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 spokesmen 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.
Many state senates are organized in the same way as the United States Senate.
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Current floor leaders
The Senate is currently composed of 58 Democrats, 40 Republicans, and two independents—Joe Lieberman of Connecticut and Bernie Sanders of Vermont—both of whom caucus with the Democrats.
The incumbent floor leaders are Democrat Harry Reid of Nevada and Republican Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, for the majority and minority parties, respectively.
History
The Democrats began the practice of appointing floor leaders in 1920 while they were in the minority. In 1925 the majority (at the time) Republicans also adopted this language when Charles Curtis became the first 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.
In recent years, it has become more common for the leader of the minority party to be referred to as the leader of his party (Democratic or Republican Leader) instead of as Minority Leader.
List of party leaders
The Democratic Party first selected a leader in 1920. The Republican Party first formally designated a leader in 1925.
| Congress | Dates | Democratic Leader | Majority | Republican Leader |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 66th | 1920 – 1921 | Oscar W. Underwood (AL) | R Maj → | Henry Cabot Lodge (MA) (unofficial) |
| 67th | 1921 – 1923 | |||
| 68th | 1923 – November 9, 1924 | Joseph T. Robinson (AR) | ||
| 1925 | Charles Curtis (KS) | |||
| 69th | 1925 – 1927 | |||
| 70th | 1927 – 1929 | |||
| 71st | 1929 – 1931 | James E. Watson (IN) | ||
| 72nd | 1931 – 1933 | |||
| 73rd | 1933 – 1935 | ← D Maj | Charles L. McNary (OR) | |
| 74th | 1935 – 1937 | |||
| 75th | 1937 – July 14, 1937 | |||
| July 22, 1937 – 1939 | Alben W. Barkley (KY) | |||
| 76th | 1939 | |||
| 1940 | Warren Austin (VT) (acting) | |||
| 77th | 1941 – 1943 | Charles L. McNary (OR) | ||
| 78th | 1943 – 1945 | Wallace H. White Jr. (ME) (acting) | ||
| 79th | 1945 – 1947 | Wallace H. White Jr. | ||
| 80th | 1947 – 1949 | R Maj → | ||
| 81st | 1949 – 1951 | Scott W. Lucas (IL) | ← D Maj | Kenneth S. Wherry (NE) |
| 82nd | 1951 – 1952 | Ernest McFarland (AZ) | ||
| 1952 – 1953 | Styles Bridges (NH) | |||
| 83rd | January 3, 1953 – July 31, 1953 | Lyndon B. Johnson (TX) | R Maj → | Robert A. Taft (OH) |
| August 3, 1953 – January 3, 1955 | William F. Knowland (CA) | |||
| 84th | 1955 – 1957 | ← D Maj | ||
| 85th | 1957 – 1959 | |||
| 86th | 1959 – 1961 | Everett M. Dirksen (IL) | ||
| 87th | 1961 – 1963 | Mike Mansfield (MT) | ||
| 88th | 1963 – 1965 | |||
| 89th | 1965 – 1967 | |||
| 90th | 1967 – 1969 | |||
| 91st | 1969 – September 7, 1969 | |||
| September 24, 1969 – 1971 | Hugh Scott (PA) | |||
| 92nd | 1971 – 1973 | |||
| 93rd | 1973 – 1975 | |||
| 94th | 1975 – 1977 | |||
| 95th | 1977 – 1979 | Robert Byrd (WV) | Howard Baker (TN) | |
| 96th | 1979 – 1981 | |||
| 97th | 1981 – 1983 | R Maj → | ||
| 98th | 1983 – 1985 | |||
| 99th | 1985 – 1987 | Bob Dole (KS) | ||
| 100th | 1987 – 1989 | ← D Maj | ||
| 101st | 1989 – 1991 | George Mitchell (ME) | ||
| 102nd | 1991 – 1993 | |||
| 103rd | 1993 – 1995 | |||
| 104th | December 2, 1994 – June 12, 1996 | Tom Daschle (SD) | R Maj → | Bob Dole |
| June 12, 1996 – 1997 | Trent Lott (MS) | |||
| 105th | 1997 – 1999 | |||
| 106th | 1999 – 2001 | |||
| 107th | January 3 – 20, 2001 | ← D Maj | ||
| January 20 – June 6, 2001 | R Maj → | |||
| June 6, 2001 – 2003[1] | ← D Maj | |||
| 108th | 2003 – 2005 | R Maj → | Bill Frist (TN) | |
| 109th | 2005 – 2007 | Harry Reid (NV) | ||
| 110th | 2007 – 2009 | ← D Maj | Mitch McConnell (KY) | |
| 111th | 2009 – present | |||
| Congress | Dates | Democratic Leader | Majority | Republican Leader |
See also
- Assistant party leaders of the United States Senate
- Party leaders of the United States House of Representatives
- President pro tempore of the United States Senate
References
- ^ Democrats remained in control after November 25, 2002, despite a Republican majority resulting from Jim Talent's special election victory in Missouri. There was no reorganization as Senate was no longer in session. Party Division in the Senate, 1789-present, via Senate.gov
External links
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