[Senate Prints 108-24]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
108th Congress
1st Session COMMITTEE PRINT S. Prt.
108-24
_______________________________________________________________________
RULES OF THE
COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN RELATIONS
UNITED STATES SENATE
[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
Printed for the use of the Committee on foreign Relations
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COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN RELATIONS
RICHARD G. LUGAR, Indiana, Chairman
CHUCK HAGEL, Nebraska JOSEPH R. BIDEN, Jr., Delaware
LINCOLN CHAFEE, Rhode Island PAUL S. SARBANES, Maryland
GEORGE ALLEN, Virginia CHRISTOPHER J. DODD, Connecticut
SAM BROWNBACK, Kansas JOHN F. KERRY, Massachusetts
MICHAEL B. ENZI, Wyoming RUSSELL D. FEINGOLD, Wisconsin
GEORGE V. VOINOVICH, Ohio BARBARA BOXER, California
LAMAR ALEXANDER, Tennessee BILL NELSON, Florida
NORM COLEMAN, Minnesota JOHN D. ROCKEFELLER IV, West Virginia
JOHN E. SUNUNU, New Hampshire JON S. CORZINE, New Jersey
Kenneth A. Myers, Jr., Staff Director
Antony J. Blinken, Democratic Staff Director
(ii)
RULES OF THE COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN RELATIONS
(Adopted January 28, 2003)
rule 1--jurisdiction
(a) Substantive.--In accordance with Senate Rule XXV.1(j),
the jurisdiction of the Committee shall extend to all proposed
legislation, messages, petitions, memorials, and other matters
relating to the following subjects:
1. Acquisition of land and buildings for embassies
and legations in foreign countries.
2. Boundaries of the United States.
3. Diplomatic service.
4. Foreign economic, military, technical, and
humanitarian assistance.
5. Foreign loans.
6. International activities of the American National
Red Cross and the International Committee of the Red
Cross.
7. International aspects of nuclear energy,
including nuclear transfer policy.
8. International conferences and congresses.
9. International law as it relates to foreign
policy.
10. International Monetary Fund and other
international organizations established primarily for
international monetary purposes (except that, at the
request of the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban
Affairs, any proposed legislation relating to such
subjects reported by the Committee on Foreign Relations
shall be referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing,
and Urban Affairs).
11. Intervention abroad and declarations of war.
12. Measures to foster commercial intercourse with
foreign nations and to safeguard American business
interests abroad.
13. National security and international aspects of
trusteeships of the United States.
14. Ocean and international environmental and
scientific affairs as they relate to foreign policy.
15. Protection of United States citizens abroad and
expatriation.
16. Relations of the United States with foreign
nations generally.
17. Treaties and executive agreements, except
reciprocal trade agreements.
18. United Nations and its affiliated organizations.
19. World Bank group, the regional development banks,
and other international organizations established
primarily for development assistance purposes.
The Committee is also mandated by Senate Rule XXV.1(j) to
study and review, on a comprehensive basis, matters relating to
the national security policy, foreign policy, and international
economic policy as it relates to foreign policy of the United
States, and matters relating to food, hunger, and nutrition in
foreign countries, and report thereon from time to time.
(b) Oversight.--The Committee also has a responsibility
under Senate Rule XXVI.8, which provides that ``. . . each
standing Committee . . . shall review and study, on a
continuing basis, the application, administration, and
execution of those laws or parts of laws, the subject matter of
which is within the jurisdiction of the Committee.''
(c) ``Advice and Consent'' Clauses.--The Committee has a
special responsibility to assist the Senate in its
constitutional function of providing ``advice and consent'' to
all treaties entered into by the United States and all
nominations to the principal executive branch positions in the
field of foreign policy and diplomacy.
rule 2--subcommittees
(a) Creation.--Unless otherwise authorized by law or Senate
resolution, subcommittees shall be created by majority vote of
the Committee and shall deal with such legislation and
oversight of programs and policies as the Committee directs.
