    [United States Senate Manual, 112th Congress]
    [S. Doc. 112-1]
    [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

    [[Page 58]]

                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

    [[Page 59]]

                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.