Congress has the constitutional authority to conduct its business in secret and to close its proceedings to the public whenever it deems secrecy necessary. A new report from the Congressional Research Service reviews the justification, history and frequency of secret sessions of Congress.
“Since 1929, the Senate has held 56 secret sessions, generally for reasons of national security or for consideration of impeachment questions. On December 20, 2010, for example, the Senate met in closed session to discuss the New START Treaty with Russia,” the CRS report said. “Since 1830, the House has met behind closed doors only four times: in 1979, 1980, 1983, and 2008.”
“The proceedings of a secret session are not published unless the relevant chamber votes, during the meeting or at a later time, to release them. Then, those portions released are printed in the Congressional Record.” See “Secret Sessions of the House and Senate: Authority, Confidentiality, and Frequency,” November 30, 2011.
Alexa White’s journey into the world of science policy started back when she was earning her undergraduate degree in biology and chemistry at Howard University.
In the quest for sustainable energy and materials, biomass emerges as a key player, bridging the gap between the energy sector and the burgeoning U.S. and regional bioeconomies.
At the Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations, Dr. Glaser is paving the way for cutting-edge energy storage and battery technologies to scale up.
In the last decade, the U.S. has made significant investments to address the wildfire crisis, including the historic investments in hazardous fuels reduction through the IRA and IIJA.