Charles E. Schumer, Chairman Lamar Alexander, Ranking Member
Welcome to the U.S. Senate Committee on Rules and Administration website. The Rules Committee is one of the oldest committees of the United States Senate. Our origins date back to the early days of the Republic when the first Senate convened in March 1789 and established a committee to prepare... (Read More)

Featured Stories

Presidential Appointment Efficiency and Streamlining Act of 2011

01.01.2013 - With strong bipartisan support, the Senate passed S.679, the Presidential Appointment Efficiency and Streamlining Act of 2011, to reform the presidential nominating and Senate confirmation process. President Obama signed the bill into law on August 10, 2012. In addition to eliminating the Senate confirmation requirement for certain presidential appointments, the bill also called for the establishment of a Working Group to examine the feasibility and advisability of simplifying the paperwork requ...
Read More

Senate Rules Committee Holds Series of Hearings on the Filibuster

12.09.2010 - The Rules Committee held a series of hearings in 2010 to examine the history and use of the filibuster in the U.S. Senate. The first in the series was held on Thursday, April 22, 2010. This hearing, “Examining the Filibuster: History of the Filibuster 1789-2008,” discussed the evolution of the filibuster, the tradition of unlimited debate in the Senate, and efforts to curtail it from the earliest days of the Senate through 2008. Witnesses at the first hearing were Dr. Sarah A. Binder, a Polit...
Read More