III 

112TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. RES. 10 

To improve the debate and consideration of legislative matters and 

nominations in the Senate. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JANUARY 5, 2011 

Mr. UDALL of New Mexico (for himself, Mr. HARKIN, Mr. MERKLEY, Mr. 

DURBIN, Ms. KLOBUCHAR, Mr. BROWN of Ohio, Mr. BEGICH, Mr. 

BLUMENTHAL, Mrs. GILLIBRAND, Mrs. SHAHEEN, Mrs. BOXER, Mr. 

TESTER, Mr. CARDIN, Ms. MIKULSKI, Mr. WARNER, Mr. MANCHIN, Mr. 

COONS, Ms. STABENOW, Mrs. HAGAN, Mr. ROCKEFELLER, Mr. CASEY, 

Mr. WHITEHOUSE, Mr. LAUTENBERG, Mr. FRANKEN, Mr. UDALL of Colorado, and Mr. BENNET) submitted the following resolution; which was 

ordered to lie over, under the rule 

JANUARY 27, 2011 

Considered, amended, and not agreed to; returned to the calendar under over, 

under the rule 

RESOLUTION 

To improve the debate and consideration of legislative 

matters and nominations in the Senate. 

1 Resolved, 

2 SECTION 1. DEBATE ON MOTIONS TO PROCEED. 

3 Rule VIII of the Standing Rules of the Senate is 

4 amended by striking paragraph 2 and inserting the fol5 lowing: 


rfrederick on DSKD9S0YB1PROD with BILLS
2 

SRES 10 LTS 

1 ‘‘2. Debate on a motion to proceed to the consider2 ation of any matter, and any debatable motion or appeal 

3 in connection therewith, shall be limited to not more than 

4 2 hours, to be equally divided between, and controlled by, 

5 the majority leader and the minority leader or their des6 ignees except for a motion to go into executive session to 

7 consider a specified item of executive business and a mo8 tion to proceed to consider any privileged matter, which 

9 shall not be debatable.’’. 

10 SEC. 2. ELIMINATING SECRET HOLDS. 

11 Rule VIII of the Standing Rules of the Senate is 

12 amended by inserting at the end the following: 

13 ‘‘3. No Senator may object on behalf of another Sen14 ator without disclosing the name of that Senator.’’. 

15 SEC. 3. RIGHT TO OFFER AMENDMENTS. 

16 Paragraph 2 of rule XXII of the Standing Rules of 

17 the Senate is amended by inserting at the end the fol18 lowing: 

19 ‘‘After the filing of a cloture motion under this para20 graph but prior to a vote on such motion, the Majority 

21 Leader and the Minority Leader may each offer not to 

22 exceed 3 amendments identified as leadership amendments 

23 if they have been timely filed under this paragraph and 

24 are germane to the matter being amended. Debate on a 

25 leadership amendment shall be limited to 1 hour equally 


rfrederick on DSKD9S0YB1PROD with BILLS
3 

SRES 10 LTS 

1 divided. A leadership amendment may not be divided. A 

2 leadership amendment shall require the approval of at 

3 least three-fifths of the Senators duly chosen and sworn.’’. 

4 SEC. 4. EXTENDED DEBATE. 

5 Paragraph 2 of rule XXII of the Standing Rules of 

6 the Senate is amended— 

7 (1) by designating the first 3 undesignated 

8 paragraphs as subparagraphs (a), (b), and (d), re9 spectively; 

10 (2) in subparagraph (d), as designated by para11 graph (1), by striking ‘‘Thereafter’’ and inserting 

12 ‘‘If the Senate agrees to bring debate to a close 

13 under subparagraphs (b) or (c), thereafter’’; and 

14 (3) by inserting after subparagraph (b), as des15 ignated by paragraph (1), the following: 

16 ‘‘(c)(1) If the Senate has voted against closing debate 

17 on a measure, motion, or other matter under subpara18 graph (b), but a majority of senators present and voting 

19 have voted to bring debate to a close, then the procedures 

20 under this subparagraph shall be in order at any time, 

21 so long as that measure, motion or other matter has con22 tinued as the only pending business subsequent to the vote 

23 against closing debate. 

24 ‘‘(2) Under the circumstances described in clause (1), 

25 it shall be in order for the Majority Leader or his designee 


rfrederick on DSKD9S0YB1PROD with BILLS
4 

SRES 10 LTS 

1 to move to bring debate on the pending measure, motion, 

2 or other matter to a close on the grounds that no Senator 

3 seeks recognition to debate the matter. Immediately after 

4 the motion is made and before putting the question there5 on, the Presiding Officer shall immediately inquire wheth6 er any Senator seeks recognition for the purpose of debat7 ing the measure, motion or other matter on which the Sen8 ate had previously voted against closing debate under sub9 paragraph (b). If a Senator seeks recognition for that pur10 pose, the Presiding Officer shall announce that the Senate 

11 is proceeding under extended debate, and shall recognize 

12 a Senator who seeks recognition for debate. After the Pre13 siding Officer’s announcement under the preceding sen14 tence the Senate shall continue to proceed under extended 

15 debate subject to the conditions provided in clause (3). 

16 Notwithstanding rule XIX, Senators may speak more than 

17 twice on a question during extended debate. 

18 ‘‘(3)(A) If the Senate enters into extended debate 

19 under this clause, no dilatory motions, motions to suspend 

20 any rule or any part thereof, nor dilatory quorum calls 

21 shall be entertained. 

