JOINT ECONOMIC COMMITTEE

 

Rules from the 110th Congress

(Adopted April 5, 2007)

 

RULE 1

 

The rules of the Senate and House, insofar as they are applicable, shall govern the committee and its subcommittees. The rules of the Committee, insofar as they are applicable, shall be the rules of any subcommittee of the Committee.

 

RULE 2

 

The meetings of the Committee shall be held at such times and in such places as the Chairman may designate, or at such times as a quorum of the Committee may request in writing, with adequate advance notice provided to all members of the Committee. Subcommittee meetings shall not be held when the full Committee is meeting. Where there rules require a vote of the members of the Committee, polling of members either in writing or by telephone shall not be permitted to substitute for a vote taken at a Committee meeting, unless the Ranking Minority Member assents to a waiver of this requirement.

 

RULE 3

 

Ten members of the Committee shall constitute a quorum. A majority of the members of a subcommittee shall constitute a quorum of such subcommittee.

 

RULE 4

 

Written or telegraphic proxies of Committee members will be received and recorded on any vote taken by the Committee, except at the organization meeting at the beginning of each Congress, or for the purpose of creating a quorum.

 

RULE 5

 

The Chairman may name standing or special subcommittees. Any member of the Committee shall have the privilege of sitting with any subcommittee during its hearings or deliberations, but no such member who is not a member of the subcommittee shall vote on any matter before such subcommittee.

 

RULE 6

 

The chairmanship and vice chairmanship of the Committee shall alternate between the House and Senate by Congresses. The senior member of the minority party in the House of Congress opposite to that of the Chairman shall be the Ranking Minority Member of the Committee. In the event the House and Senate are under different party control, the Chairman and Vice Chairman shall represent the majority party in the respective Houses.

 

RULE 7

 

Questions as to the order of business and the procedure of the Committee shall in the first instance be decided by the Chairman, subject always to an appeal to the Committee.

 

RULE 8

 

All hearings conducted by the Committee or its subcommittees shall be open to the public except where the Committee or subcommittee, as the case may be, by a majority vote orders an executive session. Whenever possible, all public hearings shall include some sessions held on the Senate side and some of the House side. House and Senate members shall alternate in order of seating and interrogation.

 

RULE 9

So far as practicable all witnesses appearing before the Committee shall file advance written statements of their proposed testimony, and their oral testimony shall be limited to brief summaries. Brief insertions of additional germane material will be received for the record, subject to the approval of the Chairman.

 

RULE 10

 

An accurate stenographic record shall be kept of all testimony and each witness provided with a copy thereof. Witnesses may make changes in testimony for the purpose of correcting grammatical errors, obvious errors of fact, and errors of transcription. Brief supplemental materials when required to clarify the transcript may be inserted in the record subject to the approval of the Chairman. Witnesses shall be allowed 3 days within which to correct and return the transcript of their testimony. If not so returned, the clerk may close the record whenever necessary.

 

RULE 11

 

Each member of the Committee shall be provided with a copy of the hearings transcript for the purpose of correcting errors of transcription and grammar, and clarifying questions or remarks. If another person is authorized by a Committee member to make his corrections, the clerk shall be so notified.

Members who have received unanimous consent to submit written questions to witnesses shall be allowed 2 days within which to submit these to the executive director for transmission to the witnesses. The record may be held open for a period not to exceed 1week awaiting responses by witnesses.

 

RULE 12

 

Testimony received in executive hearings shall not be released or included in any report without the approval of a majority of the Committee.

 

RULE 13

 

The Chairman shall provide adequate time for questioning of witnesses by all members, and the rule of germaneness shall be enforced in all hearings.

 

RULE 14

 

None of the hearings of the Committee shall be telecast or broadcast, whether directly or through such devices as recordings, tapes, motion pictures, or other mechanical means, if in conflict with a rule or practice of the House on the side of the Capitol where hearings are being held. If no general rule or practice prevails in regard to such telecasts or broadcasts, none of the hearings of the Committee shall be telecast or broadcast unless approved by a majority of the members of the Committee.

Telecasts or broadcasts of any such portion of hearings of the Committee as may include testimony of a witness, shall not be authorized if such witness objects to such telecast or broadcast: Provided, That such witness shall be afforded the opportunity to make such objection, if any , to the Committee at a time when the proceedings are not being telecast or broadcast.

