House Homeland Security panel adopts committee rules and staff hiring resolution; chair outlines subpoena, voting and witness procedures

The House Committee on Homeland Security adopted its committee rules for the 119th Congress and a staff hiring resolution en bloc by voice vote during the panel's organizational meeting. Chairman (unnamed), who led the session, announced the measures were adopted and authorized staff to make technical and conforming changes.

The adoption matters because the committee rules and the staff hiring resolution set how the committee will conduct oversight and staff operations during the 119th Congress. Committee procedures established today include guidance on issuing subpoenas, taking depositions, the limited use of electronic voting, the practice of swearing witnesses, and handling requests for remote witness participation.

Chairman said the committee will generally meet to consider subpoenas and will issue subpoenas outside a meeting only in exigent circumstances and in consultation with the ranking member. "When practicable, the full committee will meet to consider subpoenas, and only in exigent circumstances would I move to issue a subpoena outside of a committee meeting," the chairman said. He also pledged that, if a deposition must be taken, the committee will provide the ranking member with no less than three days' notice "to afford minority staff the opportunity to participate."

The chairman said the committee intends to use electronic voting devices only for postponed recorded votes, not for procedural questions, and to provide members reasonable time to vote and, where desired, to change their vote after the electronic tally. He tied that procedural change to a proposed addition labeled committee rule 7(c) in accordance with House Rule IX, clause 2(n).

Ranking Member Thompson criticized the new administration's personnel decisions and urged bipartisan cooperation on disaster relief and other homeland security matters. "This is no time to play politics with the lives and well-being of those in need," Thompson said, while also urging oversight of Department of Homeland Security leadership and policy reversals.

On witness rules, the chairman said all witnesses who appear before the committee are considered under oath and that he expects subcommittee chairs to formally swear in witnesses. Requests for remote witnesses that meet House rules will be forwarded to the majority leader, who decides whether to allow remote participation; the chairman said he will allow remote participation only with the majority leader's approval.

The committee also reaffirmed its longstanding practice of allowing members of the full committee, on a case-by-case basis, to participate as nonvoting participants in subcommittee proceedings of which they are not members. Members were asked to submit requests to participate at least one day before a subcommittee proceeding to allow consultation.

The measures were adopted en bloc after the clerk designated them: Committee Rules for the 119th Congress and Committee Resolution Number 1 (Staff Hiring Resolution). The clerk dispensed with first reading, and no prefiled amendments were offered. The vote was taken by voice; the clerk recorded the ayes as prevailing. The motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

The chairman introduced several new and returning members and congratulated the appointed subcommittee chairs and ranking members. He also reminded members that an oath required by committee rules must be executed before members may access classified information and asked members to provide a signed copy to the committee clerk before leaving.

With no further organizational business, the chairman adjourned the organizational meeting and said the committee would reconvene for a hearing shortly.