PRIA, Government Policy, Made Personal

Summary

When the President sends certain required documents to Congress, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the House Foreign Affairs Committee each have 45 days of continuous session to send a report and a concurrent resolution saying whether Congress approves or disapproves. If a committee has not reported by the end of those 45 days, it is released from further work on the matter. If no resolution has been reported, the first qualifying resolution introduced in that House within 5 days must be placed on that House’s calendar. Any member may then move to take up the resolution; that motion is immediate, not debatable, cannot be changed or postponed, and cannot be reconsidered. Debate on the resolution and related appeals is limited to 10 hours, split equally for and against. After debate and one quorum call if requested, the Majority Leader (or designee) may offer one amendment to change an approving resolution from “does” to “does not,” and then the House votes. Appeals of chair rulings on these procedures are decided without debate. Definitions and special rules in one line each: resolution — a concurrent resolution saying “Congress does” or “does not” favor the President’s transmission on a given date; joint resolution — a one-line format used for three specific cases (agreements for cooperation, certain determinations, and a specified U.S.–India arrangement sent Sept. 10, 2008). For joint resolutions, House and Senate leaders introduce them when the agreement is submitted and they are sent to the appropriate committees. If a committee has not reported a joint resolution within 45 days (15 days for the India subsequent arrangement), the committee is released from further consideration. Days when either House is out for more than three days do not count toward the time limits, and continuity of session is broken only by an adjournment sine die (ending a Congress). These procedures are part of each House’s rules for these matters, but each House can change its own rules.

Title 42, §2159

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(a)Committee consideration of Presidential submissions; reports

Not later than forty-five days of continuous session of Congress after the date of transmittal to the Congress of any submission of the President required by section 2155(a)(2), 2155(b)(2), 2157(b), 2158, 2160(a)(3), or 2160(f)(1)(A) of this title, the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate and the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives shall each submit a report to its respective House on its views and recommendations respecting such Presidential submission together with a resolution, as defined in subsection (f), stating in substance that the Congress approves or disapproves such submission, as the case may be: Provided, That if any such committee has not reported such a resolution at the end of such forty-five day period, such committee shall be deemed to be discharged from further consideration of such submission. If no such resolution has been reported at the end of such period, the first resolution, as defined in subsection (f), which is introduced within five days thereafter within such House shall be placed on the appropriate calendar of such House.

(b)Consideration of resolution by respective Houses of Congress

When the relevant committee or committees have reported such a resolution (or have been discharged from further consideration of such a resolution pursuant to subsection (a)) or when a resolution has been introduced and placed on the appropriate calendar pursuant to subsection (a), as the case may be, it is at any time thereafter in order (even though a previous motion to the same effect has been disagreed to) for any Member of the respective House to move to proceed to the consideration of the resolution. The motion is highly privileged and is not debatable. The motion shall not be subject to amendment, or to a motion to postpone, or to a motion to proceed to the consideration of other business. A motion to reconsider the vote by which the motion is agreed to or disagreed to shall not be in order. If a motion to proceed to the consideration of the resolution is agreed to, the resolution shall remain the unfinished business of the respective House until disposed of.

(c)Debate

Debate on the resolution, and on all debatable motions and appeals in connection therewith, shall be limited to not more than ten hours, which shall be divided equally between individuals favoring and individuals opposing the resolution. A motion further to limit debate is in order and not debatable. An amendment to a motion to postpone, or a motion to recommit the resolution, or a motion to proceed to the consideration of other business is not in order. A motion to reconsider the vote by which the resolution is agreed to or disagreed to shall not be in order. No amendment to any concurrent resolution pursuant to the procedures of this section is in order except as provided in subsection (d).

(d)Vote on final approval

Immediately following (1) the conclusion of the debate on such concurrent resolution, (2) a single quorum call at the conclusion of debate if requested in accordance with the rules of the appropriate House, and (3) the consideration of an amendment introduced by the Majority Leader or his designee to insert the phrase, “does not” in lieu of the word “does” if the resolution under consideration is a concurrent resolution of approval, the vote on final approval of the resolution shall occur.

(e)Appeals from decisions of Chair

Appeals from the decisions of the Chair relating to the application of the rules of the Senate or the House of Representatives, as the case may be, to the procedure relating to such a resolution shall be decided without debate.

