U.S. SENATE COMMITTEE ON THE BUDGET RULES OF PROCEDURE

U.S. SENATE COMMITTEE ON THE BUDGET RULES OF PROCEDURE

Congressional Record, Volume 171 Issue 30 (Thursday, February 13, 2025) [Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 30 (Thursday, February 13, 2025)] [Senate] [Pages S967-S969] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] U.S. SENATE COMMITTEE ON THE BUDGET RULES OF PROCEDURE Mr. GRAHAM. Mr. President, rule XXVI, paragraph 2, of the Standing Rules of the Senate requires each committee to adopt rules to govern the procedure of the committee and to publish those rules in the Congressional Record not later than March 1 of the first year of each Congress. Today, the Committee on the Budget adopted committee rules of procedure. Consistent with Standing Rule XXVI, I ask unanimous consent to have a copy of the rules of procedure of the Committee on the Budget printed in the Congressional Record. There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in the Record, as follows: Committee on the Budget--Rules for the 119th Congress rules of procedure I. Meetings (1) Meeting Schedule. The committee shall hold its regular meeting on the first Thursday of each month. Additional meetings may be called by the chair as the chair deems necessary to expedite committee business. (2) Open to the Public. Each meeting of the committee, including meetings to conduct hearings, shall be open to the public, except that a portion or portions of any such meeting may be closed to the public if the committee determines by record vote in open session of a majority of the members of the committee present that the matters to be discussed or the testimony to be taken at such portion or portions-- (a) 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; (b) will relate solely to matters of the committee staff personnel or internal staff management or procedure; (c) 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; (d) 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; (e) will disclose information relating to the trade secrets or financial or commercial information pertaining specifically to a given person if-- (i) an act of Congress requires the information to be kept confidential by Government officers and employees; or (ii) 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 (f) may divulge matters required to be kept confidential under other provisions of law or Government regulations. (3) Notice. Notice of, and the agenda for, any business meeting or markup shall be provided to each member and made available [[Page S968]] to the public at least 72 hours prior to such meeting or markup. II. Consideration of Budget Resolutions (1) Amendment Consideration Generally. If the chair of the committee makes proposed legislative text of a budget resolution available to all committee members by 12:00 p.m., five days prior to the start of a meeting or markup to consider the resolution, during that meeting or markup: (a) it shall not be in order to consider a first degree amendment unless the amendment has been submitted to the chief clerk by 5:00 p.m. two days prior to the start of the meeting or markup, except that an amendment in the nature of a substitute offered by the chair of the committee shall not be required to be filed in advance; (b) it shall not be in order to consider a second degree amendment unless the amendment has been submitted to the chief clerk by 5:00 p.m. on the day prior to the start of the meeting or markup; and (c) it shall not be in order to consider a side-by-side amendment unless the amendment has been submitted to the chief clerk by 5:00 p.m. on the day prior to the start of the meeting or markup, and the amendment is filed in relation to a particular first degree amendment that is considered by the committee. (2) Amendments with No Force or Effect. During consideration of a budget resolution, it shall not be in order to consider an amendment that would have no force or effect if adopted. III. Order of Recognition Those members who are present at the start of any meeting of the committee including meetings to conduct hearings, shall be recognized in order of seniority based on time served as a member of the committee. Any members arriving after the start of the meeting shall be recognized, in order of appearance, after the most junior member. IV. Quorums and Voting (1) Definition of Quorum. Except as provided in paragraphs (2) and (3) of this section, a quorum for the transaction of committee business shall consist of not less than one-third of the membership of the entire committee: Provided, that proxies shall not be counted in making a quorum. (2) Reporting. A majority of the committee shall constitute a quorum for reporting to the Senate budget resolutions, legislative measures, nominations, or recommendations: Provided, that proxies shall not be counted in making a quorum. (3) Testimony. For the purpose of taking sworn or unsworn testimony, a quorum of the committee shall consist of one Senator. (4) Polling Authority. (a) The committee may poll-- (i) internal committee matters including those concerning the committee's staff, records, and budget; (ii) steps in an investigation, including issuance of subpoenas, applications for immunity orders, and requests for documents from agencies; and (iii) other committee business that the committee has designated for polling at a meeting, except that the committee may not vote by poll on reporting to the Senate budget resolutions, legislative measures, nominations, or recommendations, and may not vote by poll on closing a meeting or hearing to the public. (b) To conduct a poll, the chair shall circulate polling sheets to each member specifying the matter being polled and the time limit for completion of the poll. If any member requests, the matter shall be held for a meeting rather than being polled. The chief clerk shall keep a record of polls; if the committee determines by record vote in open session of a majority of the members of the committee present that the polled matter is one of those enumerated in Committee on the Budget Rules of Procedure I(2)(a)-(f), then the record of the poll shall be confidential. Any member may move at the committee meeting following a poll for a vote on the polled decision. V. Proxies When a record vote is taken in the committee on any budget resolutions, legislative measures, nominations, recommendations, amendments, or any other questions, a quorum being present, a member who is unable to attend the meeting may vote by proxy if the absent member has been informed of the matter on which the vote is being recorded and has affirmatively requested to be so recorded; except that no member may vote by proxy during the deliberations on budget resolutions unless a member is experiencing a health issue and the chair and ranking member agree to allow that member to vote by proxy on amendments to a budget resolution. While proxies may be voted on a motion to report a measure or matter from the committee, such a motion shall also require the concurrence of a majority of the members who are physically present at the time such action is taken. VI. Hearings and Hearing Procedures (1) Exemption from Two-Hour Rule. Pursuant to rule XXVI, paragraph 5(a), of the Standing Rules of the Senate, the committee is exempt from the prohibition on Senate committees meeting while the Senate is in session without special leave, after the conclusion of the first two hours after the meeting of the Senate commenced and in no case after two o'clock postmeridian unless consent therefor has been obtained from the majority leader and the minority leader (or in the event of the absence of either such leaders, from their designee(s)). (2) Notice. The committee shall make public announcement of the date, place, time, and subject matter of any hearing to be conducted on any measure or matter at least 1 week in advance of such hearing, unless the chair and ranking member determine that there is good cause to begin such hearing at an earlier date. (3) Witness Testimony Deadline. At least 24 hours prior to the scheduled start time of the hearing, a witness appearing before the committee shall file a written statement of proposed testimony, including visual exhibits intended for display during testimony, with the chief clerk who is responsible for circulating the proposed testimony to all members at the same time. The requirement that a witness submit testimony 24 hours prior to a hearing may be waived by the chair and the ranking member, following their determination that there is good cause for the failure of compliance. (4) Witness Testimony Time Limit. Oral statements of witnesses shall be based upon their filed statements but shall be limited to 5 minutes duration. This period may be limited or extended at the discretion of the chair presiding at the hearings. VII. Committee Reports (1) Report Generally. When the committee has ordered a measure or recommendation reported, following final action, the report thereon shall be filed in the Senate at the earliest practicable time. (2) Supplemental Report. A member of the committee, who gives notice of an intention to file supplemental, minority, or additional views at the time of final committee approval of budget resol

Referenced legislation: SRES445