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Party leaders of the United States Senate

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Party leaders of the U.S. Senate
Schumer
Majority Leader
Chuck Schumer (D-NY)
Durbin
Majority Whip
Dick Durbin (D-IL)
McConnell
Minority Leader
Mitch McConnell (R-KY)
Thune
Minority Whip
John Thune (R-SD)

The positions of majority leader and minority leader are held by two United States senators and people of the party leadership of the United States Senate. They serve as chief spokespersons for their respective political parties, holding the majority and the minority in the United States Senate. They are each elected as majority leader and minority leader by the senators of their party caucuses: the Senate Democratic Caucus and the Senate Republican Conference.

By Senate precedent, the presiding officer gives the majority leader priority in obtaining recognition to speak on the floor of the Senate. The majority leader serves as the chief representative of their party in the Senate, and is considered the most powerful member of the Senate. They also serve as the chief representative of their party in the entire Congress if the House of Representatives, and thus the office of the speaker of the House, is controlled by the opposition party. The Senate's executive and legislative business is also managed and scheduled by the majority leader.

The assistant majority leader and assistant minority leader of the United States Senate, commonly called whips, are the second-ranking members of each party's leadership. The main function of the majority and minority whips is to gather votes of their respective parties on major issues. As the second-ranking members of Senate leadership, if there is no floor leader present, the whip may become acting floor leader.

Existing floor leaders

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The Senate is composed of 49 Republicans, 47 Democrats, and 4 independents; all the independents caucus with the Democrats.

The leaders are Senators Chuck Schumer (D) of New York and Mitch McConnell (R) of Kentucky.[1] The assistant leaders, or whips, are Senators Dick Durbin (D) of Illinois and John Thune (R) of South Dakota.

History

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At first a Senate leader was an informal position usually an influential committee chairman, or a person of great eloquence, seniority, or wealth, such as Daniel Webster and Nelson Aldrich. By at least 1850, parties in each chamber of Congress began naming chairs, and while conference and caucus chairs carried very little authority, the Senate party floor leader positions arose from the position of conference chair.[2]

Senate Democrats began electing their floor leaders in 1920 while they were in the minority. John W. Kern was a Democratic senator from Indiana. While the title was not official, the Senate website identifies Kern as the first Senate party leader, serving in that capacity from 1913 through 1917 (and in turn, the first Senate Democratic leader), while serving concurrently as chairman of the Senate Democratic Caucus.[3]

In 1925, the Republicans (who were in the majority at the time) also adopted this language when Charles Curtis became the first (official) majority leader,[4] although his immediate predecessor Henry Cabot Lodge is considered the first (unofficial) Senate majority leader. However, despite this new, formal leadership structure, the Senate leader initially had virtually no power. Since the Democrats were fatally divided into northern liberal and southern conservative blocs, the Democratic leader had even less power than his title suggested.

Joseph T. Robinson of Arkansas, the Democratic leader from 1923 to 1937, saw it as his responsibility not to lead the Democrats, but to work the Senate for the president's benefit, no matter who the president was. When Coolidge and Hoover were president, he assisted them in passing Republican legislation. Robinson helped end government operation of Muscle Shoals, helped pass the Hoover Tariff, and stymied a Senate investigation of the Power Trust. Robinson switched his own position on a drought relief program for farmers when Hoover made a proposal for a more modest measure. Alben Barkley called Robinson's cave-in "the most humiliating spectacle that could be brought about in an intelligent legislative body." When Franklin Roosevelt became president, Robinson followed the new president as loyally as he had followed Coolidge and Hoover. Robinson passed bills in the Hundred Days so quickly that Will Rogers joked "Congress doesn't pass legislation any more, they just wave at the bills as they go by.[5]

In 1937, the rule giving majority leader right of first recognition was created. With the addition of this rule, the Senate majority leader enjoyed far greater control over the agenda of which bills to be considered on the floor.

During Lyndon Baines Johnson's tenure as Senate leader, the leader gained new powers over committee assignments.[6]

Senatorial Role of the Vice President

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The United States 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 presiding officer 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. Since the vice president may be of a different party from the majority and is not a Senate member subject to discipline, the rules of procedure of the Senate give the vice president no power beyond the presiding role. For these reasons, it is the majority leader who, in practice, manages the Senate. This is in contrast to the House of Representatives, where the elected speaker of the House has a great deal of discretionary power and generally presides over votes on legislative bills.[citation needed]

