Download Legislative Terms Notes

 The presiding officer of the House of Representatives
 Chosen by and from the majority party in the house
 To preside and keep order
 Follows the Vice-President in order of succession
John Boehner
 Vice-President’s only job
 Presiding officer of the Senate
 Cannot debate or take the floor to speak
 May only vote to break a tie
 Serves in the Vice-President’s absence
 Elected by the Senate
 Leading member of the majority party
 Usually longest serving member
 Follows Speaker in line of succession
Patrick Leahy
 Closed meeting of each party of each house
 Meets before Congress convenes
 Deal with party organizations
 Select nominations for party leaders
 Picked by their party colleagues
 Legislative strategists
 Try to steer floor action to their party’s favor
 Chief spokesman for his party in his chamber
 Majority leader is more powerful
Senate Leadership
Majority Leader
of the
United States
Senate
Democratic
Leader
Minority Leader
of the
United States
Senate
Republican
Leader
Harry Reid
Mitch McConnell
 Assistant to floor leaders
 Chosen by party caucus
 Serves as a liaison – a two way link between the party’s
leadership and its rank and file
 Work to count up votes on particular matters
 Makes sure members are present for important votes
Majority Whip of
the United States
House of
Representatives
Minority Whip of
the United States
House of
Representatives
Steve Scalise
Steny Hoyer
House of Representatives Leadership
 The most important posts are held by those party
members with the longest records of service in
Congress
 Head of particular committees within the Congress
 Permanent committees
 Both Senate and House have Standing Committees
 Agriculture
 Budget
 Education and the Workforce
 Financial Services
 “Traffic Cop”
 Bills go through this committee before it goes to the
floor
 13 members
 Special Committees
 For a specific reason and limited time
 Members of both houses
 Economic
 The Library
 Printing
 Taxation
 Created to iron out differences on a bill
 Their job is produce a compromised bill that both
houses will accept