Standing Rules of the Senate
RULE XXXI
RULETITLE
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.
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 executive 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
7. (a) The Official Reporters shall be furnished with a list of
nominations to office after the proceedings of the day on which they are received,
and a like list of all confirmations and rejections.
(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.
(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.
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