Powers of the majority leader

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Under a long-standing Senate precedent, motions or amendments by the majority leader is granted precedence over other motions by other senators. The majority leader can therefore make at any time a motion to proceed to the consideration of a bill on the Senate Calendar (which contains almost exclusively bills which have been reported by the committee they were assigned to); a motion to proceed may be agreed to either by unanimous consent or through the invocation of cloture. Conventionally, no senator other than the majority leader introduces motions to proceed, although every senator is theoretically allowed to. In addition, the majority leader can block consideration of amendments through a practice known as "filling the tree", and decides which members will fill each of the committee seats reserved to the majority party; members of committees are therefore often prone to following the instructions of the majority leader, and rarely place bills on the Senate Calendar without the latter's consent.[7]

List of party leaders

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The Democratic Party first selected a leader in 1920. The Republican Party first formally designated a leader in 1925.[8]

Congress Dates Democratic whip Democratic leader Majority Republican leader Republican whip
63rd May 28, 1913
March 4, 1915
J. Hamilton Lewis
(Illinois)
None Democratic
← majority
None None
64th March 4, 1915
December 6, 1915
December 6, 1915
December 13, 1915
James Wadsworth
(New York)
December 13, 1915
March 4, 1917
Charles Curtis
(Kansas)
65th March 4, 1917
March 4, 1919
66th March 4, 1919
April 27, 1920
Peter Gerry
(Rhode Island)
Republican
majority →
Henry Cabot Lodge
(Massachusetts, Unofficial)
April 27, 1920
March 4, 1921
Oscar Underwood
(Alabama)
67th March 4, 1921
March 4, 1923
68th March 4, 1923
December 3, 1923
December 3, 1923
November 9, 1924
Joseph T. Robinson
(Arkansas)
November 9, 1924 –
March 4, 1925
Charles Curtis
(Kansas, Acting)
Wesley Jones
(Washington, Acting)
69th March 4, 1925
March 4, 1927
Charles Curtis
(Kansas)
Wesley Jones
(Washington)
70th March 4, 1927
March 4, 1929
71st March 4, 1929
March 4, 1931
Morris Sheppard
(Texas)
James E. Watson
(Indiana)
Simeon Fess
(Ohio)
72nd March 4, 1931
March 4, 1933
73rd March 4, 1933
January 3, 1935
J. Hamilton Lewis
(Illinois)
Democratic
← majority
Charles L. McNary
(Oregon)
Felix Hebert
(Rhode Island)
74th January 3, 1935
January 3, 1937
None[a]
75th January 3, 1937
July 14, 1937
July 14, 1937 –
January 3, 1939
Alben W. Barkley
(Kentucky)
76th January 3, 1939 –
April 9, 1939
April 9, 1939 –
January 3, 1940
Sherman Minton
(Indiana)
January 3, 1940 –
January 3, 1941
Warren Austin
(Vermont, Acting)
77th January 3, 1941
January 3, 1943
J. Lister Hill
(Alabama)
Charles L. McNary
(Oregon)
78th January 3, 1943
February 25, 1944
Kenneth Wherry
(Nebraska)
February 25, 1944 –
January 3, 1945
Wallace H. White
(Maine, Acting)
79th January 3, 1945
January 3, 1947
Wallace H. White
(Maine)
80th January 3, 1947
January 3, 1949
Scott W. Lucas
(Illinois)
Republican
majority →
81st January 3, 1949
January 3, 1951
Francis Myers
(Pennsylvania)
Scott W. Lucas
(Illinois)
Democratic
← majority
Kenneth S. Wherry
(Nebraska)
Leverett Saltonstall
(Massachusetts)
82nd January 3, 1951
January 3, 1952
Lyndon B. Johnson
(Texas)
Ernest McFarland
(Arizona)
January 3, 1952
January 3, 1953
Styles Bridges
(New Hampshire)
83rd January 3, 1953
July 31, 1953
Earle Clements
(Kentucky)
Lyndon B. Johnson
(Texas)
Republican
majority →
Robert A. Taft
(Ohio)
August 3, 1953
January 3, 1955
William Knowland
(California)
84th January 3, 1955
January 3, 1957
Democratic
← majority
85th January 3, 1957
January 3, 1959
Mike Mansfield
(Montana)
Everett Dirksen
(Illinois)
86th January 3, 1959
January 3, 1961
Everett Dirksen
(Illinois)
Thomas Kuchel
(California)
87th January 3, 1961
January 3, 1963
Hubert Humphrey
(Minnesota)
Mike Mansfield
(Montana)
88th January 3, 1963
January 3, 1965
89th January 3, 1965
January 3, 1967
Russell Long
(Louisiana)
90th January 3, 1967
January 3, 1969
91st January 3, 1969
September 7, 1969
Ted Kennedy
(Massachusetts)
Hugh Scott
(Pennsylvania)
September 24, 1969
January 3, 1971
Hugh Scott
(Pennsylvania)
Robert Griffin
(Michigan)
92nd January 3, 1971
January 3, 1973
Robert Byrd
(West Virginia)
93rd January 3, 1973
January 3, 1975
94th January 3, 1975
January 3, 1977
95th January 3, 1977
January 3, 1979
Alan Cranston
(California)
Robert Byrd
(West Virginia)
Howard Baker
(Tennessee)
Ted Stevens
(Alaska)
96th January 3, 1979
November 1, 1979
November 1, 1979
March 5, 1980
Ted Stevens
(Alaska, Acting)
March 5, 1980
January 3, 1981
Howard Baker
(Tennessee)
97th January 3, 1981
January 3, 1983
Republican
majority →
98th January 3, 1983
January 3, 1985
99th January 3, 1985
January 3, 1987
Bob Dole
(Kansas)
Alan Simpson
(Wyoming)
100th January 3, 1987
January 3, 1989
Democratic
← majority
101st January 3, 1989
January 3, 1991
George Mitchell
(Maine)
102nd January 3, 1991
January 3, 1993
Wendell Ford
(Kentucky)
103rd January 3, 1993
January 3, 1995
104th January 3, 1995
June 12, 1996
Tom Daschle
(South Dakota)
Republican
majority →
Trent Lott
(Mississippi)
June 12, 1996
January 3, 1997
Trent Lott
(Mississippi)
Don Nickles
(Oklahoma)
105th January 3, 1997
January 3, 1999
106th January 3, 1999
January 3, 2001
Harry Reid
(Nevada)
107th January 3, 2001
January 20, 2001
Democratic
← majority
January 20, 2001
June 6, 2001
Republican
majority →
June 6, 2001
November 23, 2002
Democratic
← majority
November 23, 2002
January 3, 2003
[b]
Republican

