III 

114TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. RES. 118 

Amending rule XXXI of the Standing Rules of the Senate, to provide for 

timely consideration of nominations. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

MARCH 26, 2015 

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 provide for timely consideration of nominations. 

1 Resolved, 

2 SECTION 1. TIMELY CONSIDERATION OF NOMINATIONS. 

3 Rule XXXI of the Standing Rules of the Senate is 

4 amended— 

5 (1) by redesignating paragraphs 3 through 7 as 

6 paragraphs 4 through 8, respectively; and 

7 (2) by inserting after paragraph 2 the fol8 lowing: 

9 ‘‘3. (a) In this paragraph, the term ‘covered nomina10 tion’ means a nomination other than a nomination— 


tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
2 

•SRES 118 IS 

1 ‘‘(1) of an individual to serve as a justice of the 

2 Supreme Court of the United States or as Chief 

3 Justice of the United States; or 

4 ‘‘(2) to a position entitled to expedited proce5 dures under S. Res. 116 (112th Congress). 

6 ‘‘(b) Subject to subparagraph (c), if a covered nomi7 nation has been on the Executive Calendar for more than 

8 14 calendar days, the covered nomination shall be eligible 

9 for expedited consideration in accordance with subpara10 graph (d). 

11 ‘‘(c)(1) For a covered nomination described in clause 

12 (3), unless not less than 10 Senators have submitted writ13 ten requests for the record that the covered nomination 

14 be considered by the full Senate in executive session before 

15 the end of the 14 calendar day period described in sub16 paragraph (b)— 

17 ‘‘(A) the nomination shall be deemed to be con18 firmed by the Senate; and 

19 ‘‘(B) the Secretary shall send to the President 

20 a notification of the confirmation. 

21 ‘‘(2) If not less than 10 Senators submit a written 

22 request in accordance with clause (1) with respect to a 

23 covered nomination described in clause (3), the covered 

24 nomination shall be eligible for expedited consideration in 

25 accordance with subparagraph (d). 


tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
3 

•SRES 118 IS 

1 ‘‘(3) A covered nomination described in this clause 

2 is a covered nomination other than the nomination of an 

3 individual— 

4 ‘‘(A) to serve as a judge or justice appointed to 

5 hold office during good behavior; or 

6 ‘‘(B) to a position at level I of the Executive 

7 Schedule under section 5312 of title 5, United 

8 States Code. 

9 ‘‘(d)(1) The majority leader may provide notice that 

10 a covered nomination that is eligible for expedited consid11 eration in accordance with this subparagraph shall be con12 sidered on an expedited basis. 

13 ‘‘(2) Except as provided in clauses (3) and (4), 24 

14 hours after the majority leader provides notice under 

15 clause (1) with respect to a covered nomination, the Sen16 ate shall proceed to executive session and begin consider17 ation of the covered nomination. 

18 ‘‘(3) Forty-eight hours after the majority leader pro19 vides notice under clause (1) with respect to a covered 

20 nomination to serve as a judge appointed to hold office 

21 during good behavior or a nomination to a position at level 

22 I of the Executive Schedule under section 5312 of title 

23 5, United States Code, the Senate shall proceed to execu24 tive session and begin consideration of the nomination. 


tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
4 

•SRES 118 IS 

1 ‘‘(4) If the majority leader provides notice with re2 spect to more than 1 covered nomination during any 24 

3 hour period, the covered nominations shall be considered 

4 in accordance with clause (5) in the order in which notice 

5 was provided. 

6 ‘‘(5) Notwithstanding rule XXII, expedited consider7 ation of a covered nomination under this subparagraph, 

8 including consideration of any debatable motion or appeal 

9 in connection therewith— 

10 ‘‘(A) shall be limited to 4 hours, evenly divided 

11 in the usual form, in the case of a nomination to 

12 serve as a judge of a circuit court of the United 

13 States or a nomination to a position at level I of the 

14 Executive Schedule under section 5312 of title 5, 

15 United States Code; and 

16 ‘‘(B) shall be limited to 2 hours, evenly divided 

17 in the usual form, in the case of any other covered 

18 nomination.’’. 

Æ 


tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with BILLS