Congress Leadership
Speaker of the House Constitutionally Created Presiding Officer Member of the majority party
Duties of the Speaker Recognizes Speakers Interprets and applies rules Refers bill to standing committee Rules on points of order Puts questions to a vote Determines vote outcome Votes on issues
Speaker of the House Democrat - CA Paul Ryan (WI)
House of Representatives Speaker Majority Leader Minority Leader Majority Whip Minority Whip
Majority/Minority Leader Represent the party on the Floor Serve as spokespersons Advocate their parties' policies and viewpoints Unite the party Block opponents legislation
Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (CA)
Minority Leaders Nancy Pelosi (CA) – House Harrry Reid (NV) - Senate John Boehner R Ohio Mitch McConnell R Kentucky Nancy Pelosi (CA) – House Harrry Reid (NV) - Senate
Senate Leadership Senate Minority Whip Vice-President Majority Leader President Pro Tempore Majority Leader Minority Leader Majority Whip Minority Whip
President of the Senate Only votes in the case of a tie Joe Biden (CT)
Biden: It's easy being VP By: Patrick Gavin February 25, 2010 04:36 PM EST There have been some tense moments during today's health care summit at the Blair House, but not for Vice President Joe Biden, it seems. Just moments before the afternoon session got underway, C-SPAN's cameras picked up audio of Biden chatting casually with participants. "It's easy being vice president — you don't have to do anything." Whomever Biden was chatting with said, "It's like being the grandpa and not the parent." "Yeah, that's it!" replied Biden. Biden spokesman Jay Carney tells POLITICO that the vice president was "obviously joking, as any review of his schedule and responsibilities would make abundantly clear." “In the last month, the vice president has, among many other things, made his fourth trip to Iraq since being elected, delivered a major speech on the administration’s non-proliferation agenda, produced a report on the Recovery Act’s first year to the president and played a key role in bringing about the president’s bi-partisan Fiscal Commission,” Carney said. “In the coming days and weeks, the vice president will deliver a first-year report from the Middle Class Task Force, which he chairs, and travel to the Middle East to meet with key leaders in the region.” © 2010 Capitol News Company, LLC
President Pro Tempore Robert Byrd (D) WV Orrin Hatch (R) UT
Senate Majority Leader Henry Reid (D) NV Harry Reid (NV) Mitch McConnell (KY)
Whip System Assist Party Leader Help party leader get bills passed Keep party members informed Make sure all party members are present for votes on important measures Party Whips (Assistant Floor Leaders) Both parties in the Senate elect whips. The term "whip" comes from a fox-hunting expression -- "whipper-in" -- referring to the member of the hunting team responsible for keeping the dogs from straying from the team during a chase. Established early in the 20th century, the development of party whips coincided with the evolution of party leaders in the Senate. Democrat James Hamilton Lewis of Illinois became the first party whip in 1913, and the Republicans established their own whip position two years later. These assistant leaders are mainly responsible for counting heads and rounding up party members for votes and quorum calls, and they occasionally stand in for the majority or minority leaders in their absence.
House Whips Steny Hoyer (MD)- D Steve Scalise (LA)- R James Clyburn (D) SC Eric Cantor (R) VA Steny Hoyer (MD)- D Steve Scalise (LA)- R
Senate Whips John Cornyn (TX)- R Richard Durbin (IL) - D Richard Durbin – (D) IL Jon Kyl – (R) AZ John Cornyn (TX)- R Richard Durbin (IL) - D
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