to do than the other two. I will not say more important work, but it will have a heavier load to carry. Subcommittee No. 3 will deal with problems affecting the reserve program. That is a vital and important committee. You will notice that the members we put on there are men with a great deal of military experience, and fellows who have had a long and earnest interest in building up an effective and efficient fighting reserve force. I hope that committee will, and I believe it will, do a good job. I think that the men we have placed on the different subcommittees are well qualified to carry out the legislation that will be assigned to them from time to time. I plead with Mr. Cole to accept the chairmanship of one of these subcommittees, but we all know that much of his time is devoted to the atomic energy program. He is one of our most valuable members on the Joint Atomic Energy Committee. I am hoping that he will be chairman of that committee. A Senator was Chairman in the last Congress but I think they should rotate the chairmanship. Mr. PRICE. I agree with you on that. I am his campaign manager. The CHAIRMAN. I would like to say that Mr. Brooks here, who has dealt so long with the reserve program, was very willing to go on Subcommittee No. 3 and let Mr. Durham go on Subcommittee No. 1. I appreciate that fact. I also appreciate Mr. Cole's willingness to do what he has done. Mr. VINSON. As I understand it from the resolution, Mr. Arends, Mr. Shafer, and Mr. Johnson are the chairmen of Subcommittees Nos. 1, 2, and 3, and that Mr. Durham, Mr. Kilday and Mr. Brooks are the ranking minority members on Subcommittees Nos. 1, 2, and 3. The Chairman. That is right. Mr. VINSON. And that the chairman of the committee and the ranking minority member of the full committee will be ex officio members with the right to vote on each and all subcommittees? The CHAIRMAN. That is right. We will take that up in the rules. Any member of the full committee is free to attend any hearings in any subcommittee and even participate in them, but you will not have the right to vote. Several things will be cleared up as we go ahead here. Mr. VINSON. I move the adoption of the resolution. Mr. COLE. May I take a moment to compliment you on a feature in the resolution which is quite obvious. For the first time, from my understanding of a reading of the resolution, the minority members of the subcommittee are named by the ranking minority member. Even that was not done in the Eightieth Congress. I think it is a wholesome thing and a proper thing. The CHAIRMAN. I am glad that you agree. Let me say this to you: The reason I did it was because Mr. Vinson was so fair all the time when he served as chairman. He gave me the privilege of choosing the minority members for the different subcommittees in the last Congress, and I will be darned if I am going to let Carl Vinson be any more fair to me than I am going to be to him. I am going to be just as fair and generous with him, and I told him "These are your babies over here; you place them where you want them." Mr. VINSON. I will say in response to the question raised by Mr. Cole that while Mr. Andrews did not put it in black and white, member had the privilege of suggesting and the chairman always bore in mind those suggestions as to the filling of places on the minority side. The CHAIRMAN. I do not think that it hurts to have it in black and white, which we have done here. Mr. KILDAY. I second the adoption of the resolution. The CHAIRMAN. It has been moved and seconded that the resolution be adopted. (Whereupon the resolution was unanimously adopted.) The CHAIRMAN. Mr. Smart, our chief counsel, has Resolution No. 2, which he will read with regard to the reelection of the committee staff. I have already introduced our professional staff to you. When Mr. Andrews became chairman of the Armed Services Committee, our first chairman following the Reorganization Act, we exercised great care in selecting our professional staff. All these men were carefully screened. They brought their own recommendations, but even before we employed them we had them scrutinized very closely, looked them over and talked to them. I think that we were very wise in exercising that caution and care in selecting them because we do have a very fine professional staff. We are proud of them. They have worked hard and diligently. They are on their toes, and I want to say to the new members, you can feel perfectly free to go to any one of these four counselors we have at any time and they will be of great help and benefit to you. There have been very few changes. We are trying to keep our staff intact. As long as you have a good organization and it is functioning smoothly, I think it is wise to retain them. Politics and religion have nothing whatever to do with our hiring of counsel. Mr. VAN ZANDT. Is it coincidental that one represents the Army, the Navy, the Air Force and the Marine Corps? The CHAIRMAN. Mr. Smart will read Resolution No. 2. Mr. SMART (reading): RESOLUTION No. 2 Resolved, That the following persons be and the same are hereby elected to the professional staff of the Committee on Armed Services, House of Representatives, pursuant and subject to Public Law 601 (79th Cong.), and the rules with amendments