(f)Resolution

For the purposes of subsections (a) through (e) of this section, the term “resolution” means a concurrent resolution of the Congress, the matter after the resolving clause of which is as follows: “That the Congress (does or does not) favor the transmitted to the Congress by the President on , .”, the blank spaces therein to be appropriately filled, and the affirmative or negative phrase within the parenthetical to be appropriately selected.

(g)Continuity of Congressional sessions; computation of time

(1)Except as provided in paragraph (2), for the purposes of this section—

(A)continuity of session is broken only by an adjournment of Congress sine die; and

(B)the days on which either House is not in session because of an adjournment of more than three days to a day certain are excluded in the computation of any period of time in which Congress is in continuous session.

(2)For purposes of this section insofar as it applies to section 2153 of this title—

(A)continuity of session is broken only by an adjournment of Congress sine die at the end of a Congress; and

(B)the days on which either House is not in session because of an adjournment of more than three days are excluded in the computation of any period of time in which Congress is in continuous session.

(h)Supersedure or change in rules

This section is enacted by Congress—

(1)as an exercise of the rulemaking power of the Senate and the House of Representatives, respectively, and as such they are deemed a part of the rules of each House, respectively, but applicable only with respect to the procedure to be followed in that House in the case of resolutions described by subsection (f) of this section; and they supersede other rules only to the extent that they are inconsistent therewith; and

(2)with full recognition of the constitutional right of either House to change the rules (so far as relating to the procedure of that House) at any time, in the same manner and to the same extent as in the case of any other rule of that House.

(i)Joint resolutions

(1)For the purposes of this subsection, the term “joint resolution” means—

(A)for an agreement for cooperation pursuant to section 2153 of this title, a joint resolution, the matter after the resolving clause of which is as follows: “That the Congress (does or does not) favor the proposed agreement for cooperation transmitted to the Congress by the President on _____ .”,

(B)for a determination under section 2158 of this title, a joint resolution, the matter after the resolving clause of which is as follows: “That the Congress does not favor the determination transmitted to the Congress by the President on _____ .”, or

(C)for a subsequent arrangement under section 201 of the United States-India Nuclear Cooperation Approval and Nonproliferation Enhancement Act, a joint resolution, the matter after the resolving clause of which is as follows: “That the Congress does not favor the subsequent arrangement to the Agreement for Cooperation Between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of India Concerning Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy that was transmitted to Congress by the President on September 10, 2008.”,

with the date of the transmission of the proposed agreement for cooperation inserted in the blank, and the affirmative or negative phrase within the parenthetical appropriately selected.

(2)On the day on which a proposed agreement for cooperation is submitted to the House of Representatives and the Senate under section 2153(d) of this title, a joint resolution with respect to such agreement for cooperation shall be introduced (by request) in the House by the chairman of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, for himself and the ranking minority member of the Committee, or by Members of the House designated by the chairman and ranking minority member; and shall be introduced (by request) in the Senate by the majority leader of the Senate, for himself and the minority leader of the Senate, or by Members of the Senate designated by the majority leader and minority leader of the Senate. If either House is not in session on the day on which such an agreement for cooperation is submitted, the joint resolution shall be introduced in that House, as provided in the preceding sentence, on the first day thereafter on which that House is in session.

(3)All joint resolutions introduced in the House of Representatives shall be referred to the appropriate committee or committees, and all joint resolutions introduced in the Senate shall be referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations and in addition, in the case of a proposed agreement for cooperation arranged pursuant to section 2121(c), 2164(b), or 2164(c) of this title, the Committee on Armed Services.

(4)If the committee of either House to which a joint resolution has been referred has not reported it at the end of 45 days after its introduction (or in the case of a joint resolution related to a subsequent arrangement under section 201 of the United States-India Nuclear Cooperation Approval and Nonproliferation Enhancement Act, 15 days after its introduction), the committee shall be discharged from further consideration of the joint resolution or of any other joint resolution introduced with respect to the same matter; except that, in the case of a joint resolution which has been referred to more than one committee, if before the end of that 45-day period (or in the case of a joint resolution related to a subsequent arrangement under section 201 of the United States-India Nuclear Cooperation Approval and Nonproliferation Enhancement Act, 15-day period) one such committee has reported the joint resolution, any other committee to which the joint resolution was referred shall be discharged from further consideration of the joint resolution or of any other joint resolution introduced with respect to the same matter.

