[United States Senate Manual, 110th Congress]
[S. Doc. 110-1]
[Standing Rules of the Senate]
[Pages 57-59]
[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
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
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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
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
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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.