III 

115TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. RES. 110 

Relating to proceedings of the Senate in the event of a partial or full 

shutdown of the Federal Government. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

APRIL 4, 2017 

Mr. BENNET (for himself and Mr. GARDNER) submitted the following 

resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Rules and Administration 

RESOLUTION 

Relating to proceedings of the Senate in the event of a 

partial or full shutdown of the Federal Government. 

1 Resolved, 

2 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

3 This resolution may be cited as the ‘‘Shutdown Ac4 countability Resolution’’. 

5 SEC. 2. PROCEEDINGS OF THE SENATE DURING A FULL OR 

6 PARTIAL GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN. 

7 (a) DEFINITION.—In this section, the term ‘‘Govern8 ment shutdown’’ means a lapse in appropriations for 1 

9 or more agencies of the Federal Government. 

10 (b) CONVENING OF THE SENATE.— 


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•SRES 110 IS 

1 (1) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding any rule or 

2 order of the Senate, during the period of a Govern3 ment shutdown— 

4 (A) the Senate shall convene at 8:00 a.m. 

5 each day, unless the body is in continuous ses6 sion; and 

7 (B) it shall not be in order to ask for, and 

8 the Presiding Officer shall not entertain a re9 quest for, unanimous consent to change the 

10 hour or day on which the Senate shall convene 

11 under subparagraph (A). 

12 (2) SENATE NOT IN SESSION.—If the Senate is 

13 not in session on the first calendar day of a Govern14 ment shutdown, the majority leader, after consulta15 tion with the minority leader, shall notify Members 

16 of the Senate that, pursuant to this standing order, 

17 the Senate shall convene at 8:00 a.m. on the next 

18 calendar day of the Government shutdown. 

19 (c) PRESENCE OF A QUORUM.— 

20 (1) IN GENERAL.—During the period of a Gov21 ernment shutdown, and notwithstanding any provi22 sion of the Standing Rules of the Senate— 

23 (A) immediately after the Presiding Officer 

24 takes the chair in accordance with rule IV of 

25 the Standing Rules of the Senate, the Presiding 


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•SRES 110 IS 

1 Officer shall direct the Clerk to call the roll to 

2 ascertain the presence of a quorum; and 

3 (B) 1 hour after the presence of a quorum 

4 has last been demonstrated, the Presiding Offi5 cer shall direct the Clerk to call the roll to as6 certain the presence of a quorum. 

7 (2) LACK OF QUORUM.— 

8 (A) IN GENERAL.—If, upon a calling of the 

9 roll under paragraph (1), it shall be ascertained 

10 that a quorum is not present— 

11 (i) the Presiding Officer shall direct 

12 the Clerk to call the names of any absent 

13 Senators; and 

14 (ii) following the calling of the names 

15 under clause (i), the Presiding Officer 

16 shall, without intervening motion or de17 bate, submit to the Senate by a yea-and18 nay vote the question: ‘‘Shall the Sergeant19 at-Arms be directed to request the attend20 ance of absent Senators?’’. 

21 (B) DIRECTION TO COMPEL ATTEND22 ANCE.—If a quorum is not present 15 minutes 

23 after the time at which the vote on a question 

24 submitted under subparagraph (A)(ii) starts, 

25 the Presiding Officer shall, without intervening 


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•SRES 110 IS 

1 motion or debate, submit to the Senate by a 

2 yea-and-nay vote the question: ‘‘Shall the Ser3 geant-at-Arms be directed to compel the attend4 ance of absent Senators?’’. 

5 (C) ARREST OF ABSENT SENATORS.—Ef6 fective 1 hour after the Sergeant-at-Arms is di7 rected to compel the attendance of absent Sen8 ators under subparagraph (B), if any Senator 

9 not excused under rule XII of the Standing 

10 Rules of the Senate is not in attendance, the 

11 Senate shall be deemed to have agreed an order 

12 that reads as follows: ‘‘Ordered, That the Ser13 geant-at-Arms be directed to arrest absent Sen14 ators; that warrants for the arrests of all Sen15 ators not sick nor excused be issued under the 

16 signature of the Presiding Officer and attested 

17 by the Secretary, and that such warrants be ex18 ecuted without delay.’’. 

19 (D) REPORTS.—Not less frequently than 

20 once per hour during proceedings to compel the 

21 attendance of absent Senators, the Sergeant-at22 Arms shall submit to the Senate a report on ab23 sent Senators, which shall— 

24 (i) be laid before the Senate; 


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•SRES 110 IS 

1 (ii) identify each Senator whose ab2 sence is excused; 

3 (iii) identify each Senator who is ab4 sent without excuse; and 

5 (iv) for each Senator identified under 

6 clause (iii), provide information on the cur7 rent location of the Senator. 

8 (3) REGAINING THE FLOOR.—If a Senator had 

9 been recognized to speak at the time a call of the 

10 roll to ascertain the presence of a quorum was initi11 ated under paragraph (2)(A), and if the presence of 

12 a quorum is established, that Senator shall be enti13 tled to be recognized to speak. 

14 (d) ADJOURNING AND RECESSING.—During the pe15 riod of a Government shutdown— 

16 (1) a motion to adjourn or to recess the Senate 

17 shall be decided by a yea-or-nay vote; 

18 (2) if a quorum is present, the Presiding Offi19 cer shall not entertain a request to adjourn or recess 

20 the Senate by unanimous consent or to vitiate the 

21 yeas and nays on such a motion by unanimous con22 sent; 

23 (3) a motion to adjourn or a motion to recess 

24 made during the period beginning at 8:00 a.m. and 

25 ending at 11:59 p.m., shall only be agreed to upon 


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•SRES 110 IS 

1 an affirmative vote of two-thirds of the Senators 

2 present and voting, a quorum being present; and 

3 (4) if the Senate must adjourn due to the ab4 sence of a quorum, the Senate shall reconvene 2 

5 hours after the time at which it adjourns and ascer6 tain the presence of a quorum in accordance with 

7 subsection (c)(1). 

8 (e) NO SUSPENSION OF REQUIREMENTS.—The Pre9 siding Officer may not entertain a request to suspend the 

10 operation of this standing order by unanimous consent or 

11 motion. 

12 (f) CONSISTENCY WITH SENATE EMERGENCY PRO13 CEDURES AND PRACTICES.—Nothing in this standing 

14 order shall be construed in a manner that is inconsistent 

15 with S. Res. 296 (108th Congress) or any other emergency 

16 procedures or practices of the Senate. 

17 (g) STANDING ORDER.—This section shall be a 

18 standing order of the Senate. 

Æ 


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