Legislative measures or other matters may be referred to a
subcommittee for consideration in the discretion of the
Chairman or by vote of a majority of the Committee. If the
principal subject matter of a measure or matter to be referred
falls within the jurisdiction of more than one subcommittee,
the Chairman or the Committee may refer the matter to two or
more subcommittees for joint consideration.
(b) Assignments.--Assignments of members to subcommittees
shall be made in an equitable fashion. No member of the
Committee may receive assignment to a second subcommittee
until, in order of seniority, all members of the Committee have
chosen assignments to one subcommittee, and no member shall
receive assignments to a third subcommittee until, in order of
seniority, all members have chosen assignments to two
subcommittees.
No member of the Committee may serve on more than four
subcommittees at any one time.
The Chairman and Ranking Member of the Committee shall be
ex officio members, without vote, of each subcommittee.
(c) Meetings.--Except when funds have been specifically
made available by the Senate for a subcommittee purpose, no
subcommittee of the Committee on Foreign Relations shall hold
hearings involving expenses without prior approval of the
Chairman of the full Committee or by decision of the full
Committee. Meetings of subcommittees shall be scheduled after
consultation with the Chairman of the Committee with a view
toward avoiding conflicts with meetings of other subcommittees
insofar as possible. Meetings of subcommittees shall not be
scheduled to conflict with meetings of the full Committee.
The proceedings of each subcommittee shall be governed by
the rules of the full Committee, subject to such authorizations
or limitations as the Committee may from time to time
prescribe.
rule 3--meetings
(a) Regular Meeting Day.--The regular meeting day of the
Committee on Foreign Relations for the transaction of Committee
business shall be on Tuesday of each week, unless otherwise
directed by the Chairman.
(b) Additional Meetings.--Additional meetings and hearings
of the Committee may be called by the Chairman as he may deem
necessary. If at least three members of the Committee desire
that a special meeting of the Committee be called by the
Chairman, those members may file in the offices of the
Committee their written request to the Chairman for that
special meeting. Immediately upon filing of the request, the
Chief Clerk of the Committee shall notify the Chairman of the
filing of the request. If, within three calendar days after the
filing of the request, the Chairman does not call the requested
special meeting, to be held within seven calendar days after
the filing of the request, a majority of the members of the
Committee may file in the offices of the Committee their
written notice that a special meeting of the Committee will be
held, specifying the date and hour of that special meeting. The
Committee shall meet on that date and hour. Immediately upon
the filing of the notice, the Clerk shall notify all members of
the Committee that such special meeting will be held and inform
them of its date and hour.
(c) Hearings, selection of witnesses.--To ensure that the
issue which is the subject of the hearing is presented as fully
and fairly as possible, whenever a hearing is conducted by the
Committee or a subcommittee upon any measure or matter, the
Ranking Member of the Committee or subcommittee may request
that an equal number of public witnesses selected by the
Ranking Member be called to testify at that hearing.
(d) Public Announcement.--The Committee, or any
subcommittee thereof, shall make public announcement of the
date, place, time, and subject matter of any meeting or hearing
to be conducted on any measure or matter at least one week in
advance of such meetings or hearings, unless the Chairman of
the Committee, or subcommittee, in consultation with the
Ranking Member, determines that there is good cause to begin
such meeting or hearing at an earlier date.
(e) Procedure.--Insofar as possible, proceedings of the
Committee will be conducted without resort to the formalities
of parliamentary procedure and with due regard for the views of
all members. Issues of procedure which may arise from time to
time shall be resolved by decision of the Chairman, in
consultation with the Ranking Member. The Chairman, in
consultation with the Ranking Member, may also propose special
procedures to govern the consideration of particular matters by
the Committee.