thereto (83d Cong.), to fill the following positions respectively, it being understood that according to the provisions of this law, the chairman will fix the basic salary per annum: Robert W. Smart, Aurora, Mo., chief counsel Mr. GAVIN. I move the adoption of the resolution. The CHAIRMAN. It has been moved and seconded that we adopt Resolution No. 2. (Whereupon, Resolution No. 2 was unanimously adopted.) The CHAIRMAN. Mr. Smart will now read Resolution No. 3, to reelect the clerical staff. RESOLUTION No. 3 Resolved, That the following persons be and the same are hereby elected to the clerical staff of the Committee on Armed Services, House of Representatives, pursuant and subject to Public Law 601, Seventy-ninth Congress, and the rules with amendments thereto (83d Cong.), to fill the following positions, respectively, it being understood that according to the provisions of this law the chairman will fix the basic salary per annum: Agness H. Johnston, Syracuse, N. Y., secretary L. Louise Ellis, Crane, Mo., secretary James Deakins, Pikesville, Tenn., filing clerk Mr. VINSON. I move the adoption of the resolution. The CHAIRMAN. It has been moved and seconded that Resolution No. 3 be adopted. (Whereupon the resolution was unanimously adopted.) Mr. VINSON. I just would like to make this statement: It has been my privilege for 4 years to work with this staff. I think that we have the most efficient, most competent staff on the Hill, and I am satisfied that all the new members, after they become acquainted with them and witness how efficient they are in the handling of committee business, will concur in my statement. I want to congratulate Mr. Andrews. I am proud to have been able to follow in his footsteps and to have had a voice in selecting this staff. I am proud of what they do and of what has happened. The CHAIRMAN. I would like to say that because of the splendid work and the contribution made by both of these former chairmen it makes my road a lot smoother and easier, I can assure you of that. I deeply appreciate it. I will have Mr. Smart read the resolution for the adoption of the committee rules. This will be good for the old members as well as for the new. We have 16 rules. There is only one minor change, and that is in rule No. 5. There are just 16 rules and we should try to keep them clearly in mind in all our hearings. Mr. SMART (reading): RESOLUTION Resolved, That the Committee on Armed Services, House of Representatives adopt the following rules governing the procedure for the committee: and 1. The Committee on Armed Services will meet every Tuesday at 10 a. m. at such other times as may be fixed by the chairman or by the written request of a majority of the members of the committee. 2. A Tuesday meeting of the committee may be dispensed with by the chairman, but such action may be reversed by a written request of a majority of the members. 3. No general proxies may be used for any purpose. A member may vote by special proxy, which must be in writing, dated, signed by the member, and clearly identify the member to whom the proxy is given. The proxy must be filed with the chief counsel of the committee and must identify the particular bill or resolution and amendments thereto, motion, or other specific matter under consideration. A proxy may not be used for the purpose of establishing a quorum. A proxy may be used in subcommittee or the full committee. 4. No measure or recommendation shall be reported or tabled by the com mittee unless a majority of the committee is actually present. 5. A roll call of the members may be had upon the request of three or more members. 6. The chairman shall have authority to refer all bills, resolutions, or other matters to any and all subcommittees or to the full committee. A subcommittee to which a bill, resolution, or other matter has been referred shall proceed with all possible diligence, if a majority of a quorum so directs, with appropriate inquiry and report the findings and recommendations to the full committee, but the chairman of the full committee shall have authority to discharge a subcommittee from consideration of any bill, resolution, or other matter referred thereto and have such measure or matter considered by the full committee. A majority vote of a quorum of a subcommittee will be required to report a bill, resolution, or other matter to the full committee or to table any such measure or matter in the subcommittee. 7. The chairman and the ranking minority member shall serve as ex officio members of all subcommittees and shall have the right to vote on all matters before the subcommittees. 8. Any member of the full committee may have the privilege of sitting with any subcommittee during its hearings or deliberations and participate therein but shall not have the authority to vote at such hearings or deliberations unless a member of such subcommittee. 9. Reports and recommendations of a subcommittee shall not be considered by the full committee until after the intervention of three calendar days from the time the report is submitted and printed hearings thereon are available to the members, except that this rule may be waived by two-thirds vote of a quorum of the committee. 