A closed session (formally a session with closed doors) is a parliamentary procedure in the Standing Rules of the United States Senate for discussing matters requiring secrecy. A parliamentarian is a specialist in parliamentary procedure. ... Jump to: navigation, search The Standing Rules of the Senate detail the rules of order of the United States Senate. ... Jump to: navigation, search Seal of the Senate The United States Senate is one of the two chambers of the Congress of the United States, the other being the House of Representatives. ... Secrecy is the practice of hiding information from others. ...

The discussions which take place in a closed session are subject to confidentiality rules and are similar to an executive session, which itself can be open or closed. An executive session is for business which includes the President of the United States. Confidentiality has been defined by the International Standards Organization (ISO) as ensuring that information is accessible only to those authorized to have access and is one of the cornerstones of Information security. ... Jump to: navigation, search George Washington, First President of the United States (1789–1797) The President of the United States (often abbreviated POTUS) is the head of state of the United States. ...

A closed session may be called by any Senator through a simple motion. Once the motion is seconded, the presiding officer of the Senate directs the Capitol police to clear the public galleries of spectators, and close all doors of the chamber. The Senate floor will be cleared of all persons except the Senators and listed parliamentary officers including the Secretary, the Sergeant of Arms, the Parliamentarian, and certain clerks. These officers are sworn to secrecy. All sitting Senators present are called to the floor, and they must surrender any electronic communications equipment including cell phones and BlackBerrys. The United States Senate is the upper house of the U.S. Congress, smaller than the United States House of Representatives. ... A motion is a formal step to introduce a matter for consideration by a group. ... A second is an endorsement by a member of a deliberative body that a proposed motion should be discussed by the body. ... The United States Capitol Police is a police force charged with protecting the legislative branch of the U.S. government. ... Motorola T2288 mobile phone A mobile phone is a portable electronic device which behaves as a normal telephone whilst being able to move over a wide area (compare cordless phone which acts as a telephone only within a limited range). ... Jump to: navigation, search BlackBerry 7100t The BlackBerry is a handheld wireless device providing e-mail, telephone, text messaging and web browsing and other wireless data access. ...

All business is considered secret, including Senatorial remarks, votes, and other parliamentary proceedings. The Senate can vote during the session or later to lift the secrecy, at which time the vote and the session proceedings will be published in the Congressional Record. The Congressional Record is the official record of the proceedings and debates of the United States Congress. ...

If a Senator discloses any of the proceedings except as directed by the Senate, the body can vote for expulsion of the member; any officer that does the same would be subject to dismissal. In extreme cases, the Senate could vote the member or official in contempt of Congress. After World War II terms, expulsion was a euphemism for ethnic cleansing of territories settled by Germans. ... In the federal law of the United States, contempt of Congress is the crime of obstructing the work of U.S. Congress, with a punishment of up to one year in prison and up to $1,000 in fines. ...

History

There have been 53 closed sessions held since 1929. Usually the topic is national security. Jump to: navigation, search The United States Senate has a provision for meeting in closed session, as described in Rule 21 of the Standing Rules of the Senate. ...

• 1942: on United States Navy plans to build battleships and aircraft carriers.
• 1943: for reports on the progress of World War II
• 1983: to discuss Nicaragua
• 1988: to consider the Intermedia Range Nuclear Forces Treaty
• 1992: to consider most favored nation trading status for China
• 1997: to consider the Chemical Weapons Convention treaty
• 1998: six sessions to discuss the impeachment trial of Bill Clinton

Jump to: navigation, search This article is about the year. ... Jump to: navigation, search The United States Navy (USN) is the branch of the United States armed forces responsible for naval operations. ... Jump to: navigation, search HMS Victory in 1884 In naval warfare, battleships were the most heavily armed and armored warships afloat. ... Jump to: navigation, search An aircraft carrier is a warship whose main role is to deploy and recover aircraft—in effect acting as a sea-going airbase. ... Jump to: navigation, search 1943 is a common year starting on Friday. ... Jump to: navigation, search World War II was a truly global conflict with many facets: immense human suffering, fierce indoctrinations, and the use of new, extremely devastating weapons such as the atom bomb World War II, also known as the Second World War, was a mid-20th-century conflict that... Jump to: navigation, search 1983 is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Jump to: navigation, search 1988 (MCMLXXXVIII) is a leap year starting on a Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Jump to: navigation, search 1992 was a leap year starting on Wednesday. ... Most favoured nation (or most favored nation, MFN) is a term used in international trade. ... Jump to: navigation, search 1997(MCMXCVII) is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Chemical Weapons Convention Opened for signature January 13, 1993 at Paris Entered into force April 29, 1997 Conditions for entry into force Ratification by 50 states and the convening of a Preperatory Commission Parties 170 The Chemical Weapons Convention is an arms control agreement which outlaws the production, stockpiling and... Jump to: navigation, search 1998(MCMXCVIII) is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year of the Ocean. ... Depiction of the impeachment trial of Andrew Johnson, then President of the United States, in 1868. ... Jump to: navigation, search William Jefferson Bill Clinton (born William Jefferson Blythe, III on August 19, 1946) was the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. ...

External links

• Rule XXI - Closed Sessions
• Rule XXIX - Executive Sessions