This article is part of the series: United States Senate
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United States

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The Senate Majority and Minority Leaders (also called Senate Floor 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 custom, 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 and "face" 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.

Current floor leaders

The Senate is currently composed of 49 Democrats and 49 Republicans, as well as an "Independent Democrat" (Joe Lieberman of Connecticut) and an independent (Bernie Sanders of Vermont). Both independents caucus with the Democrats, making the Democrats the majority (51 seats) and the Republicans the minority (49 seats). Between November 15, 2008 with the resignation of President-Elect Obama from the Senate, and January 1, 2009 when the 111th Congress is seated, the split is 48 Democrats, 2 Democrat-leaning independents and 49 Republicans. The 111th Senate will be composed of 56 Democrats, 2 Democrat-leaning independents and 40 Republicans, with two seats still to be determined as of November 19, 2008.

The current floor leaders are Democrat Harry Reid of Nevada, the Senate Majority Leader, and Republican Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the Senate Minority Leader.

History

The Democrats began this practice starting in 1920 while they were in the minority. In 1925 the majority (of 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 longest-serving (most senior) 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 parliamentary 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 Leader" or "Republican Leader") instead of as "Minority Leader."

List of Senate floor leaders

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

(Names in bold indicate Majority Leaders)

1. ^ Remained in control despite a Republican majority. There was no reorganization as Senate was out of session.Party Division in the Senate, 1789-Present, via Senate.gov

See also

• Party leaders of the United States House of Representatives

External links

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

v • d • e United States Senate Majority Leaders Lodge • Curtis • Watson • Robinson • Barkley • White • Lucas • McFarland • Taft • Knowland • Johnson • Mansfield • Byrd • Baker • Dole • Byrd • Mitchell • Dole • Lott • Daschle • Lott • Daschle • Frist • Reid

v • d • 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 • Frist • Daschle • Reid • McConnell