Speaker of the House
The Speaker of the House is the highest ranking
member of the U.S. House of Representatives. The
office of Speaker was created by the US Constitution.
While there is no Constitutional requirement, as a
practical matter, the Speaker always belongs to the
majority party, and also serves as that party’s leader.
The Speaker is the second in line to follow the
president should he become unable to hold office
(following the Vice President of the United States), as
dictated in the Presidential Succession Act of 1947.
No Speaker has ever vaulted to this position.
House Majority Leader
The House Majority Leader is second to the Speaker of
the U.S. House of Representatives in the majority party
hierarchy. A representative is elected to the post by the
majority party’s conference in organizational meetings
prior to the start of a new Congress. While there are no
official Constitutional responsibilities, historically the
Majority Leader has worked closely with the Speaker
and been responsible for scheduling legislation for floor
consideration. The Majority Leader also helps plan
daily, weekly, and annual legislative agendas; consults
with Members to gauge the climate on particular issues;
urges colleagues to support or defeat measures on the
floor, and works to advance the goals of the majority
party. Lastly, the majority leader is also responsible for monitoring floor activities,
particularly the opposition party’s parliamentary maneuvers.
House Minority Leader
The House Minority Leader serves as the minority
party’s counterpart to the Speaker of the U.S. House of
Representatives. A representative is elected to the post
by the minority party caucus or conference at
organizational meetings prior to the start of a new
Congress. The Minority Leader speaks for the minority
party and its policies, strives to protect the minority’s
rights, and devises parliamentary strategies and tactics
for maximizing the influence of the minority party on
legislative outcomes. In addition, the Minority Leader
chairs the party’s committee assignment panel, and
similar to the Speaker, serves as a member of the House
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.
Traditionally, the Minority Leader does not lead floor
debate on major measures.
House Whips
In the U.S. Congress, both the House Majority Whip
and House Minority Whip are responsible for
mobilizing the party vote on important legislation,
acting as a liaison between members and the
leadership, and coordinating strategy within the
respective parties. Whips are responsible for
calculating "head counts" prior to important votes.
The undecided members are important when close
votes are expected, and become prime targets for the
persuasive efforts of the Whips. These counts help the
Speaker make important decisions, such as when a
measure is ready for the floor, or the Minority Leader
in planning opposition to a bill.
Each Whip has a staff of employees, and supervises
numerous colleagues who serve as assistant whips: chief deputy whips, deputy whips, atlarge whips, zone or regional whips. Whips also serve a communications role, expressing
the intentions and wishes of the Speaker or Minority Leader, and issuing both daily and
weekly "Whip Notices," announcing changes to the floor schedule to help members plan
their travel.
The House Majority Whip is the third-ranking member of the majority party, behind both
the Speaker and the Majority Leader. The House Minority Whip is the second-ranking
member of the minority party, behind only the Minority Leader.
Senate President
The Vice President of the United States is
designated by the Constitution as the President of
the Senate. The vice president holds a casting vote
in the Senate (i.e., he or she can only vote in the
case of a tie). While vice presidents used to
regularly preside over the Senate, modern vice
presidents have done so only rarely—vice presidents
usually only preside to swear in new senators,
during joint sessions, and when casting a tiebreaking vote. The Senate chooses a president pro
tempore to preside in the vice president's absence.
President Pro Tempore
The President pro tempore is the second-highestranking official of the United States Senate and the
highest-ranking senator. The U.S. Constitution states
the Vice President of the United States serves ex
officio as President of the Senate, and is the highestranking official of the Senate even though he or she
only votes in the case of a tie. During the Vice
President's absence, the President pro tempore is the
highest-ranking official in the Senate and may preside
over its sessions.
The President pro tempore is elected by the Senate and
is customarily the most senior senator in the majority party. Normally, neither the Vice
President of the United States nor the President pro tempore presides; instead, the duty is
generally delegated to the majority party's junior senators to help them learn parliamentary
procedure. The President pro tempore is third in the line of succession to the Presidency,
after the Vice President of the United States and the Speaker of the House of
Representatives.
Senate Majority Leader
The Senate Majority Leader is the highest ranking
member of the majority party in the U.S. Senate. A
senator is elected to the post at the beginning of each
Congress by members of his/her respective party
conference. The Majority Leader is responsible for
representing the interests of the majority party on the
Senate floor, and also for speaking on behalf of the
Senate as an institution. In addition, the leader works
with committee leaders and ranking members, schedules
business on the floor by calling bills from the calendar,
and keeps members of his party advised about the daily
legislative program. In consultation with the Minority
Leader, the leader also advocates "unanimous consent"
agreements by which the Senate limits the amount of time for debate and divides that time
between the parties.
The leader spends much of his/her time on or near the Senate floor, and is responsible for
opening the day's proceedings, keeping legislation moving, and protecting the rights and
interests of party members. When several senators seek recognition simultaneously, the
presiding officer in the Senate will call on the Majority Leader first, then on the Senate
Minority Leader, followed by the managers of the bill being debated. This right of first
recognition enables the majority leader to offer amendments, substitutes, and motions to
reconsider before any other senator. Former Majority Leader Robert C. Byrd (D-W.Va.)
called first recognition, "the most potent weapon in the Majority Leader's arsenal."
Senate Minority Leader
The Senate Minority Leader is the highest ranking
member of the minority party in the U.S. Senate.
Similar to the Majority Leader, a senator is elected to
the post at the beginning of each Congress by
members of his/her respective party conference.
While the post has no official Constitutional
responsibilities, historically the Minority Leader is
responsible for representing the interests of the
minority party both on the Senate floor and in the
public. It is the goal of any Minority Leader to
maintain cohesion among the members in terms of
policy advancements. In addition, the leader works
with committee leaders and ranking members, and in
consultation with the Senate Majority Leader, also
advocates “unanimous consent” agreements by which the Senate limits the amount of time
for debate and divides that time between the parties.
The leader spends much of his/her time on or near the Senate floor. When several senators
seek recognition simultaneously, the presiding officer in the Senate will call on the Majority
Leader first, then on the Minority Leader, followed by the managers of the bill being
debated.
Senate Whips
In the Senate, members of both the majority and
minority party elect a Whip at the commencement of
each Congress. The term "Whip" is originally derived
from the British fox hunting term "whipper in," which
described the person responsible for keeping the
foxhounds from leaving the pack. The title was first
used in the British House of Commons in the late
1700s to describe the officials responsible for
gathering votes on a given issue.
Both the Senate Majority Whip and Senate Minority
Whip are primarily responsible for building support
among the party's members on key issues. When the
Majority Leader cannot be present on the Senate floor,
the Majority Whip often serves as the acting floor
leader.