# United States Code/Title 2/Chapter 2

From the Cornell Law School U.S. Code Collection

### § 21. Oath of Senators

The oath of office shall be administered by the President of the Senate to each Senator who shall be elected, previous to his taking his seat.

### § 22. Oath of President of Senate

When a President of the Senate has not taken the oath of office, it shall be administered to him by any Member of the Senate.

### § 23. Presiding officer of Senate may administer oaths

The presiding officer, for the time being, of the Senate of the United States, shall have power to administer all oaths and affirmations that are or may be required by the Constitution, or by law, to be taken by any Senator, officer of the Senate, witness, or other person, in respect to any matter within the jurisdiction of the Senate.

### § 24. Secretary of Senate or assistant secretary may administer oaths

The Secretary of the Senate, and the assistant secretary thereof, shall, respectively, have power to administer any oath or affirmation required by law, or by the rules or orders of the Senate, to be taken by any officer of the Senate, and to any witness produced before it.

### § 25. Oath of Speaker, Members, and Delegates

At the first session of Congress after every general election of Representatives, the oath of office shall be administered by any Member of the House of Representatives to the Speaker; and by the Speaker to all the Members and Delegates present, and to the Clerk, previous to entering on any other business; and to the Members and Delegates who afterward appear, previous to their taking their seats.
The Clerk of the House of Representatives of the Eightieth and each succeeding Congress shall cause the oath of office to be printed, furnishing two copies to each Member and Delegate who has taken the oath of office in accordance with law, which shall be subscribed in person by the Member or Delegate, who shall thereupon deliver them to the Clerk, one to be filed in the records of the House of Representatives, and the other to be recorded in the Journal of the House and in the Congressional Record; and such signed copies, or certified copies thereof, or of either of such records thereof, shall be admissible in evidence in any court of the United States, and shall be held conclusive proof of the fact that the signer duly took the oath of office in accordance with law.

### § 25a. Delegate to House of Representatives from District of Columbia

(a) The people of the District of Columbia shall be represented in the House of Representatives by a Delegate, to be known as the “Delegate to the House of Representatives from the District of Columbia”, who shall be elected by the voters of the District of Columbia in accordance with the District of Columbia Election Act. The Delegate shall have a seat in the House of Representatives, with the right of debate, but not of voting, shall have all the privileges granted a Representative by section 6 of Article I of the Constitution, and shall be subject to the same restrictions and regulations as are imposed by law or rules on Representatives. The Delegate shall be elected to serve during each Congress.
(b) No individual may hold the office of Delegate to the House of Representatives from the District of Columbia unless on the date of his election—
    (1) he is a qualified elector (as that term is defined in section 2(2) of the District of Columbia Election Act) of the District of Columbia;
    (2) he is at least twenty-five years of age;
    (3) he holds no other paid public office; and
    (4) he has resided in the District of Columbia continuously since the beginning of the three-year period ending on such date.
       He shall forfeit his office upon failure to maintain the qualifications required by this subsection.

### § 26. Roll of Representatives-elect

Before the first meeting of each Congress the Clerk of the next preceding House of Representatives shall make a roll of the Representatives-elect, and place thereon the names of those persons, and of such persons only, whose credentials show that they were regularly elected in accordance with the laws of their States respectively, or the laws of the United States. In case of a vacancy in the office of Clerk of the House of Representatives, or of the absence or inability of the Clerk to discharge the duties imposed on him by law or custom relative to the preparation of the roll of Representatives or the organization of the House, those duties shall devolve on the Sergeant at Arms of the next preceding House of Representatives.

### § 27. Change of place of meeting

Whenever Congress is about to convene, and from the prevalence of contagious sickness, or the existence of other circumstances, it would, in the opinion of the President, be hazardous to the lives or health of the members to meet at the seat of Government, the President is authorized, by proclamation, to convene Congress at such other place as he may judge proper.

