President of the Senate, and ten Members of the House of Representatives, to be appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives. In each case, the majority party shall be represented by six members and the minority party shall be represented by four members.

HISTORICAL NOTES

1956 Amendment.-Section 5(a) of such Act and the heading thereof are each amended by striking out "Joint Committee on the Economic Report" and inserting in lieu thereof "Joint Economic Committee"; and any other statute in which the name "Joint Committee on the Economic Report" appears is amended to conform to the foregoing change in the name of the Joint Committee. (60 Stat. 25; 15 U.S.C. 1024) Public Law 84-591, June 18, 1956.

1967 Amendment.-Section 5(a) amended by Public Law 90-2, January 25, 1967, cited to text. The original Act provided that "The party representation on the joint committee shall as nearly as may be feasible reflect the relative membership of the majority and minority parties in the Senate and House of Representatives," and be composed of seven Members of the Senate and seven Members of the House of Representatives. This was changed to eight Members of the Senate and eight Members of the House of Representatives with the majority party being represented by 5 members and the minority party by 3 members, in Public Law 86-1, February 17, 1959. (b) It shall be the function of the joint committee

(1) to make a continuing study of matters relating to the Economic Report;

(2) to study means of coordinating programs in order to further the policy of this Act; and

(3) as a guide to the several committees of the Congress dealing with legislation relating to the Economic Report, not later than March 1, of each year (beginning with the year 1947) to file a report with the Senate and the House of Representatives containing its findings and recommendations with respect to each of the main recommendations made by the President in the Economic Report, and from time to time to make such other reports and recommendations to the Senate and House of Representatives as it deems advisable.

HISTORICAL NOTE

In the original act, before amendments, this read: "May 1." This was changed to "February 1" in the Legislative Reorganization Act of 1946, and subsequently to "March 1" in Public Law 80-405, February 2, 1948.

(c) Vacancies in the membership of the joint committee shall not affect the power of the remaining members to execute the functions of the joint committee, and shall be filled in the same manner as in the case of the original selection. The joint committee shall select a chairman and a vice chairman from among its members.

(d) The joint committee, or any duly authorized subcommittee thereof, is authorized to hold such hearings as it deems advisable,

and, within the limitations of its appropriations, the joint committee is empowered to appoint and fix the compensation of such experts, consultants, technicians, and clerical and stenographic assistants, to procure such printing and binding, and to make such expenditures, as it deems necessary and advisable. [The cost of stenographic services to report hearings of the joint committee, or any subcommittee thereof, shall not exceed 25 cents per hundred words.] The joint committee is authorized to utilize the services, information and facilities of the departments and establishments of the Government, and also of private research agencies.

HISTORICAL NOTE

Amended by Public Law 84-624, June 27, 1956, as follows: "Compensation for stenographic assistance of committees paid out of the foregoing items under "Contingent expenses of the Senates' hereafter shall be computed at such rates and in accordance with such regulations as may be prescribed by the Committee on Rules and Administration, notwithstanding, and without regard to any other provision of law." (70 Stat. 360.)

(e) To enable the joint committee to exercise its powers, functions, and duties under this Act, there are authorized to be appropriated for each fiscal year such sums as may be necessary, to be disbursed by the Secretary of the Senate on vouchers signed by the chairman or vice chairman.

HISTORICAL NOTES

1964 Amendment.-Section 5(e) amended by Public Law 88-661, October 13, 1964, cited to text. In the original Act, before amendments, the appropriation authorization was $50,000. This was changed to $125,000 in Public Law 81-830, October 6, 1949.

Subsection (f) is no longer in effect, having expired upon the completion of the investigation authorized by Senate Concurrent Resolution 26 of the 81st Congress.

JOINT RESOLUTION OF JUNE 23, 1949

The Joint Economic Committee is authorized to issue a monthly publication entitled "Economic Indicators," and a sufficient quantity shall be printed to furnish one copy to each Member of Congress; the Secretary and the Sergeant at Arms of the Senate; the Clerk, Sergeant at Arms, and Doorkeeper of the House of Representatives; two copies to the libraries of the Senate and House, and the Congressional Library; seven hundred copies to the Joint Economic Committee; and the required number of copies to the Superintendent of Documents for distribution to depository libraries; and the Superintendent of Documents is authorized to have copies printed for sale to the public. (15 U.S.C. 1025.)

RULES OF THE JOINT ECONOMIC COMMITTEE*

RULE 1. The rules of the Senate and House, insofar as they are applicable, shall govern the committee and its subcommittees. The rules of the committee, insofar as they are applicable, shall be the rules of any subcommittee of the committee.

RULE. 2. The meetings of the committee shall be held at such times and in such places as the chairman may designate, or at such times as a quorum of the committee may request in writing, with adequate advance notice provided to all members of the committee. Subcommittee meetings shall not be held when the full committee is meeting. Where these rules require a vote of the members of the committee, polling of members either in writing or by telephone shall not be permitted to substitute for a vote taken at a committee meeting, unless the ranking minority member assents to waiver of this requirement.

RULE 3. Ten members of the committee shall constitute a quorum. A majority of the members of a subcommittee shall constitute a quorum of such subcommittee.

RULE 4. Written or telegraphic proxies of committee members will be received and recorded on any vote taken by the committee, except at the organization meeting at the beginning of each Congress, or for the purpose of creating a quorum.

RULE 5. The chairman may name standing or special subcommittees. Any member of the committee shall have the privilege of sitting with any subcommittee during its hearings or deliberations, and may participate in such hearings or deliberations, but no such member who is not a member of the subcommittee shall vote on any matter before such subcommittee.