10. Bills will be taken up for hearing only when called by the chairman of the committee or subcommittee, or by a majority vote of a quorum of the committee or subcommittee. A majority of the committee or subcommittee shall constitute a quorum. 11. When a witness is before the committee, members of the committee may put questions to the witness only when they have been recognized by the chairman for that purpose. Mr. VINSON. I hope that rule will make for more orderly procedure. I sincerely trust that members will address the Chair before they proceed to ask questions or break into the testimony. Mr. HARDY. That is a good rule. Mr. VINSON. As for myself, I will try to comply. Mr. SMART (reading): 12. Members of the committee will have not to exceed 10 minutes to question witnesses, except that this rule may be waived in the discretion of the chairman. 13. Questions put to witnesses before the committee shall be pertinent to the bill or other subject matter that may be before the committee for consideration. 14. The time any one member may address the committee on any bill, motion, or other matter under consideration by the committee will be limited to 10 minutes, and then only when he has been recognized by the chairman, except that this time limit may be waived in the discretion of the chairman. 15. No private bill will be reported by the committee if there are two or more dissenting votes. Private bills so rejected by the committee will not be reconsidered during the same Congress unless new evidence sufficient to justify a new hearing has been presented to the committee. 16. Except as otherwise specified, the rules of the House will govern the procedure of the committee when it is in session. Mr. VINSON. Mr. Chairman, the origin of those rules was in the Eightieth Congress, and they were followed in the Eighty-first and Eighty-second Congresses. A great many members contributed their parliamentary knowledge in their preparation. I move their adoption. Mr. BATES. I second. Mr. KILDAY. Just a point. Under rule 15, that would not preclude a motion to reconsider, I take it, under parliamentary procedure? Mr. SHAFER. The rules of the House prevail. Mr. SMART. No private bill will be reported by the committee if there are two or more dissenting votes. Private bills so rejected by Mr. KILDAY [quoting]. "Will not be reconsidered"; that is what I mean. The CHAIRMAN. It will be under the rules of the House. I think it is a very good rule. I think the rules are not too long and they are quite clear. Mr. VINSON. Let me say this: I understand that for or five other committees of the House have been over here to get these rules and have adopted a great many of them for their committees. They are magnificent rules. They protect the committee. It gives the necessary authority to the chairman, who is the leader and spokesman of the committee. You see by these rules the chairman will refer the bills to the different subcommittees, and the chairman is able to keep his hands upon the operations of the committee. Mr. ARENDS. You are trying to say that by example this is probably the No. 1 committee in the House? Mr. VINSON. It certainly is. I move the adoption of the rules, Mr. Chairman. Mr. BATES. In view of the controversy that we had a year ago, and in view of the comments made by the chairman only a few moments ago relative to the release of information in executive sessions, it seems to me that we ought to get something in writing pertaining to that so that everyone will fully understand it. I do not know whether this should be included in the rules of the committee or not. Mr. VINSON. I do not exactly agree with Mr. Bates, but it should be understood by every member of the committee that whatever is given out from an executive session should be given out by the chairman in the name of the committee, and in that way a member is at liberty to tell a reporter to "go see the chairman." It will keep the members from being annoyed and worried by our good newspaper friends. Let us not put it in the rules. Let us abide by that kind of policy and let the chairman be the spokesman. The CHAIRMAN. It has been moved and seconded that we adopt the rules. (Whereupon the rules were unanimously adopted.) Mr. KILDAY. I would like to bring up the question that perhaps the chairman would consider an additional rule to set out the method of procedure on projects submitted to the committee by the departments for approval. You will recall-and I think it was 2 years ago that we had the chemical plant in West Virginia under consideration, and we have had some others of a similar nature. We had a full blown-up hearing and investigation. High-powered lawyers were up here supporting the project, both of the projects. I would just like to suggest and express the hope that some consideration be given to the rules whereby we would not take these projects up and hold hearings of that kind. As the matter now stands, there is nothing to guide us under the law. Mr. SMART. May I add something to supplement what Mr. Kilday has brought up? During the period following the adjournment of Congress, objections to various projects would come in. The normal procedure that has been followed is that the minute we get an objection Mr. Kelleher promptly contacts the department and starts making a factual survey |