### § 28. Parliamentary precedents of House of Representatives

(a) Periodic compilation; other useful materials; index digest; date of completion
The Parliamentarian of the House of Representatives, at the beginning of the fifth fiscal year following the completion and publication of the parliamentary precedents of the House authorized by the Legislative Branch Appropriation Act, 1966 (79 Stat. 270; Public Law 89–90), and at the beginning of each fifth fiscal year thereafter, shall commence the compilation and preparation for printing of the parliamentary precedents of the House of Representatives, together with such other materials as may be useful in connection therewith, and an index digest of such precedents and other materials. Each such compilation and preparation for printing of the parliamentary precedents of the House shall be completed by the close of the fiscal year immediately following the fiscal year in which such work is commenced.
(b) Form, number, and distribution of compilation
As so compiled and prepared, such precedents and other materials and index digest shall be printed on pages of such size, and in such type and format, as the Parliamentarian may determine and shall be printed in such numbers and for such distribution as may be provided by law enacted prior to printing.
(c) Appointment and compensation of personnel; utilization of services of personnel of Federal agencies
       For the purpose of carrying out each such compilation and preparation, the Parliamentarian may—
    (1) subject to the approval of the Speaker, appoint (as employees of the House of Representatives) clerical and other personnel and fix their respective rates of pay; and
    (2) utilize the services of personnel of the Library of Congress and the Government Publishing Office.

### § 28a. Compilation of the Precedents of House of Representatives; date of completion; biennial update; printing and availability of copies

The Speaker is authorized and directed to complete the Compilation of the Precedents of the House of Representatives by January 1, 1977, and prepare an updated compilation of such precedents every two years thereafter. Copies of the Compilation of Precedents shall be printed in sufficient quantity to be available to every Member and the standing committees of the House of Representatives.

### § 28b. Printing and binding as public document of Precedents of House of Representatives; number of sets authorized

(a) There shall be printed and bound as a public document two thousand sets of the Prec­edents of the House of Representatives compiled and prepared by Lewis Deschler (hereinafter in sections 28b to 28e of this title referred to as the “Precedents”) in accordance with the provisions of the Legislative Branch Appropriation Act, 1966 (Public Law 89–90; 79 Stat. 265).
(b) The number of sets authorized to be printed and bound by or pursuant to sections 28b to 28e of this title shall be in lieu of the usual number of copies for binding and distribution required by section 701 of title 44.

### § 28c. Distribution of Precedents by Director of the Government Publishing Office

(a) Delivery to Members of Ninety-fifth Congress; marking of volumes
The Director of the Government Publishing Office shall deliver one set of the Precedents to each Senator or Representative in, or Delegate or Resident Commissioner to, the Ninety-fifth Congress. The name of the Member to whom the set is delivered shall be legibly stamped on the front cover of each volume of the set.
(b) Members of Congress following Ninety-fifth Congress not already having sets of Precedents; necessity of written request to Superintendent of Documents for set
Each Senator or Representative in, or Delegate or Resident Commissioner to, each Congress following the Ninety-fifth Congress who has not theretofore received a set of the Precedents shall be entitled to receive one set of the Precedents, upon transmitting a written request for such set to the Superintendent of Documents.
(c) Additional distribution of sets
       The Director of the Government Publishing Office shall make the following distribution of sets of the Precedents:
    (1) to the office of the Vice President, to the office of the speaker of the House of Representatives, and to the office of the President pro tempore of the Senate, each, five sets;
    (2) to the office of the majority leader of the House of Representatives and to the office of the minority leader of the House of Representatives, each, three sets;
    (3) to the Parliamentarian of the House of Representatives, sixty sets;
    (4) to the Parliamentarian of the Senate, five sets;
    (5) to the Clerk of the House of Representatives and to the Sergeant at Arms of the House of Representatives, each$^1$ two sets;
    (6) to the Secretary of the Senate and to the Sergeant at Arms of the Senate, each, two sets;
    (7) to the superintendent of the House document room, two sets;
    (8) to the superintendent of the Senate document room, two sets;
    (9) to the Library of Congress, for international exchange and for official use in Washington, District of Columbia, one hundred and fifty sets;
    (10) to the National Archives, three sets;
    (11) to the government of the District of Columbia, twelve sets;
    (12) to the Smithsonian Institute, two sets;
    (13) to the library of each legislative branch of each State, territory, and possession of the United States, one set; and
    (14) to the Superintendent of Documents, eight hundred and sixteen sets for distribution to the depository library system.