 

RULE 15

 

No Committee report shall be made public or transmitted to the Congress without the approval of a majority of the Committee except that when the Congress has adjourned, subcommittees may by majority vote and with the express permission of the full Committee submit reports to the full Committee and simultaneously release same to the public: Provided, That any member of the Committee may make a report supplementary to or dissenting from the majority report. Such supplementary or dissenting reports should be as brief as possible. Factual reports by the Committee staff may be printed for the distribution to Committee members and the public only upon authorization of the Chairman of the full Committee either with the approval of a majority of the Committee or with the consent of the Ranking Minority Member.

 

RULE 16

 

No summary of a Committee report, prediction of the contents of a report, or statement of conclusions concerning any investigation shall be made by a member of the Committee or of the Committee staff prior to the issuance of a report of the Committee.

 

RULE 17

 

There shall be kept a complete record of all Committee proceedings and actions. The clerk of the Committee, or a designated member of the Committee staff, shall act as recording secretary of all proceedings before the Committee and shall prepare and circulate to all members of the Committee the minutes of such proceedings. Minutes circulated will be considered approved unless objection is registered prior to the next Committee meeting. The records of the Committee shall be open to all members of the Committee.

 

RULE 18

 

The Committee shall have a professional and clerical staff under the supervision of an executive director. The Committee shall appoint and remove the executive director with the approval of not less than 10 members of the Committee. Staff operating procedures shall be determined by the executive director, with the approval of the Chairman of the Committee, and after notification to the Ranking Minority Member with respect to basic revisions. The executive director under the general supervision of the Chairman is authorized to deal directly with agencies of the Government and with non-Government groups and individuals on behalf of the Committee.

The professional members of the Committee staff shall be appointed and removed on the recommendation of the executive director with approval by a majority vote of the Committee. The professional staff members, including the executive director, shall be persons selected without regard to political affiliations who, as a result of training, experience, and attainments, are exceptionally qualified to analyze and interpret economic developments and programs. The clerical and temporary staff shall be appointed and removed by the executive director with the approval of the Chairman, and after notification to the Ranking Minority Member. The Committee staff shall serve all members of the Committee in an objective, non partisan manner. From time to time, upon request the executive director shall designate individual members of the staff to assist subcommittees, individual Committee members, and the minority members. The staff, to the extent possible, shall be organized along functional lines to permit specialization.

 

RULE 19

 

Attendance at executive sessions shall be limited to members of the Committee and of the Committee staff. Other persons whose presence is requested or consented to by the Committee may be admitted to such sessions.

 

RULE 20

 

Selection of witnesses for Committee hearings shall be made by the Committee staff under the direction of the Chairman. A list of proposed witnesses shall be submitted to the members of the Committee for review sufficiently in advance of the hearings to permit suggestions by the Committee members to receive appropriate consideration.

 

RULE 21

 

The Chairman of the Committee shall have the overall responsibility for preparing and carrying out the Committee's program, including staff duties, subject to prior approval of each item on the program by a majority of the Committee or, alternatively, by the Ranking Minority Member. Prior to and during the transition from one Congress to another, the outgoing Committee shall prepare and have ready a plan for the consideration of the President's Economic Report and the preparation of the Committee's report thereon in order to meet the March 1 deadline established by Public Law 304 (79th Cong.), as amended.

 

RULE 22

 

Proposals for amending Committee rules shall be sent to all members at least 1 week before final action is taken thereon, unless the amendment is made by unanimous consent. Approval by at least 11 members of the Committee shall be required to amend these rules.

 

RULE 23

 

The information contained in any books, papers, or documents furnished to the Committee by any individual, partnership, corporation, or other legal entity shall, upon the request of the individual, partnership, corporation, or other entity furnishing the same, be maintained in strict confidence by the members and staff of the Committee, except that any such information may be released outside of executive session of the Committee if the release thereof is effected in a manner which will not reveal the identity of such individual, partnership, corporation, or entity: Provided, That the Committee by majority vote may authorize the disclosure of the identity of any such individual, partnership, corporation, or entity in connection with any pending hearing or as a part of a duly authorized report of the Committee if such release is deemed essential to the performance of the functions of the Committee and is in the public interest.