(f) Closed Sessions.--Each meeting of the Committee on
Foreign Relations, or any subcommittee thereof, including
meetings to conduct hearings, shall be open to the public,
except that a meeting or series of meetings by the Committee or
a subcommittee on the same subject for a period of no more than
fourteen calendar days may be closed to the public on a motion
made and seconded to go into closed session to discuss only
whether the matters enumerated in paragraphs (1) through (6)
would require the meeting to be closed followed immediately by
a record vote in open session by a majority of the members of
the Committee or subcommittee when it is determined that the
matters to be discussed or the testimony to be taken at such
meeting or meetings--
(1) 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;
(2) will relate solely to matters of Committee staff
personnel or internal staff management or procedure;
(3) 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;
(4) 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;
(5) will disclose information relating to the trade
secrets or financial or commercial information
pertaining specifically to a given person if--
(A) an Act of Congress requires the
information to be kept confidential by
Government officers and employees; or
(B) 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
(6) may divulge matters required to be kept
confidential under other provisions of law or
Government regulations.
A closed meeting may be opened by a majority vote of the
Committee.
(g) Staff Attendance.--A member of the Committee may have
one member of his or her personal staff, for whom that member
assumes personal responsibility, accompany and be seated nearby
at Committee meetings.
Each member of the Committee may designate members of his
or her personal staff, who hold a Top Secret security
clearance, for the purpose of their eligibility to attend
closed sessions of the Committee, subject to the same
conditions set forth for Committee staff under Rules 12, 13,
and 14.
In addition, the Majority Leader and the Minority Leader of
the Senate, if they are not otherwise members of the Committee,
may designate one member of their staff with a Top Secret
security clearance to attend closed sessions of the Committee,
subject to the same conditions set forth for Committee staff
under Rules 12, 13, and 14. Staff of other Senators who are not
members of the Committee may not attend closed sessions of the
Committee.
Attendance of Committee staff at meetings shall be limited
to those designated by the Staff Director or the Minority Staff
Director.
The Committee, by majority vote, or the Chairman, with the
concurrence of the Ranking Member, may limit staff attendance
at specified meetings.
rule 4--quorums
(a) Testimony.--For the purpose of taking sworn or unsworn
testimony at any duly scheduled meeting a quorum of the
Committee and each subcommittee thereof shall consist of one
member.
(b) Business.--A quorum for the transaction of Committee or
subcommittee business, other than for reporting a measure or
recommendation to the Senate or the taking of testimony, shall
consist of one-third of the members of the Committee or
subcommittee, including at least one member from each party.
(c) Reporting.--A majority of the membership of the
Committee shall constitute a quorum for reporting any measure
or recommendation to the Senate. No measure or recommendation
shall be ordered reported from the Committee unless a majority
of the Committee members are physically present. The vote of
the Committee to report a measure or matter shall require the
concurrence of a majority of those members who are physically
present at the time the vote is taken.
rule 5--proxies
Proxies must be in writing with the signature of the absent
member. Subject to the requirements of Rule 4 for the physical
presence of a quorum to report a matter, proxy voting shall be
allowed on all measures and matters before the Committee.
However, proxies shall not be voted on a measure or matter
except when the absent member has been informed of the matter
on which he is being recorded and has affirmatively requested
that he or she be so recorded.
rule 6--witnesses
(a) General.--The Committee on Foreign Relations will
consider requests to testify on any matter or measure pending
before the Committee.
(b) Presentation.--If the Chairman so determines, the oral
presentation of witnesses shall be limited to 10 minutes.
However, written statements of reasonable length may be
submitted by witnesses and other interested persons who are
unable to testify in person.
(c) Filing of Statements.--A witness appearing before the
Committee, or any subcommittee thereof, shall file a written
statement of his proposed testimony at least 48 hours prior to
his appearance, unless this requirement is waived by the
Chairman and the Ranking Member following their determination
that there is good cause for failure to file such a statement.
(d) Expenses.--Only the Chairman may authorize expenditures
of funds for the expenses of witnesses appearing before the
Committee or its subcommittees.