22 ‘‘(B) If during extended debate the proceedings de23 scribed in either subclause (C), (D), or (E) occur and un24 less the Majority Leader or his designee withdraws the 

25 motion made under clause (2), the Senate shall proceed 


rfrederick on DSKD9S0YB1PROD with BILLS
5 

SRES 10 LTS 

1 immediately to vote on that motion or to vote at a time 

2 designated by the Majority Leader or his designee within 

3 the next 4 calendar days of Senate session. When voted 

4 on, that motion shall be decided by a majority of Senators 

5 chosen and sworn. 

6 ‘‘(C) If, at any point during extended debate when 

7 no Senator is recognized, no Senator seeks recognition, the 

8 Presiding Officer shall renew the inquiry as to whether 

9 a Senator seeks recognition and shall recognize a Senator 

10 who seeks recognition for the purpose of debate. If no Sen11 ator then seeks recognition (or if no Senator sought rec12 ognition in response to the Presiding Officer’s inquiry 

13 under clause (2)), the Senate shall dispose of the motion 

14 of the Majority Leader (or his designee) to bring debate 

15 to a close pursuant to clause (2), in the manner specified 

16 in subclause (B). 

17 ‘‘(D)(i) If, at any point during extended debate, a 

18 Senator raises a question of the presence of a quorum, 

19 the Presiding Officer shall renew the inquiry as to whether 

20 a Senator seeks recognition, and shall recognize a Senator 

21 who seeks recognition for debate. 

22 ‘‘(ii) If no Senator then seeks recognition for de23 bate— 

24 ‘‘(I) the Presiding Officer shall direct the Clerk 

25 to call the roll; 


rfrederick on DSKD9S0YB1PROD with BILLS
6 

SRES 10 LTS 

1 ‘‘(II) upon the establishment of a quorum, the 

2 Senate shall dispose of the motion of the Majority 

3 Leader (or his designee) to bring debate to a close 

4 pursuant to clause (2) in the manner specified in 

5 subclause (B); and 

6 ‘‘(III) if the Senate adjourns for lack of a 

7 quorum and when the Senate next convenes and the 

8 morning hour or any period for morning business is 

9 expired or is deemed to be expired, the Senate shall 

10 dispose of the motion of the Majority Leader (or his 

11 designee) made to bring debate to a close pursuant 

12 to clause (2) in the manner specified in subclause 

13 (B). 

14 ‘‘(E)(i) If, at any point during extended debate, a 

15 Senator having been recognized moves to adjourn, recess, 

16 postpone the pending matter, or proceed to other business, 

17 then unless the motion is made or seconded by the Major18 ity Leader or his designee, the Presiding Officer shall 

19 renew the inquiry as to whether a Senator seeks recogni20 tion, and shall recognize a Senator who seeks recognition 

21 for debate, and said motion shall be considered withdrawn. 

22 If no Senator then seeks recognition for debate, then the 

23 Presiding Officer shall immediately put the question on 

24 the motion offered, unless the vote is delayed as provided 

25 in subclause (F). 


rfrederick on DSKD9S0YB1PROD with BILLS
7 

SRES 10 LTS 

1 ‘‘(ii) If the Senate agrees to a motion to adjourn or 

2 recess it shall resume consideration of the pending meas3 ure, motion or other matter pending at the time of ad4 journment or recess when it first takes up business after 

5 it next reconvenes, and the Senate shall still be in a period 

6 of extended debate. Upon the negative disposition of the 

7 motion to adjourn, recess, postpone, or proceed to other 

8 business, unless such motion was made by the majority 

9 leader or his designee, the Senate shall dispose of the mo10 tion of the Majority Leader (or his designee) to bring de11 bate to a close pursuant to clause (2) in the manner speci12 fied in subclause (B). 

13 ‘‘(F) During a period of extended debate, the Major14 ity Leader or his designee may delay any vote until a des15 ignated time within the next 4 calendar days of Senate 

16 session, and any votes ordered or occurring thereafter 

17 shall likewise be delayed. 

18 ‘‘(4) If the motion of the Majority Leader to bring 

19 debate to a close pursuant to clause (3)(B) is agreed to 

20 by a majority of Senators chosen and sworn, the Presiding 

21 Officer shall announce that extended debate is ended and 

22 that the measure, motion, or other matter pending before 

23 the Senate shall be the unfinished business to the exclu24 sion of all other business until disposed of and further pro25 ceedings on the measure, motion or other matter shall 


rfrederick on DSKD9S0YB1PROD with BILLS
8 

SRES 10 LTS 

1 occur in accordance with subparagraph (d). If the Major2 ity Leader withdraws the motion to bring debate to a close 

3 pursuant to clause (3)(B) or that motion is not agreed 

4 to by a majority of Senators chosen and sworn the Pre5 siding Officer shall announce that extended debate is 

6 ended. 

7 ‘‘(5) If extended debate on a measure, motion or 

8 other matter is ended under this subparagraph, other than 

9 by agreement to the motion made by the Majority Leader 

10 under clause (4), further consideration of the measure, 

11 motion or other matter shall occur as otherwise provided 

12 by the rules, except that if the Senate subsequently again 

13 votes against closing debate under subparagraph (b), the 

14 procedures under this subparagraph shall apply.’’. 

15 SEC. 5. POSTCLOTURE DEBATE ON NOMINATIONS. 

16 The second undesignated paragraph of paragraph 2 

17 of rule XXII of the Standing Rules of the Senate is 

18 amended by inserting at the end the following: ‘‘If the 

19 matter on which cloture is invoked is a nomination, the 

20 period of time for debate shall be 2 hours.’’. 

Æ 


rfrederick on DSKD9S0YB1PROD with BILLS