Secret Sessions of Congress: A Brief Historical Overview

Abstract

"Secret," or "closed," sessions of the House and Senate exclude the press and the public. These sessions are used for Senate deliberations during impeachment trials, as well as to discuss issues of national security, confidential information, and sensitive communications received from the President. During a secret session, the doors of the chamber are closed, and the chamber and its galleries are cleared of all individuals except Members and those officers and employees specified in the rules or essential to the session. Secret sessions occur infrequently and have been held more often in the Senate than the House. Any Member of Congress may request a secret session, although there is usually agreement in advance among Members of both parties before one calls for a closed session.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
May 30, 2007
Accession Number
ADA478327

Entities

People

  • Mildred Amer

Organizations

  • Library of Congress

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Space
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Anti-Ballistic Missiles
  • Arms Control
  • Arms Control Treaties
  • Ballistic Missiles
  • Chemical Weapons
  • Commerce
  • Congress
  • Government Procurement
  • Governments
  • House Of Representatives
  • Law
  • National Governments
  • National Security
  • Personnel Management
  • Security
  • Treaties
  • United States

Readers

  • Brain and Cognitive Science; Experimental Psychology; Cognitive Neuroscience
  • Cybersecurity.
  • Public Financial Management and Budgeting