(e) Requests.--Any witness called for a hearing may submit
a written request to the Chairman no later than 24 hours in
advance for his testimony to be in closed or open session, or
for any other unusual procedure. The Chairman shall determine
whether to grant any such request and shall notify the
Committee members of the request and of his decision.
rule 7--subpoenas
(a) Authorization.--The Chairman or any other member of the
Committee, when authorized by a majority vote of the Committee
at a meeting or by proxies, shall have authority to subpoena
the attendance of witnesses or the production of memoranda,
documents, records, or any other materials. At the request of
any Member of the Committee, the Committee shall authorize the
issuance of a subpoena only at a meeting of the Committee. When
the Committee authorizes a subpoena, it may be issued upon the
signature of the Chairman or any other member designated by the
Committee.
(b) Return.--A subpoena, or a request to an agency, for
documents may be issued whose return shall occur at a time and
place other than that of a scheduled Committee meeting. A
return on such a subpoena or request which is incomplete or
accompanied by an objection constitutes good cause for a
hearing on shortened notice. Upon such a return, the Chairman
or any other member designated by him may convene a hearing by
giving 2 hours notice by telephone to all other members. One
member shall constitute a quorum for such a hearing. The sole
purpose of such a hearing shall be to elucidate further
information about the return and to rule on the objection.
(c) Depositions.--At the direction of the Committee, staff
is authorized to take depositions from witnesses.
rule 8--reports
(a) Filing.--When the Committee has ordered a measure or
recommendation reported, the report thereon shall be filed in
the Senate at the earliest practicable time.
(b) Supplemental, Minority and Additional Views.--A member
of the Committee who gives notice of his intentions to file
supplemental, minority, or additional views at the time of
final Committee approval of a measure or matter, shall be
entitled to not less than 3 calendar days in which to file such
views, in writing, with the Chief Clerk of the Committee, with
the 3 days to begin at 11:00 p.m. on the same day that the
Committee has ordered a measure or matter reported. Such views
shall then be included in the Committee report and printed in
the same volume, as a part thereof, and their inclusion shall
be noted on the cover of the report. In the absence of timely
notice, the Committee report may be filed and printed
immediately without such views.
(c) Rollcall Votes.--The results of all rollcall votes
taken in any meeting of the Committee on any measure, or
amendment thereto, shall be announced in the Committee report.
The announcement shall include a tabulation of the votes cast
in favor and votes cast in opposition to each such measure and
amendment by each member of the Committee.
rule 9--treaties
(a) The Committee is the only Committee of the Senate with
jurisdiction to review and report to the Senate on treaties
submitted by the President for Senate advice and consent.
Because the House of Representatives has no role in the
approval of treaties, the Committee is therefore the only
congressional committee with responsibility for treaties.
(b) Once submitted by the President for advice and consent,
each treaty is referred to the Committee and remains on its
calendar from Congress to Congress until the Committee takes
action to report it to the Senate or recommend its return to
the President, or until the Committee is discharged of the
treaty by the Senate.
(c) In accordance with Senate Rule XXX.2, treaties which
have been reported to the Senate but not acted on before the
end of a Congress ``shall be resumed at the commencement of the
next Congress as if no proceedings had previously been had
thereon.''
(d) Insofar as possible, the Committee should conduct a
public hearing on each treaty as soon as possible after its
submission by the President. Except in extraordinary
circumstances, treaties reported to the Senate shall be
accompanied by a written report.
rule 10--nominations
(a) Waiting Requirement.--Unless otherwise directed by the
Chairman and the Ranking Member, the Committee on Foreign
Relations shall not consider any nomination until 6 calendar
days after it has been formally submitted to the Senate.
(b) Public Consideration.--Nominees for any post who are
invited to appear before the Committee shall be heard in public
session, unless a majority of the Committee decrees otherwise.
