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“SENATE PERMANENT SUBCOMMITTEE ON INVESTIGATIONS RULES OF PROCEDURE” mentioning Gary C. Peters was published in the Senate section on pages S950-S952 on March 1.
Of the 100 senators in 117th Congress, 24 percent were women, and 76 percent were men, according to the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
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The publication is reproduced in full below:
SENATE PERMANENT SUBCOMMITTEE ON INVESTIGATIONS RULES OF PROCEDURE
Mr. PETERS. Mr. President, Senate Standing Rule XXVI 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. On March 1, 2021, a majority of the members of the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs' Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations adopted subcommittee rules of procedure.
Consistent with Standing Rule XXVI, today I ask unanimous consent to have printed in the Record a copy of the rules of procedure of the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations.
There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in the Record, as follows:
117th Congress
Rules of Procedure for the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on
Investigations of the Committee Homeland Security and Governmental
Affairs as Adopted
March 1, 2021
1. No public hearing connected with an investigation may be held without the approval of either the Chair and the Ranking Minority Member or a Majority of the Members of the Subcommittee.\1\ In all cases, notification to all Subcommittee Members of the intent to hold hearings must be given at least 7 days in advance to the date of the hearing. The Ranking Minority Member should be kept fully apprised of preliminary inquiries, investigations, and hearings. Preliminary inquiries may be initiated by the Subcommittee Majority staff upon the approval of the Chair and notice of such approval to the Ranking Minority Member, Minority Staff Director, or the Minority Chief Counsel. Preliminary inquiries may be undertaken by the Minority staff upon the approval of the Ranking Minority Member and notice of such approval to the Chair, Staff Director, or Chief Counsel. Investigations may be undertaken upon the approval of the Chair and the Ranking Minority Member with notice of such approval to all Members of the Subcommittee.
No public hearing shall be held if the Minority Members of the Subcommittee unanimously object, unless the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs (the
``Committee'') approves of such public hearing by a majority vote.
Senate Rules will govern all closed sessions convened by the Subcommittee (Rule XXVI, Sec. 5(b), Standing Rules of the Senate).
2. Subpoenas for witnesses, as well as documents and records, may be authorized and issued by the Chair, or any other Member of the Subcommittee designated by the Chair, with notice to the Ranking Minority Member. A written notice of intent to issue a subpoena shall be provided to the Chair and Ranking Minority Member of the Committee, or staff officers designated by them, by the Chair or a staff officer designated by the Chair, immediately upon such authorization, and no subpoena shall be issued for at least 48 hours, excluding Saturdays and Sundays, from delivery to the appropriate offices, unless the Chair and Ranking Minority Member of the Committee waive the 48 hour waiting period or unless the Chair certifies in writing to the Chair and Ranking Minority Member of the Committee that, in the Chair's opinion, it is necessary to issue a subpoena immediately.
3. The Chair shall have the authority to call meetings of the Subcommittee. This authority may be delegated by the Chair to any other Member of the Subcommittee when necessary.
4. If at least three Members of the Subcommittee desire the Chair to call a special meeting, they may file, in the office of the Subcommittee, a written request therefor, addressed to the Chair. Immediately thereafter, the clerk of the Subcommittee shall notify the Chair of such request. If, within 3 calendar days after the filing of such request, the Chair fails to call the requested special meeting, which is to be held within 7 calendar days after the filing of such request, a majority of the Subcommittee Members may file in the office of the Subcommittee their written notice that a special Subcommittee meeting will be held, specifying the date and hour thereof, and the Subcommittee shall meet on that date and hour. Immediately upon the filing of such notice, the Subcommittee clerk shall notify all Subcommittee Members that such special meeting will be held and inform them of its date and hour. If the Chair is not present at any regular, additional or special meeting, the Ranking Majority Member present shall preside.
5. For public or executive sessions, one Member of the Subcommittee shall constitute a quorum for the administering of oaths and the taking of testimony in any given case or subject matter.
