Senate Closed Session on Iraq: What is that Rule?

On a motion by Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid (NV), and a second from Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL), the U.S. Senate today went into a rare closed session to, as Sen. Reid put it “get to the bottom” of the reasons behind the Iraq war.

Needless to say, Republican Senators were outraged. According to this WNBC.com report, Sen. Trent Lott (R-Miss) said Ried’s move had “violated the Senate's tradition of courtesy and consent.” While Reid’s motion may not have been “courteous,” it was entirely within the rules of the Senate, which state…

“On a motion made and seconded to close the doors of the Senate, on the discussion of any business which may, in the opinion of a Senator, require secrecy, the Presiding Officer shall direct the galleries to be cleared; and during the discussion of such motion the doors shall remain closed.”

Since such motions, with a valid second, are not debatable there was no way for Republican Senators to prevent the closed session.

No action was taken in the closed session and you can bet no minds were changed.