### § 28d. Distribution of Precedents by Director of the Government Publishing Office for official use; particular distribution; marking and ownership of sets

(a) The Director of the Government Publishing Office shall make the following distribution of sets of the Precedents;
    (1) to each standing or joint committee of the Congress which is in existence on October 18, 1976, or which is established after October 18, 1976, four sets;
    (2) to the office of the Legislative Counsel of the House of Representatives, five sets;
    (3) to the office of the Legislative Counsel of the Senate, five sets;
    (4) to the library of the House of Representatives, four sets;
    (5) to the library of the Senate, two sets;
    (6) to the library of the Supreme Court of the United States, nine sets;
    (7) to the office of the Official Reporter of Debates of the House of Representatives, three sets; and
    (8) to the office of the Official Reporter of Debates of the Senate, three sets.
(b) Each set of Precedents distributed by the Director of the Government Publishing Office under subsection (a) of this section shall be for official use. Each such set shall be legibly stamped on the front cover “Property of the United States Government.” Each such set, upon delivery, shall become and remain the property of the United States, and may not be removed from the building in which is located the designated library or office, as the case may be.

### § 28e. Distribution of Precedents by Joint Committee on Printing of surplus sets; additional printing, etc., of sets under authority of Joint Committee

(a) Any set of the Precedents printed and bound pursuant to subsection (a) of section 28b of this title, not needed to carry out the distributions required by sections 28b to 28e of this title, shall be distributed under the direction of the Joint Committee on Printing.
(b) The Joint Committee on Printing may from time to time authorize and direct that additional sets of the Precedents, be printed, bound, and distributed in such manner as the Joint Committee determines will best carry out the purposes of sections 28b to 28e of this title.

### § 29. Condensed and simplified versions of House precedents; other useful materials in summary form; form and distribution to Members of Congress, Resident Commissioner from Puerto Rico, and others; appointment and compensation of personnel; utilization of services of personnel of Federal agencies

The Parliamentarian of the House of Representatives shall prepare, compile, and maintain on a current basis and in cumulative form, for each Congress commencing with the Ninety-third Congress a condensed and, insofar as practicable, up-to-date version of all of the parliamentary precedents of the House of Representatives which have current use and application in the House, together with informative text prepared by the Parliamentarian and other useful related material in summary form. The Parliamentarian shall have such matter printed for each Congress on pages of such size and in such type and format as he considers advisable to promote the usefulness of such matter to the Members of the House and shall provide a printed copy thereof to each Member in each Congress, including the Resident Commissioner from Puerto Rico, and may make such other distribution of such printed copies as he considers advisable. In carrying out this section, the Parliamentarian may appoint and fix the pay of personnel and utilize the services of personnel of the Library of Congress and the Government Publishing Office.