One-third of the Members of the Subcommittee shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of Subcommittee business other than the administering of oaths and the taking of testimony, provided that at least one member of the minority is present.
6. All witnesses at public or executive hearings who testify to matters of fact shall be sworn.
7. If, during public or executive sessions, a witness, witness counsel, or any spectator conducts themselves in such a manner as to prevent, impede, disrupt, obstruct, or interfere with the orderly administration of such hearing, the Chair or presiding Member of the Subcommittee present during such hearing may request the Sergeant at Arms of the Senate, a representative of the Sergeant at Arms of the Senate, or any law enforcement official to eject said person from the hearing room.
8. Counsel retained by any witness and accompanying such witness shall be permitted to be present during the testimony of such witness at any public or executive hearing and to advise such witness while the witness is testifying of the witness's legal rights; provided, however, that in the case of any witness who is an officer or employee of the government, or of a corporation or association, the Chair may rule that representation by counsel from the government, corporation, or association, or by counsel representing another witness, creates a conflict of interest, and that the witness may only be represented during interrogation by Subcommittee staff or during testimony before the Subcommittee by personal counsel not from the government, corporation, or association, or by personal counsel not representing another witness. This rule shall not be construed to excuse a witness from testifying in the event witness counsel is ejected for conduct preventing, impeding, disrupting, obstructing, or interfering with the orderly administration of the hearings; nor shall this rule be construed as authorizing counsel to coach the witness or answer for the witness. The failure of any witness to secure counsel shall not excuse such witness from complying with a subpoena or deposition notice.
9. Depositions
9.1 Notice. Notices for the taking of depositions in an investigation authorized by the Subcommittee shall be authorized and issued by the Chair. The Chair of the Committee and the Ranking Minority Member of the Subcommittee shall be kept fully apprised of the authorization for the taking of depositions. Such notices shall specify a time and place of examination, and the name of the Subcommittee Member or Members or staff officer or officers who will take the deposition. The deposition shall be in private. The Subcommittee shall not initiate procedures leading to criminal or civil enforcement proceedings for a witness's failure to appear unless the deposition notice was accompanied by a Subcommittee subpoena.
9.2 Counsel. Witnesses may be accompanied at a deposition by counsel to advise them of their legal rights, subject to the provisions of Rule 8.
9.3 Procedure. Witnesses shall be examined upon oath administered by an individual authorized by local law to administer oaths. Questions shall be propounded orally by Subcommittee Members or staff. Objections by the witness as to the form of questions shall be noted for the record. If a witness objects to a question and refuses to testify on the basis of relevance or privilege, the Subcommittee Members or staff may proceed with the deposition, or may, at that time or at a subsequent time, seek a ruling by telephone or otherwise on the objection from the Chair or such Subcommittee Member as designated by the Chair. If the Chair or designated Member overrules the objection, these Members may refer the matter to the Subcommittee or may order and direct the witness to answer the question, but the Subcommittee shall not initiate procedures leading to civil or criminal enforcement unless the witness refuses to testify after being ordered and directed to answer by the Chair or designated Member.
9.4 Filing. The Subcommittee staff shall see that the testimony is transcribed or electronically recorded. If it is transcribed, the witness shall be furnished with a copy for review pursuant to the provisions of Rule 12. The individual administering the oath shall certify on the transcript that the witness was duly sworn in the individual's presence, the transcriber shall certify that the transcript is a true record of the testimony, and the transcript shall then be filed with the Subcommittee clerk. Subcommittee staff may stipulate with the witness to changes in this procedure; deviations from this procedure which do not substantially impair the reliability of the record shall not relieve the witness from the obligation to testify truthfully.
10. Any witness desiring to read a prepared or written statement in executive or public hearings shall file a copy of such statement with the Chair, Staff Director, or Chief Counsel 48 hours in advance of the hearings at which the statement is to be presented unless the Chair and the Ranking Minority Member waive this requirement. The Subcommittee shall determine whether such statement may be read or placed in the record of the hearing.