(c) Required Data.--No nomination shall be reported to the
Senate unless (1) the nominee has been accorded a security
clearance on the basis of a thorough investigation by executive
branch agencies; (2) in appropriate cases, the nominee has
filed a financial disclosure report and a confidential
statement with the Committee; (3) the Committee has been
assured that the nominee does not have any interests which
could conflict with the interests of the government in the
exercise of the nominee's proposed responsibilities; (4) for
persons nominated to be chief of mission, ambassador-at-large,
or minister, the Committee has received a complete list of any
contributions made by the nominee or members of his immediate
family to any Federal election campaign during the year of his
or her nomination and for the 4 preceding years; and (5) for
persons nominated to be chiefs of mission, a report on the
demonstrated competence of that nominee to perform the duties
of the position to which he or she has been nominated.
rule 11--travel
(a) Foreign Travel.--No member of the Committee on Foreign
Relations or its staff shall travel abroad on Committee
business unless specifically authorized by the Chairman, who is
required by law to approve vouchers and report expenditures of
foreign currencies, and the Ranking Member. Requests for
authorization of such travel shall state the purpose and, when
completed, a full substantive and financial report shall be
filed with the Committee within 30 days. This report shall be
furnished to all members of the Committee and shall not be
otherwise disseminated without the express authorization of the
Committee. Except in extraordinary circumstances, staff travel
shall not be approved unless the reporting requirements have
been fulfilled for all prior trips. Except for travel that is
strictly personal, travel funded by non-U.S. Government sources
is subject to the same approval and substantive reporting
requirements as U.S. Government-funded travel. In addition,
members and staff are reminded of Senate Rule XXXV.4 requiring
a determination by the Senate Ethics Committee in the case of
foreign-sponsored travel.
Any proposed travel by Committee staff for a subcommittee
purpose must be approved by the subcommittee chairman and
ranking member prior to submission of the request to the
Chairman and Ranking Member of the full Committee.
When the Chairman and the Ranking Member approve the
foreign travel of a member of the staff of the committee not
accompanying a member of the Committee, all members of the
Committee shall be advised, prior to the commencement of such
travel of its extent, nature, and purpose.
(b) Domestic Travel.--All official travel in the United
States by the Committee staff shall be approved in advance by
the Staff Director, or in the case of minority staff, by the
Minority Staff Director.
(c) Personal Staff.--As a general rule, no more than one
member of the personal staff of a member of the Committee may
travel with that member with the approval of the Chairman and
the Ranking Member of the Committee. During such travel, the
personal staff member shall be considered to be an employee of
the Committee.
(d) Personal Representatives of the Member (PRM).--For the
purposes of Rule 11 as regards staff foreign travel, the
officially-designated personal representative of the member
(PRM) shall be deemed to have the same rights, duties, and
responsibilities as members of the staff of the Committee on
Foreign Relations. Furthermore, for the purposes of this
section, each Member of the Committee may designate one
personal staff member as the ``Personal Representative of the
Member.''
rule 12--transcripts
(a) General.--The Committee on Foreign Relations shall keep
verbatim transcripts of all Committee and subcommittee meetings
and such transcripts shall remain in the custody of the
Committee, unless a majority of the Committee decides
otherwise. Transcripts of public hearings by the Committee
shall be published unless the Chairman, with the concurrence of
the Ranking Member, determines otherwise.
(b) Classified or Restricted Transcripts.--
(1) The Chief Clerk of the Committee shall have
responsibility for the maintenance and security of
classified or restricted transcripts.
(2) A record shall be maintained of each use of
classified or restricted transcripts.
(3) Classified or restricted transcripts shall be
kept in locked combination safes in the Committee
offices except when in active use by authorized persons
for a period not to exceed 2 weeks. Extensions of this
period may be granted as necessary by the Chief Clerk.
They must never be left unattended and shall be
returned to the Chief Clerk promptly when no longer
needed.
(4) Except as provided in paragraph 7 below,
transcripts classified secret or higher may not leave
the Committee offices except for the purpose of
declassification.
(5) Classified transcripts other than those
classified secret or higher may leave the Committee
offices in the possession of authorized persons with
the approval of the Chairman. Delivery and return shall
be made only by authorized persons. Such transcripts
may not leave Washington, DC, unless adequate
assurances for their security are made to the Chairman.
(6) Extreme care shall be exercised to avoid taking
notes or quotes from classified transcripts. Their
contents may not be divulged to any unauthorized
person.
