the Committee or subcommittee members, be 
    inserted in the official transcript of the proceedings. In 
    addition, the witness may make a statement, which shall be brief 
    and relevant to the subject matter of his examination, at the 
    conclusion of his testimony. However, statements which take the 
    form of personal attacks by the witness upon the motives of the 
    Committee or subcommittee, the personal characters of any Members 
    of the Congress or of the Committee staff, and intemperate 
    statements or statements clearly in the nature of accusation, are 
    not deemed to be relevant or germane, shall not be made, and may be 
    stricken from the record of the proceedings.
        (f) If the witness so requests, he shall not be photographed 
    while he is testifying nor shall his testimony be broadcast or 
    recorded for broadcast by radio or television.

            xvi--participation and conduct of counsel in hearing

        A--The participation of counsel on behalf of his client during 
    the course of any hearing, and while the witness is testifying 
    shall be limited to advising his client as to his legal rights.
        B--Prior to the administration of the oath or affirmation to 
    his client, counsel shall be permitted to state his objections to 
    the jurisdiction of the Committee or subcommittee, or to procedures 
    claimed to violate his client's legal rights. Counsel shall state 
    such objections briefly and temperately, and shall comply with the 
    rulings and limitations thereon by the presiding member of the 
    Committee or subcommittee.
        C--At the conclusion of the interrogation of his client, 
    counsel shall be permitted to make such reasonable and pertinent 
    requests upon the Committee or subcommittee as he shall deem 
    necessary to protect his client's rights. These requests shall all 
    be ruled upon by the Committee or subcommittee conducting the 
    hearing.
        D--Counsel for witnesses shall conduct himself in a 
    professional, ethical, and proper manner. His failure to do so 
    shall, upon a finding to that effect by a majority of the Committee 
    or subcommittee before which the witness is appearing, subject such 
    counsel to disciplinary action which may include warning, censure, 
    removal of counsel from the hearing room, or a recommendation of 
    contempt proceedings. In case of such removal of counsel, the 
    witness shall have a reasonable time to obtain other counsel, said 
    time to be determined by the Committee or subcommittee. Should the 
    witness deliberately or capriciously fail or refuse to obtain the 
    services of other counsel within such reasonable time, the hearing 
    shall continue and the testimony of such witness shall be heard 
    without benefit of counsel.

[[Page 2697]]

                         xvii--contempt of congress

        No recommendation that a witness be cited for contempt of 
    Congress shall be forwarded to the House of Representatives unless 
    and until the Committee has, upon notice to all its members, met 
    and considered the alleged contempt and, by a majority of the 
    Committee, voted that such recommendation be made.

Members' Access to Classified Information

Sec. 15.4 A member of the Committee on Armed Services inserted in the 
    Record that committee's rules governing access of Members to 
    classified information in committee files.

    On Apr. 26, 1972,(6) in the course of discussing a 
resolution (H. Res. 918) of inquiry pertaining to the war in Vietnam, 
Mr. Charles S. Gubser, of California, made the following observations:
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 6. 118 Cong. Rec. 14431, 92d Cong. 2d Sess.
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        . . . I would like to read into the Record a portion of the 
    House rules. Rule XI, section 27c,(7) says:
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 7. See Rule XI clause 27c, House Rules and Manual Sec. 735(c) (1973).
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            All committee hearings, records, data, charts and files 
        shall be kept separate and distinct from the Congressional 
        office records of the Member serving as Chairman of the 
        Committee; and such records shall be the property of the House 
        and all Members of the House shall have access to such records.

        Rule XI, section (e) (8) provides that--
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 8. Mr. Gubser was referring here to Rule XI clause 27(o). See House 
        Rules and Manual Sec. 735(o) (1973).
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            No evidence or testimony taken in executive session may be 
        released or used in public sessions without the consent of the 
        Committee.

        On June 28, 1971, the Committee on Armed Services by unanimous 
    consent authorized its Chairman to prepare a set of rules 
    applicable to all Members of the House who are desirous of reading 
    all or any portions of any classified information in the committee 
    files. These rules were subsequently drafted by the chairman and 
    sent to every single Member of the House.
        And at this point, Mr. Speaker, under leave to revise and 
    extend my remarks, I shall include the full text of the rules I 
    have referred to. . . .

                               Text Of Rules

        Rules of the House Armed Services Committee to be followed by 
    Members of Congress who wish to read all or any portion of certain 
    classified information in the Committee files:
        1. Such classified information will be kept in secure safes in 
    the Committee rooms. Members will be admitted to the room in which 
    the information is kept after inquiring in Room 2120.
        2. Only Members of Congress may have access to such 
    information.
        3. Such information may not be removed from the room and a 
    member of the Committee staff will be in the room at all times.
        4. The staff member will keep a record of all Members who see 
    such

[[Page 2698]]

    classified information or any portion thereof.
        5. The staff member will maintain an access list showing the 
    time of arrival and departure of all persons entering or leaving 
    the reading room.
        6. The reading room will be open from 8:30 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. 
    each working day and from 9:00 a.m. until 12:00 noon on Saturday.
        7. The staff member will make a complete document inventory at 
    the close of each business day.
        8. No notes, reproduction or recordings may be made of any 
    portion of such classified information.
        9. The contents of such classified information will not be 
    divulged to any unauthorized person in any way, form, shape or 
    manner.
        10. Members of Congress before reading such classified 
    information will be required to identify the document or 
    information they desire to read, identify themselves to the staff 
    member, sign the log and sign the Top Secret information sheet if 
    such is attached to such document.

Sec. 15.5 The 94th Congress adopted the rules in existence at the close 
    of the 93d Congress with certain amendments including an amendment 
    to Rule XI requiring committees to adopt their rules in open 
    session, but permitting a rollcall vote to close that meeting.

    On Jan. 14, 1975,(~9~) Mr. Thomas P. O'Neill, of 
Massachusetts, the Majority Leader, offered House Resolution 5 and 
asked for its immediate consideration. The resolution provided for the 
adoption of the rules of the House that were in existence at the close 
of the 93d Congress as the rules for the 94th Congress with certain 
amendments. One of the amendments was to Rule XI clause 2(a)(1) 
providing for adoption of written rules by standing committees of the 
House. The amendment read as follows:
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 9. 121 Cong. Rec. 20-32, 94th Cong. 1st Sess.
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        (14) In Rule XI, clause 2(a)(1) is amended to read as follows:
        ``(1) shall be adopted in a meeting which is open to the public 
    unless the committee, in open session and with a quorum present, 
    determines by rollcall vote that all or part of the meeting on that 
    day is to be closed to the public.''

    The resolution was adopted (10) and, effective Jan. 14, 
1975, Rule XI clause 2(a)(1) was amended to permit a rollcall vote to 
close the committee meeting at which committee rules are adopted only 
on the day of the meeting.(11)
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10. Id. at p. 32.
11. See Rule XI clause 2(a), House Rules and Manual Sec. 704 (1979).
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