Party leaders of the United States Senate

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Senate Majority Leader of the United States Senate Incumbent Harry Reid since January 3, 2007 Style Senator Formation April 27, 1920

Senate Minority Leader of the United States Senate Incumbent Mitch McConnell since January 3, 2007 Style Senator Formation March 4, 1925

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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 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.

[edit] Current floor leaders

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The Senate is currently composed of 55 Democrats, 41 Republicans, and two independents -- Joe Lieberman of Connecticut and Bernie Sanders of Vermont, both of whom caucus with the Democrats, giving the Democrats a sixteen-seat majority.

There are two vacant seats: one was held by President-Elect Barack Obama until his resignation from the Senate on November 15, 2008, while the other is awaiting the outcome of recounts and legal challenges in Minnesota. The 2008 Minnesota Senate election has yet to be decided, but the latest count has Democrat Al Franken leading incumbent Republican Senator Norm Coleman by less than 300 votes. The fate of the vacant seat once belonging to President-elect Barack Obama is now uncertain following charges laid against Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich related to the appointment of his replacement. On December 30, 2008, Gov. Blagojevich appointed Roland Burris to fill the open seat, but the Secretary of the Senate declined his credentials on January 6, 2009. Vice-President-Elect Joseph Biden (D-DE) plans to resign soon after being seated for a new Senate term on January 5. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) and Ken Salazar (D-CO) plan to resign after confirmation as Secretary of State and Secretary of the Interior, respectively. Replacements for all three will be named by Democratic governors.

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

[edit] 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."

[edit] 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

[edit] See also

• Party leaders of the United States House of Representatives

[edit] 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