(7) Subject to any additional restrictions imposed by
the Chairman with the concurrence of the Ranking
Member, only the following persons are authorized to
have access to classified or restricted transcripts.
(i) Members and staff of the Committee in the
Committee rooms;
(ii) Designated personal representatives of
members of the Committee, and of the Majority
and Minority Leaders, with appropriate security
clearances, in the Committee's Capitol office;
(iii) Senators not members of the Committee,
by permission of the Chairman in the Committee
rooms; and
(iv) Members of the executive departments
involved in the meeting, in the Committee's
Capitol office, or, with the permission of the
Chairman, in the offices of the officials who
took part in the meeting, but in either case,
only for a specified and limited period of
time, and only after reliable assurances
against further reproduction or dissemination
have been given.
(8) Any restrictions imposed upon access to a meeting
of the Committee shall also apply to the transcript of
such meeting, except by special permission of the
Chairman and notice to the other members of the
Committee. Each transcript of a closed session of the
Committee shall include on its cover a description of
the restrictions imposed upon access, as well as any
applicable restrictions upon photocopying, note-taking
or other dissemination.
(9) In addition to restrictions resulting from the
inclusion of any classified information in the
transcript of a Committee meeting, members and staff
shall not discuss with anyone the proceedings of the
Committee in closed session or reveal information
conveyed or discussed in such a session unless that
person would have been permitted to attend the session
itself, or unless such communication is specifically
authorized by the Chairman, the Ranking Member, or in
the case of staff, by the Staff Director or Minority
Staff Director. A record shall be kept of all such
authorizations.
(c) Declassification.--
(1) All restricted transcripts and classified
Committee reports shall be declassified on a date
twelve years after their origination unless the
Committee by majority vote decides against such
declassification, and provided that the executive
departments involved and all former Committee members
who participated directly in the sessions or reports
concerned have been consulted in advance and given a
reasonable opportunity to raise objections to such
declassification.
(2) Any transcript or classified Committee report, or
any portion thereof, may be declassified fewer than
twelve years after their origination if:
(i) the Chairman originates such action or
receives a written request for such action, and
notifies the other members of the Committee;
(ii) the Chairman, Ranking Member, and each
member or former member who participated
directly in such meeting or report give their
approval, except that the Committee by majority
vote may overrule any objections thereby raised
to early declassification; and
(iii) the executive departments and all
former Committee members are consulted in
advance and have a reasonable opportunity to
object to early declassification.
rule 13--classified material
(a) All classified material received or originated by the
Committee shall be logged in at the Committee's offices in the
Dirksen Senate Office Building, and except for material
classified as ``Top Secret'' shall be filed in the Dirksen
Senate Building offices for Committee use and safekeeping.
(b) Each such piece of classified material received or
originated shall be card indexed and serially numbered, and
where requiring onward distribution shall be distributed by
means of an attached indexed form approved by the Chairman. If
such material is to be distributed outside the Committee
offices, it shall, in addition to the attached form, be
accompanied also by an approved signature sheet to show onward
receipt.
(c) Distribution of classified material among offices shall
be by Committee members or authorized staff only. All
classified material sent to members' offices, and that
distributed within the working offices of the Committee, shall
be returned to the offices designated by the Chief Clerk. No
classified material is to be removed from the offices of the
members or of the Committee without permission of the Chairman.
Such classified material will be afforded safe handling and
safe storage at all times.
(d) Material classified ``Top Secret,'' after being indexed
and numbered shall be sent to the Committee's Capitol office
for use by the members and authorized staff in that office only
or in such other secure Committee offices as may be authorized
by the Chairman or Staff Director.
(e) In general, members and staff undertake to confine
their access to classified information on the basis of a ``need
to know'' such information related to their Committee
responsibilities.
