February 26, 1975
Page 4454
RULES OF PROCEDURE FOR COMMITTEE ON THE BUDGET
Mr. MUSKIE. Mr. President, in accordance with the provisions of the Legislative Reorganization Act, I hereby submit the rules of procedure for the Committee on the Budget. I ask unanimous consent that they be printed in the RECORD.
There being no objection, the rules of procedure were ordered to be printed in the RECORD, as follows:
RULES OF PROCEDURE FOR THE COMMITTEE ON THE BUDGET
I. MEETINGS OF THE COMMITTEE
1. The Committee shall hold its regular meeting on the first Thursday of each month. Additional meetings may be called by the Chairman as he deems necessary to expedite Committee business.
2. Each meeting of the Committee on the Budget of the Senate, or any subcommittee thereof, 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 or subcommittee, as the case may be, determines by record vote of a majority of the members of the Committee or subcommittee 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; or
(e) will disclose information relating to the trade secrets or financial or commercial information pertaining specifically to a given person if–
(1) an Act of Congress requires the information to be kept confidential by Government officers and employees; or
(2) 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.
II. QUORUMS
1. 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. A majority of the Committee shall constitute a quorum for reporting legislative measures or recommendations; provided, that proxies shall not be counted in making a quorum.
3. For the purpose of taking sworn or unsworn testimony a quorum of the Committee and each subcommittee thereof, now or hereafter appointed, shall consist of one Senator.
III. PROXIES
When a record vote is taken in the Committee on any bill, resolution, amendment or any other question, a quorum being present, a member who is unable to attend the meeting may submit his vote by proxy if the absent member has been informed of the matter on which he is being recorded and has affirmatively requested that he be so recorded.
IV. HEARINGS AND HEARING PROCEDURES
1. The Committee, or any subcommittee thereof, 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 one week in advance of such hearing, unless the Committee, or subcommittee, determines that there is good cause to begin such hearing at an earlier date.
2. A witness appearing before the Committee, or any subcommittee thereof, shall file a written statement of his proposed testimony at least one day prior to his appearance, unless this requirement is waived by the Chairman and the ranking minority member, following their determination that there is good cause for failure of compliance.
V. COMMITTEE REPORTS
1. 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. A member of the Committee who gives notice of his intention 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 three calendar days in which to file such views, in writing, with the chief clerk of the Committee. 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.