Parliamentary Reference Sources: Senate

Publication Date: July 2001

Publisher: Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

Author(s):

Research Area: Government

Type:

Abstract:

The Senate's procedures are determined not only by its standing rules, but also by its standing orders, published precedents, committee rules, and informal practices. Constitutional mandates and rule-making statutes also impose procedural requirements on the Senate, and rules of the Senate's party conferences can sometimes affect committee and floor action. Parliamentary reference sources provide information about how and when these foundations of Senate procedure govern different parliamentary situations.

This report discusses the availability and format of three types of Senate parliamentary reference materials: official sources such as the Senate Manual and Riddick's Senate Procedure; publications of committees and offices of the Senate; and the rules of the party conferences. The report also reviews some key principles of Senate parliamentary procedure to keep in mind when analyzing information from parliamentary reference sources. One of the most important principles is that the Senate frequently agrees to set aside its rules and consider measures under the terms of unanimous consent agreements. The central role of unanimous consent agreements in Senate floor proceedings is emphasized in many of the reference sources covered in this report.

The appendices provide citations to each reference source described in this report, a list of relevant Congressional Research Service (CRS) products, and a summary of Senate parliamentary reference information available through the Internet.

This report assumes a basic familiarity with Senate procedures. Information about House parliamentary reference sources is provided in CRS Report RL30787, Parliamentary Reference Sources: House of Representatives.