### § 29a. Early organization of House of Representatives

(a) Caucus or conference for incumbent Members reelected to and Members-elect of ensuing Congress; time and procedure for calling
    (1) The majority leader or minority leader of the House of Representatives after consultation with the Speaker may at any time during any even-numbered year call a caucus or conference of all incumbent Members of his or her political party who have been reelected to the ensuing Congress and all other Members-elect of such party, for the purpose of taking all steps necessary to achieve the prompt organization of the Members and Members-elect of such party for the ensuing Congress.
    (2) If the majority leader or minority leader calls an organizational caucus or conference under paragraph (1), he or she shall file with the Clerk of the House a written notice designating the date upon which the caucus or conference is to convene. As soon as possible after the election of Members to the ensuing Congress, the Clerk shall furnish each Member-elect of the party involved with appropriate written notification of the caucus or conference.
    (3) If a vacancy occurs in the office of majority leader or minority leader during any even-numbered year (and has not been filled), the chairman of the caucus or conference of the party involved for the current Congress may call an organizational caucus or conference under paragraph (1) by filing written notice thereof as provided by paragraph (2).
(b) Payment and reimbursement for travel and per diem expenses for Members attending caucus or conference; exceptions; regulations governing payments and reimbursements; reimbursement vouchers
    (1)
       (A) Each Member-elect (other than an incumbent Member reelected to the ensuing Congress) who attends a caucus or conference called under subsection (a), and each incumbent Member reelected to the ensuing Congress who attends any such caucus or conference convening after the adjournment sine die of the Congress in the year involved, shall be paid for one round trip between his or her place of residence in the district which he or she represents and Washington, District of Columbia, for the purpose of attending such caucus or conference. Payment shall be made through the issuance of a transportation request form to each such Member-elect or incumbent Member by the Finance Office of the House before such caucus or conference.
       (B) Each Member-elect (other than an incumbent Member reelected to the ensuing Congress) who attends a caucus or conference called under subsection (a) shall in addition be reimbursed on a per diem or other basis for expenses incurred in connection with his or her attendance at such caucus or conference.
    (2) Payments and reimbursements to Members-elect under paragraph (1) shall be made as provided (with respect to Members) in the regulations prescribed by the Committee on House Oversight with respect to travel and other expenses of committees and Members. Reimbursements shall be paid on special voucher forms prescribed by the Committee on House Oversight.
(c) Availability of applicable accounts of House
The applicable accounts of the House of Representatives are made available to carry out the purposes of this section.
(d) Orientation programs for new Members
With the approval of the majority leader (in the case of a Member or Member-elect of the majority party) or the minority leader (in the case of a Member or Member-elect of the minority party), subsections (b) and (c) shall apply with respect to the attendance of a Member or Member-elect at a program conducted by the Committee on House Administration for the orientation of new members$^1$ in the same manner as such provisions apply to the attendance of the Member or Member-elect at the organizational caucus or conference.

### § 30. Term of service of Members of Congress as trustees or directors of corporations or institutions appropriated for

In all cases where Members of Congress or Senators are appointed to represent Congress on any board of trustees or board of directors of any corporation or institution to which Congress makes any appropriation, the term of said Members or Senators, as such trustee or director, shall continue until the expiration of two months after the first meeting of the Congress chosen next after their appointment.

### § 30a. Jury duty exemption of elected officials of legislative branch

(a) Notwithstanding any other provision of Federal, State or local law, no elected official of the legislative branch of the United States Government shall be required to serve on a grand or petit jury, convened by any Federal, State or local court, whether such service is requested by judicial summons or by some other means of compulsion.
(b) “Elected official of the legislative branch” shall mean each Member of the United States House of Representatives, the Delegates from the District of Columbia, Guam, the American Virgin Islands, and American Samoa, and the Resident Commissioner from Puerto Rico, and each United States Senator.

### § 30b. Notice of objecting to proceeding

(a) In general
       The Majority and Minority Leaders of the Senate or their designees shall recognize a notice of intent of a Senator who is a member of their caucus to object to proceeding to a measure or matter only if the Senator—
    (1) following the objection to a unanimous consent to proceeding to, and, or passage of, a measure or matter on their behalf, submits the notice of intent in writing to the appropriate leader or their designee; and
    (2) not later than 6 session days after the submission under paragraph (1), submits for inclusion in the Congressional Record and in the applicable calendar section described in subsection (b) the following notice:
    “I, Senator ____, intend to object to proceedings to ____, dated ____ for the following reasons ____.”.
(b) Calendar
    (1) In general
    The Secretary of the Senate shall establish for both the Senate Calendar of Business and the Senate Executive Calendar a separate section entitled “Notice of Intent to Object to Proceeding”.
    (2) Content
          The section required by paragraph (1) shall include—
       (A) the name of each Senator filing a notice under subsection (a)(2);
       (B) the measure or matter covered by the calendar that the Senator objects to; and
       (C) the date the objection was filed.
    (3) Notice
    A Senator who has notified their respective leader and who has withdrawn their objection within the 6 session day period is not required to submit a notification under subsection (a)(2).
(c) Removal
A Senator may have an item with respect to the Senator removed from a calendar to which it was added under subsection (b) by submitting for inclusion in the Congressional Record the following notice:
“I, Senator ____, do not object to proceed to ____, dated ____.”.