Assistant party leaders of the United States Senate

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The Senate Majority and Minority Leaders are two United States Senators who are elected by the party conferences that hold the majority and the minority respectively. These leaders serve as the chief Senate spokespeople for their parties and manage and schedule the legislative and executive business of the Senate. By rule, the Presiding Officer gives the Majority Leader priority in obtaining recognition to speak on the floor of the Senate. The Majority Leader customarily serves as the chief representative of his or her party in Senate, and sometimes even in all of Congress if the House of Representatives and thus the office of Speaker of the House is controlled by the opposition party.

The Assistant Majority and Minority Leaders of the United States Senate (commonly called Senate Majority and Minority Whips) are the second-ranking members of the party leadership of the United States Senate. The main function of the Majority and Minority Whips is to gather votes on major issues. Because he or she is the second ranking member of the Senate, if there is no floor leader present, the whip may become acting floor leader. Before 1969, the official titles were Majority Whip and Minority Whip.

Many state senates are organized in the same way as the United States Senate.

Duties

Per trade agreement submitted by the President is introduced (by request) in the House by the majority leader of the House and (by request) in the Senate by the majority leader of the Senate.

Current floor leaders

The Senate is currently composed of 52 Democrats, 46 Republicans, and 2 independents, both of whom caucus with the Democrats.

The current leaders are Democratic Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada and Republican Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky. The current Assistant Majority Leader is Democrat Dick Durbin of Illinois. The current Assistant Minority Leader is Republican John Cornyn of Texas.

History

The Democrats began the practice of electing floor leaders in 1920 while they were in the minority. John Worth Kern (December 20, 1849 – August 17, 1917) was a Democratic United States Senator from Indiana. While the title was not official, he is considered to be the first Senate Majority leader (and in turn, the first Senate Democratic Leader), while serving concurrently as Chairman of the Senate Democratic Caucus. In 1925 the majority (at the time) Republicans also adopted this language when Charles Curtis became the first (official) Majority Leader, although his immediate predecessor Henry Cabot Lodge is considered the first (unofficial) Majority Leader.

The Constitution designates the Vice President of the United States as President of the Senate. The Constitution also calls for a President pro tempore to serve as the leader of the body when the President of the Senate (the Vice President) is absent. In practice, neither the Vice President nor the President pro tempore—customarily the most senior (longest-serving) Senator in the majority party—actually presides over the Senate on a daily basis; that task is given to junior Senators of the majority party, in part so they may learn proper procedure. For these reasons, it is the Majority Leader who in practice manages the Senate.

List of party leaders

The Democratic Party first selected a leader in 1920. The Republican Party first formally designated a leader in 1925.

See also

• Party leaders of the United States House of Representatives
• President pro tempore of the United States Senate
• List of political parties in the United States

References

External links

• Majority and Minority Leaders and Party Whips, via Senate.gov
• Senate Majority
• Republican Minority

v t e United States Senate Minority Leaders Underwood Robinson McNary Austin McNary White Barkley Wherry Bridges Johnson Knowland Dirksen Scott Baker Byrd Dole Daschle Lott Daschle Lott Daschle Reid McConnell

v t e United States Senate Minority Whips Wadsworth Curtis Gerry Sheppard Hebert Wherry Lucas Saltonstall Clements Saltonstall Dirksen Kuchel Scott Griffin Stevens Cranston Simpson Ford Reid Nickles Reid Nickles Reid Durbin Lott Kyl Cornyn

v t e United States Senate Majority Whips Lewis Curtis Jones Fess Lewis Minton Hill Wherry Myers Johnson Saltonstall Clements Mansfield Humphrey Long Kennedy Byrd Cranston Stevens Simpson Cranston Ford Lott Nickles Reid Nickles Reid McConnell Durbin