(5)A joint resolution under this subsection shall be considered in the Senate in accordance with the provisions of section 601(b)(4) of the International Security Assistance and Arms Export Control Act of 1976. For the purpose of expediting the consideration and passage of joint resolutions reported or discharged pursuant to the provisions of this subsection, it shall be in order for the Committee on Rules of the House of Representatives to present for consideration a resolution of the House of Representatives providing procedures for the immediate consideration of a joint resolution under this subsection which may be similar, if applicable, to the procedures set forth in section 601(b)(4) of the International Security Assistance and Arms Export Control Act of 1976.

(6)In the case of a joint resolution described in paragraph (1), if prior to the passage by one House of a joint resolution of that House, that House receives a joint resolution with respect to the same matter from the other House, then—

(A)the procedure in that House shall be the same as if no joint resolution had been received from the other House; but

(B)the vote on final passage shall be on the joint resolution of the other House.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

section 201 of the United States-India Nuclear Cooperation Approval and Nonproliferation Enhancement Act, referred to in subsec. (i)(1)(C), (4), is section 201 of Pub. L. 110–369, which is set out in a note under section 8001 of Title 22, Foreign Relations and Intercourse. section 601(b)(4) of the International Security Assistance and Arms Export Control Act of 1976, referred to in subsec. (i)(5), is section 601(b)(4) of Pub. L. 94–329, June 30, 1976, 90 Stat. 729, which made provision for expedited procedures in the Senate, and is not classified to the Code.

Amendments

2008—Subsec. (i)(1). Pub. L. 110–369, § 205(1), substituted “means—” for “means a joint resolution, the matter after the resolving clause of which is as follows: ‘That the Congress (does or does not) favor the proposed agreement for cooperation transmitted to the Congress by the President on .’,” and added subpars. (A) to (C). Subsec. (i)(4). Pub. L. 110–369, § 205(2), inserted “(or in the case of a joint resolution related to a subsequent arrangement under section 201 of the United States-India Nuclear Cooperation Approval and Nonproliferation Enhancement Act, 15 days after its introduction)” after “45 days after its introduction” and “(or in the case of a joint resolution related to a subsequent arrangement under section 201 of the United States-India Nuclear Cooperation Approval and Nonproliferation Enhancement Act, 15-day period)” after “45-day period”. 1994—Subsecs. (a), (i)(2). Pub. L. 103–437 substituted “Foreign Affairs” for “International Relations”. 1985—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 99–64, § 301(c)(1), struck out “2153(d),” after “submission of the President required by section”, struck out “, and in addition, in the case of a proposed agreement for cooperation arranged pursuant to section 2121(c), 2164(b), or 2164(c) of this title, the Committee on Armed Services of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Armed Services of the Senate,” after “Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives”, and struck out in proviso “and if, in the case of a proposed agreement for cooperation arranged pursuant to section 2121(c), 2164(b), or 2164(c) of this title, the other relevant committee of that House has reported such a resolution, such committee shall be deemed discharged from further consideration of that resolution” after “consideration of such submission”. Subsec. (g). Pub. L. 99–64, § 301(c)(2), designated existing provisions of subsec. (g) as par. (1), substituted “Except as provided in paragraph (2), for” for “For”, redesignated former pars. (1) and (2) as subpars. (A) and (B), respectively, and added par. (2). Subsec. (i). Pub. L. 99–64, § 301(c)(2)(B), added subsec. (i).

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

of 1985 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 99–64 applicable to any agreement for cooperation entered into after July 12, 1985, see section 301(d) of Pub. L. 99–64, set out as a note under section 2153 of this title.

Effective Date

Section effective Mar. 10, 1978, except as otherwise provided and regardless of any requirements for the promulgation of implementing

Regulations

, see section 603(c) of Pub. L. 95–242, set out as a note under section 3201 of Title 22, Foreign Relations and Intercourse.

§2159 Congressional Review Procedures

Summary

Title 42, §2159

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

Amendments

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

Effective Date

Regulations

Citations & Metadata