Senate Leadership in the United States

Introduction to Senate Leadership

As in the House of Representatives, power in the Senate is generally distributed according to the seniority system, in which political parties appoint their members to committee positions based on their years of service in the chamber. The most senior senators- those with the most years in the chamber-are ensured of appointment to the most influential committees, but because the Senate is relatively small, even junior senators usually serve on at least one important committee. The Senate is less structured than the House of Representatives. Because the Senate’s rules allow virtually unlimited debating time for its members, senators can potentially block any type of legislation by prolonging debate. This tactic, known as a filibuster, means that individual senators can try to influence virtually any bill before the Senate by threatening to block the measure.

The majority and minority parties in the Senate select floor leaders to organize their members. These leaders, sometimes called the majority and minority leaders, are helped by assistants called whips. The whips try to persuade members of their parties to support the party on Senate votes. When the two parties cannot agree on legislation, these party leaders help negotiate a compromise. Responsibility for particular bills falls upon leaders called floor managers, generally the bill’s prime sponsor or the chair of the committee responsible for it. The floor manager of the majority party tries to shepherd the bill through the Senate, and the minority floor manager tries to alter the measure or defeat it outright.

The Senate conducts votes, debates, and other business under the direction of the Senate’s presiding officer. The presiding officer is usually a junior senator who is assisted by a parliamentarian-an expert in Senate procedure. The duties of the presiding officer are sometimes assumed by the Senate’s president pro tem (temporary president), who is usually the most senior member of the majority party. On even more unusual occasions, the vice president of the United States presides over the Senate. Article I, Section 3, of the U.S. Constitution grants this authority to the vice president, but vice presidents usually limit their appearances to ceremonial events and infrequent instances when a Senate vote is tied. The vice president cannot vote unless the chamber is tied.” (1)

Senate Leadership: Senate Floor Leaders

1. Joseph T. Robinson served as majority leader for a portion of the 75th congress in 1937. 2. Robert A. Taft was majority leader for part of 1953. 3. Thomas Martin served as minority leader for a portion of the 66th congress in 1919. 4. Kenneth Wherry was minority leader for a portion of the 82nd congress in 1951. 5. Everett Dirksen served as minority leader for a portion of the 87th congress in 1969.

Senate Leadership

In Legislation

Senate Leadership in the U.S. Code: Title 2, Chapter 61

The current, permanent, in-force federal laws regulating senate leadership are compiled in the United States Code under Title 2, Chapter 61. It constitutes “prima facie” evidence of statutes relating to Congress (including senate leadership) of the United States. The reader can further narrow his/her legal research of the general topic (in this case, Senate of the US Code, including senate leadership) by chapter and subchapter.

Resources

Notes and References

1. Information about Senate Leadership in the Encarta Online Encyclopedia

Guide to Senate Leadership