(f) The Staff Director is authorized to make such
administrative regulations as may be necessary to carry out the
provisions of these regulations.
rule 14--staff
(a) Responsibilities.--
(1) The staff works for the Committee as a whole,
under the general supervision of the Chairman of the
Committee, and the immediate direction of the Staff
Director; provided, however, that such part of the
staff as is designated Minority Staff, shall be under
the general supervision of the Ranking Member and under
the immediate direction of the Minority Staff Director.
(2) Any member of the Committee should feel free to
call upon the staff at any time for assistance in
connection with Committee business. Members of the
Senate not members of the Committee who call upon the
staff for assistance from time to time should be given
assistance subject to the overriding responsibility of
the staff to the Committee.
(3) The staff's primary responsibility is with
respect to bills, resolutions, treaties, and
nominations.
In addition to carrying out assignments from the
Committee and its individual members, the staff has a
responsibility to originate suggestions for Committee
or subcommittee consideration. The staff also has a
responsibility to make suggestions to individual
members regarding matters of special interest to such
members.
(4) It is part of the staff's duty to keep itself as
well informed as possible in regard to developments
affecting foreign relations and in regard to the
administration of foreign programs of the United
States. Significant trends or developments which might
otherwise escape notice should be called to the
attention of the Committee, or of individual Senators
with particular interests.
(5) The staff shall pay due regard to the
constitutional separation of powers between the Senate
and the executive branch. It therefore has a
responsibility to help the Committee bring to bear an
independent, objective judgment of proposals by the
executive branch and when appropriate to originate
sound proposals of its own. At the same time, the staff
shall avoid impinging upon the day-to-day conduct of
foreign affairs.
(6) In those instances when Committee action requires
the expression of minority views, the staff shall
assist the minority as fully as the majority to the end
that all points of view may be fully considered by
members of the Committee and of the Senate. The staff
shall bear in mind that under our constitutional system
it is the responsibility of the elected Members of the
Senate to determine legislative issues in the light of
as full and fair a presentation of the facts as the
staff may be able to obtain.
(b) Restrictions.--
(1) The staff shall regard its relationship to the
Committee as a privileged one, in the nature of the
relationship of a lawyer to a client. In order to
protect this relationship and the mutual confidence
which must prevail if the Committee-staff relationship
is to be a satisfactory and fruitful one, the following
criteria shall apply:
(i) members of the staff shall not be
identified with any special interest group in
the field of foreign relations or allow their
names to be used by any such group;
(ii) members of the staff shall not accept
public speaking engagements or write for
publication in the field of foreign relations
without specific advance permission from the
Staff Director, or, in the case of minority
staff, from the Minority Staff Director. In the
case of the Staff Director and the Minority
Staff Director, such advance permission shall
be obtained from the Chairman or the Ranking
Member, as appropriate. In any event, such
public statements should avoid the expression
of personal views and should not contain
predictions of future, or interpretations of
past, Committee action; and
(iii) staff shall not discuss their private
conversations with members of the Committee
without specific advance permission from the
Senator or Senators concerned.
(2) The staff shall not discuss with anyone the
proceedings of the Committee in closed session or
reveal information conveyed or discussed in such a
session unless that person would have been permitted to
attend the session itself, or unless such communication
is specifically authorized by the Staff Director or
Minority Staff Director. Unauthorized disclosure of
information from a closed session or of classified
information shall be cause for immediate dismissal and
may, in the case of some kinds of information, be
grounds for criminal prosecution.
rule 15--status and amendment of rules
(a) Status.--In addition to the foregoing, the Committee on
Foreign Relations is governed by the Standing Rules of the
Senate which shall take precedence in the event of a clear
inconsistency. In addition, the jurisdiction and
responsibilities of the Committee with respect to certain
matters, as well as the timing and procedure for their
consideration in Committee, may be governed by statute.
(b) Amendment.--These Rules may be modified, amended, or
repealed by a majority of the Committee, provided that a notice
in writing of the proposed change has been given to each member
at least 48 hours prior to the meeting at which action thereon
is to be taken. However, Rules of the Committee which are based
upon Senate Rules may not be superseded by Committee vote
alone.