RULE 6. The chairmanship and vice chairmanship of the committee shall alternate between the House and the Senate by Congresses. The senior member of the minority party in the House of Congress opposite to that of the chairman shall be the ranking minority member of the committee. In the event the House and Senate are under different party control, the chairman and vice chairman shall represent the majority party in their respective Houses.

RULE 7. Questions as to the order of business and the procedure of the committee shall in the first instance be decided by the chairman, subject always to an appeal to the committee.

RULE 8. All hearings conducted by the committee or its subcommittees shall be open to the public except where the committee or subcommittee, as the case may be, by a majority vote orders an executive session. Whenever possible, all public hearings shall include some sessions held on the Senate side and some on the House side. House and Senate Members shall alternate in order of seating and interrogation.

As amended; originally approved Dec. 6, 1955.

RULE 9. So far as practicable all witnesses appearing before the committee shall file advance written statements of their proposed testimony, and their oral testimony shall be limited to brief summaries. Brief insertions of additional germane material will be received for the record, subject to the approval of the chairman.

RULE 10. An accurate stenographic record shall be kept of all testimony and each witness provided with a copy thereof. Witnesses may make changes in testimony for the purpose of correcting grammatical errors, obvious errors of fact, and errors of transcription. Brief supplemental materials when required to clarify the transcript may be inserted in the record subject to the approval of the chairman. Witnesses shall be allowed 2 days within which to correct and return the transcript of their testimony. If not so returned, the clerk may close the record whenever necessary.

RULE 11. Each member of the committee shall be provided with a copy of the hearings transcript for the purpose of correcting errors of transcription and grammar, and clarifying questions or remarks. If another person is authorized by a committee member to make his corrections, the clerk shall be so notified.

Members who have received unanimous consent to submit written questions to witnesses shall be allowed 2 days within which to submit these to the executive director for transmission to the witnesses. The record may be held open for a period not to exceed 1 week awaiting responses by witnesses.

RULE 12. Testimony received in executive hearings shall not be released or included in any report without the approval of a majority of the committee.

RULE 13. The chairman shall provide adequate time for questioning of witnesses by all members, and the rule of germaneness shall be enforced in all hearings.

RULE 14. None of the hearings of the committee shall be telecast or broadcast, whether directly or through such devices as wire recordings, wire tapes, motion pictures, or other mechanical means, if in conflict with a rule or practice of the House on the side of the Capitol where hearings are being held. If no general rule or practice prevails in regard to such telecasts or broadcasts, none of the hearings of the committee shall be telecast or broadcast unless approved by a majority of the members of the committee.

Telecasts or broadcasts of any such portion of hearings of the committee as may include testimony of a witness, shall not be authorized if such witness objects to such telecast or broadcast: Provided, That such witness shall be afforded the opportunity to make such objection, if any, to the committee at a time when the proceedings are not being telecast or broadcast.

RULE 15. No committee report shall be made public or transmitted to the Congress without the approval of a majority of the committee except that when the Congress has adjourned, subcommittees may by majority vote and with the express permission of the full committee submit reports to the full committee and simultaneously release same to the public: Provided, That any member of the committee may make a report supplementary to or dissenting from the majority report. Such supplementary or dissenting reports should be as brief as possible. Factual reports by the committee staff may be printed for

the distribution to committee members and the public only upon authorization of the chairman of the full committee either with the approval of a majority of the committee or with the consent of the ranking minority member.

RULE 16. No summary of a committee report, prediction of the contents of a report, or statement of conclusions concerning any investigation shall be made by a member of the committee or of the committee staff prior to the issuance of a report of the committee. RULE 17. There shall be kept a complete record of all committee proceedings and action. The clerk of the committee, or a designated member of the committee staff, shall act as recording secretary of all proceedings before the committee and shall prepare and circulate to all members of the committee the minutes of such proceedings. Minutes circulated will be considered approved unless objection is registered prior to the next committee meeting. The records of the committee shall be open to all members of the committee.

RULE 18. The committee shall have a professional and clerical staff under the supervision of an executive director. The committee shall appoint and remove the executive director with the approval of not less than ten members of the committee. Staff operating procedures shall be determined by the executive director, with the approval of the chairman of the committee, and after notification to the ranking minority member with respect to basic revisions. The executive director, under the general supervision of the chairman, is authorized to deal directly with agencies of the Government and with nonGovernment groups and individuals on behalf of the committee.

The professional members of the committee staff shall be appointed and removed on the recommendation of the executive director with approval by majority vote of the committee. The professional staff members, including the executive director, shall be persons selected without regard to political affiliations who, as a result of training, experience, and attainments, are exceptionally qualified to analyze and interpret economic developments and programs. The clerical and temporary staff shall be appointed and removed by the executive director with the approval of the chairman, and after notification to the ranking minority member. The committee staff shall serve all members of the committee in an objective, nonpartisan manner. From time to time, upon request, the executive director shall designate individual members of the staff to assist subcommittees, individual committee members, and the minority members. The staff, to the extent possible, shall be organized along functional lines to permit specialization.

RULE 19. Attendance at executive sessions shall be limited to members of the committee and of the committee staff. Other persons whose presence is requested or consented to by the committee may be admitted to such sessions.

RULE 20. Selection of witnesses for committee hearings shall be made by the committee staff under the direction of the chairman. A list of proposed witnesses shall be submitted to the members of the committee for review sufficiently in advance of the hearings to permit suggestions by the committee members to receive appropriate consideration.