III 

115TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. RES. 724 

Amending rule XXXI of the Standing Rules of the Senate to limit the 

time during which a nomination shall be confirmed or rejected, and 

for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

DECEMBER 13, 2018 

Mr. MERKLEY submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 

Committee on Rules and Administration 

RESOLUTION 

Amending rule XXXI of the Standing Rules of the Senate 

to limit the time during which a nomination shall be 

confirmed or rejected, and for other purposes. 

1 Resolved, 

2 SECTION 1. PROCEEDINGS ON NOMINATIONS. 

3 Rule XXXI of the Standing Rules of the Senate is 

4 amended by— 

5 (1) in paragraph (1), by inserting ‘‘A covered 

6 nominee shall submit the basic requirements to the 

7 appropriate committee within 30 legislative days of 

8 the covered nomination being transmitted to the 

9 Senate. The appropriate committee shall vote on the 


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•SRES 724 IS 

1 covered nomination within 30 legislative days of re2 ceipt of the basic requirements. By agreement of the 

3 chairman and ranking minority member, the com4 mittee may extend or suspend the deadline on the 

5 committee to vote. If the committee does not hold a 

6 vote, the nominee is deemed reported to the full Sen7 ate. For a covered nomination for a position de8 scribed in section 5312 of title 5, United States 

9 Code, the Senate shall vote on the covered nomina10 tion within 40 legislative days of the committee re11 porting the covered nomination. For a covered nomi12 nation other than for a position described in section 

13 5312 of title 5, United States Code, if not fewer 

14 than 10 Senators, within 30 legislative days of the 

15 committee reporting on the covered nomination, have 

16 submitted written requests for the record that the 

17 covered nomination be considered by the full Senate 

18 in executive session within 40 days of the committee 

19 reporting the covered nomination, the Senate shall 

20 vote on the covered nomination. If the covered nomi21 nation is not confirmed or rejected within 40 days 

22 of the committee reporting the covered nomination, 

23 the nomination shall be deemed to be confirmed. De24 bate on any covered nomination other than for a po25 sition described in section 5312 of title 5, United 


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•SRES 724 IS 

1 States Code, debate shall be limited to not more 

2 than 2 hours.’’ after ‘‘consent.’’; and 

3 (2) by adding at the end the following: 

4 ‘‘8. (a) In paragraph (1)— 

5 ‘‘(1) the term ‘basic requirements’ means— 

6 ‘‘(A) an agreement with the Office of Gov7 ernment Ethics; 

8 ‘‘(B) a financial disclosure form; 

9 ‘‘(C) a background check conducted by the 

10 Federal Bureau of Investigation; 

11 ‘‘(D) responses to a questionnaire of each 

12 relevant committee; 

13 ‘‘(E) tax forms, if required by a relevant 

14 committee; and 

15 ‘‘(F) any other requirements of a relevant 

16 committee; and 

17 ‘‘(2) the term ‘covered nomination’ means a 

18 nomination of an individual to a position in an exec19 utive agency, as defined in section 105 of title 5, 

20 United States Code.’’. 

Æ 


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