majority →
108th January 3, 2003
January 3, 2005
Bill Frist
(Tennessee)
Mitch McConnell
(Kentucky)
109th January 3, 2005
January 3, 2007
Dick Durbin
(Illinois)
Harry Reid
(Nevada)
110th January 3, 2007
December 18, 2007
Democratic
← majority
Mitch McConnell
(Kentucky)
Trent Lott
(Mississippi)
December 19, 2007
January 3, 2009
Jon Kyl
(Arizona)
111th January 3, 2009
January 3, 2011
112th January 3, 2011
January 3, 2013
113th January 3, 2013
January 3, 2015
John Cornyn
(Texas)
114th January 3, 2015
January 3, 2017
Republican
majority →
115th January 3, 2017
January 3, 2019
Chuck Schumer
(New York)
116th January 3, 2019
January 3, 2021
John Thune
(South Dakota)
117th January 3, 2021
January 20, 2021
January 20, 2021
January 3, 2023
Democratic
← majority
118th January 3, 2023
January 3, 2025
Congress Dates Democratic whip Democratic leader Majority Republican leader Republican whip

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ No Republican whips were appointed from 1935 to 1944 since the Senate had only 17 Republicans following the landslide reelection of President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1936. Accordingly, the minutes of the Republican Conference for the period state: "On motion of Senator Hastings, duly seconded and carried, it was agreed that no Assistant Leader or Whip be elected but that the chairman be authorized to appoint Senators from time to time to assist him in taking charge of the interests of the minority." A note attached to the conference minutes added: "The chairman of the conference, Senator McNary, apparently appointed Senator Austin of Vermont as assistant leader in 1943 and 1944, until the conference adopted Rules of Organization."[9]
  2. ^ Between November 23, 2002, and January 3, 2003, during the 107th Congress, Democrats remained in control, despite a Republican majority resulting from Jim Talent's special election victory in Missouri. There was no reorganization as the Senate was not in session.[10]

References

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  1. ^ "Democrats Take Narrow Control of US Senate as Three New Members Sworn In". VOA. Reuters. January 20, 2021. Retrieved February 25, 2021.
  2. ^ Heitshusen, Valerie (September 4, 2019). Party Leaders in the United States Congress, 1789-2019 (PDF) (Report). Congressional Research Service. p. i. Archived (PDF) from the original on September 24, 2021. Retrieved April 16, 2022.
  3. ^ "Majority and Minority Leaders". senate.gov. United States Senate. Retrieved March 14, 2020.
  4. ^ "Senate Leader". senate.gov. United States Senate. Retrieved March 14, 2020.
  5. ^ Caro: Master of the Senate, 2002, pp. 354–355.
  6. ^ Caro, Robert (2002). "22. The Whole Stack". Master of the Senate: The Years of Lyndon Johnson. New York: Alfred A. Knopf. ISBN 0-394-52836-0.
  7. ^ "What makes Senate leaders so powerful?".
  8. ^ "Majority and Minority Leaders". United States Senate. Retrieved June 27, 2019.
  9. ^ Party Whips Archived March 9, 2010, at the Wayback Machine, via Senate.gov
  10. ^ Party Division in the Senate, 1789–present, via Senate.gov
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