[United States Senate Manual, 104th Congress]
[S. Doc. 104-1]
[Standing Rules of the Senate]
[Pages 53-55]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]


        31                            RULE XXXI

                    EXECUTIVE SESSION--PROCEEDINGS ON NOMINATIONS

      31.1      1. When nominations shall be made by the President of 
            the United States to the Senate, they shall, unless 
            otherwise ordered, be referred to appropriate committees; 
            and the final question on every nomination shall be, ``Will 
            the Senate advise and consent to this nomination?'' which 
            question shall not be put on the same day on which the

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            nomination is received, nor on the day on which it may be 
            reported by a committee, unless by unanimous consent.
      31.2      2. All business in the Senate shall be transacted in 
            open session, unless the Senate as provided in rule XXI by a 
            majority vote shall determine that a particular nomination, 
            treaty, or other matter shall be considered in closed execu- 
            tive session, in which case all subsequent proceedings with 
            respect to said nomination, treaty, or other matter shall be 
            kept secret: Provided, That the injunction of secrecy as to 
            the whole or any part of proceedings in closed executive 
            session may be removed on motion adopted by a majority vote 
            of the Senate in closed executive session: Provided further, 
            That any Senator may make public his vote in closed 
            executive session.
      31.3      3. When a nomination is confirmed or rejected, any 
            Senator voting in the majority may move for a 
            reconsideration on the same day on which the vote was taken, 
            or on either of the next two days of actual executive 
            session of the Senate; but if a notification of the 
            confirmation or rejection of a nomination shall have been 
            sent to the President before the expiration of the time 
            within which a motion to reconsider may be made, the motion 
            to reconsider shall be accompanied by a motion to request 
            the President to return such notification to the Senate. Any 
            motion to reconsider the vote on a nomination may be laid on 
            the table without prejudice to the nomination, and shall be 
            a final disposition of such motion.
      31.4      4. Nominations confirmed or rejected by the Senate shall 
            not be returned by the Secretary to the President until the 
            expiration of the time limited for making a motion to 
            reconsider the same, or while a motion to reconsider is 
            pending unless otherwise ordered by the Senate.
      31.5      5. When the Senate shall adjourn or take a recess for 
            more than thirty days, all motions to reconsider a vote upon 
            a nomination which has been confirmed or rejected by the 
            Senate, which shall be pending at the time of taking such 
            adjournment or recess, shall fall; and the Secretary shall 
            return all such nominations to the President as confirmed or 
            rejected by the Senate, as the case may be.
      31.6      6. Nominations neither confirmed nor rejected during the 
            session at which they are made shall not be acted upon at 
            any succeeding session without being again made to the 
            Senate by the President; and if the Senate shall adjourn or 
            take a recess for more than thirty days, all nominations 
            pending and not finally acted upon at the time of taking

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            such adjournment or recess shall be returned by the 
            Secretary to the President, and shall not again be 
            considered unless they shall again be made to the Senate by 
            the President.
     31.7a      7. (a) The Official Reporters shall be furnished with a 
            list of nominations to office after the proceedings of the 
            day on which they are received, and a like list of all 
            confirmations and rejections.
     31.7b      (b) All nominations to office shall be prepared for the 
            printer by the Official Reporter, and printed in the 
            Congressional Record, after the proceedings of the day in 
            which they are received, also nominations recalled, and 
            confirmed.
     31.7c      (c) The Secretary shall furnish to the press, and to the 
            public upon request, the names of nominees confirmed or 
            rejected on the day on which a final vote shall be had, 
            except when otherwise ordered by the Senate.