11. A witness may request, on grounds of distraction, harassment, personal safety, or physical discomfort, that during testimony, television, motion picture, and other cameras and lights, shall not be directed at the witness. Such requests shall be ruled on by the Subcommittee Members present at the hearing.
12. An accurate stenographic record shall be kept of the testimony of all witnesses in executive and public hearings. The record of a witness's own testimony, whether in public or executive session, shall be made available for inspection by the witness or witness counsel under Subcommittee supervision; a copy of any testimony given in public session or that part of the testimony given by the witness in executive session and subsequently quoted or made part of the record in a public session shall be made available to any witness at the witness's expense if requested.
13. Interrogation of witnesses at Subcommittee hearings shall be conducted on behalf of the Subcommittee by Subcommittee Members and authorized Subcommittee staff personnel only.
14. Any person who is the subject of an investigation in public hearings may submit to the Chair questions in writing for the cross-examination of other witnesses called by the Subcommittee. With the consent of a majority of the Members of the Subcommittee present and voting, these questions, or paraphrased versions of them, shall be put to the witness by the Chair, by a Member of the Subcommittee, or by counsel of the Subcommittee.
15. Any person whose name is mentioned or who is specifically identified, and who believes that testimony or other evidence presented at a public hearing, or comment made by a Subcommittee Member or counsel, tends to defame the person or otherwise adversely affect the person's reputation, may (a) request to appear personally before the Subcommittee to testify, or, in the alternative, (b) file a sworn statement of facts relevant to the testimony or other evidence or comment complained of. Such request and such statement shall be submitted to the Subcommittee for its consideration and action.
If a person requests to appear personally before the Subcommittee pursuant to alternative (a) referred to herein, said request shall be considered untimely if it is not received by the Chair, Staff Director, or Chief Counsel in writing on or before thirty (30) days subsequent to the day on which said person's name was mentioned or otherwise specifically identified during a public hearing held before the Subcommittee, unless the Chair and the Ranking Minority Member waive this requirement.
If a person requests to file a sworn statement pursuant to alternative (b) referred to herein, the Subcommittee may condition the filing of said sworn statement upon said person agreeing to appear personally before the Subcommittee and to testify concerning the matters contained in the person's sworn statement, as well as any other matters related to the subject of the investigation before the Subcommittee.
16. All testimony taken in executive session shall be kept secret and will not be released for public information without the approval of a majority of the Members of the Subcommittee.
17. No Subcommittee report shall be released to the public unless approved by a majority of the Subcommittee and after no less than 10 days' notice and opportunity for comment by the Members of the Subcommittee unless the need for such notice and opportunity to comment has been waived in writing by a majority of the Minority Members of the Subcommittee.
18. The Ranking Minority Member may select for appointment to the Subcommittee staff a Chief Counsel for the Minority and such other professional staff and clerical assistants as the Ranking Minority Member deems advisable. The total compensation allocated to such Minority staff shall be not less than one-third the total amount allocated for all Subcommittee staff salaries during any given year. The Minority staff shall work under the direction and supervision of the Ranking Minority Member. The Minority Staff Director and the Minority Chief Counsel shall be kept fully informed as to preliminary inquiries, investigations, and hearings, and shall have access to all material in the files of the Subcommittee.
19. When it is determined by the Chair and Ranking Minority Member, or by a majority of the Subcommittee, that there is reasonable cause to believe that a violation of law may have occurred, the Chair and Ranking Minority Member by letter, or the Subcommittee by resolution, are authorized to report such violation to the proper State, local and/or Federal authorities. Such letter or report may recite the basis for the determination of reasonable cause. This rule is not authority for release of documents or testimony.
endnote
1. Throughout these rules, the Chair and Ranking Minority Member of the Subcommittee are referred to simply as the
``Chair'' and the ``Ranking Minority Member.'' These rules refer to the Chair and Ranking Minority Member of the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs as the Chair and Ranking Minority Member ``of the Committee.''
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