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Party leaders of the United States House of Representatives
Party leaders of the United States House of Representatives, also known as floor leaders, are congresspeople who coordinate legislative initiatives and serve as the chief spokespersons for their parties on the House floor. These leaders are elected every two years in secret balloting of their party caucuses or conferences: the House Democratic Caucus and the House Republican Conference. Depending on which party is in power, one party leader serves as majority leader and the other as minority leader.
Unlike the Senate majority leader, the House majority leader is the second highest-ranking member of their party's House caucus, behind the speaker of the House. The majority leader is responsible for setting the annual legislative agenda, scheduling legislation for consideration, and coordinating committee activity. The minority leader serves as floor leader of the opposition party, and is the minority counterpart to the speaker. The minority leader also speaks for the minority party in the House and its policies, and works to protect the minority party's rights.
The assistant majority leader and assistant minority leader of the House, commonly called whips, are the second-ranking members of each party's leadership. The main function of the majority and minority whips is to gather votes of their respective parties on major issues.
With the Republicans holding a majority of seats and the Democrats holding a minority, the current leaders are Majority Leader Steve Scalise of Louisiana and Majority Whip Tom Emmer of Minnesota, Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York, and Minority Whip Katherine Clark of Massachusetts.
The floor leaders and whips of each party are elected by their respective parties in a closed-door caucus by secret ballot. The speaker-presumptive is assumed to be the incoming speaker, although not formally selected to be nominated for Speaker by the majority party's caucus. After this period, the speaker-designate is also chosen in a closed-door session by the largest caucus although the speaker is formally elevated to the position by a public vote of the entire House when Congress reconvenes.
Like the speaker of the House, the minority leaders are typically experienced lawmakers when they win election to this position. When Nancy Pelosi, D-CA, became minority leader in the 108th Congress, she had served in the House nearly 20 years and had served as minority whip in the 107th Congress. When her predecessor, Dick Gephardt, D-MO, became minority leader in the 104th House, he had been in the House for almost 20 years, had served as chairman of the Democratic Caucus for four years, had been a 1988 presidential candidate, and had been majority leader from June 1989 until Republicans captured control of the House in the November 1994 elections. Gephardt's predecessor in the minority leadership position was Robert Michel, R-IL, who became GOP Leader in 1981 after spending 24 years in the House. Michel's predecessor, Republican John Rhodes of Arizona, was elected minority leader in 1973 after 20 years of House service.
By contrast, party leaders of the United States Senate have often ascended to their position despite relatively few years of experience in that chamber, such as Lyndon B. Johnson, William Knowland, Tom Daschle, and Bill Frist.
Before 1899, the majority party floor leader had traditionally been the chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, the most powerful committee in the House, as it generates the bills of revenue specified in the Constitution as the House's unique power. However, this designation (begun under Speaker Henry Clay during the 12th United States Congress) was informal, and after 1865, alternated between the Ways and Means Committee Chair and the House Appropriations Committee Chair after the latter committee was split from the former. By at least 1850, the Senate and House Republican Conferences and the Senate and House Democratic Caucuses began naming chairs (although conference and caucus chairs carried very little authority).
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Party leaders of the United States House of Representatives
Party leaders of the United States House of Representatives, also known as floor leaders, are congresspeople who coordinate legislative initiatives and serve as the chief spokespersons for their parties on the House floor. These leaders are elected every two years in secret balloting of their party caucuses or conferences: the House Democratic Caucus and the House Republican Conference. Depending on which party is in power, one party leader serves as majority leader and the other as minority leader.
Unlike the Senate majority leader, the House majority leader is the second highest-ranking member of their party's House caucus, behind the speaker of the House. The majority leader is responsible for setting the annual legislative agenda, scheduling legislation for consideration, and coordinating committee activity. The minority leader serves as floor leader of the opposition party, and is the minority counterpart to the speaker. The minority leader also speaks for the minority party in the House and its policies, and works to protect the minority party's rights.
The assistant majority leader and assistant minority leader of the House, commonly called whips, are the second-ranking members of each party's leadership. The main function of the majority and minority whips is to gather votes of their respective parties on major issues.
With the Republicans holding a majority of seats and the Democrats holding a minority, the current leaders are Majority Leader Steve Scalise of Louisiana and Majority Whip Tom Emmer of Minnesota, Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York, and Minority Whip Katherine Clark of Massachusetts.
The floor leaders and whips of each party are elected by their respective parties in a closed-door caucus by secret ballot. The speaker-presumptive is assumed to be the incoming speaker, although not formally selected to be nominated for Speaker by the majority party's caucus. After this period, the speaker-designate is also chosen in a closed-door session by the largest caucus although the speaker is formally elevated to the position by a public vote of the entire House when Congress reconvenes.
Like the speaker of the House, the minority leaders are typically experienced lawmakers when they win election to this position. When Nancy Pelosi, D-CA, became minority leader in the 108th Congress, she had served in the House nearly 20 years and had served as minority whip in the 107th Congress. When her predecessor, Dick Gephardt, D-MO, became minority leader in the 104th House, he had been in the House for almost 20 years, had served as chairman of the Democratic Caucus for four years, had been a 1988 presidential candidate, and had been majority leader from June 1989 until Republicans captured control of the House in the November 1994 elections. Gephardt's predecessor in the minority leadership position was Robert Michel, R-IL, who became GOP Leader in 1981 after spending 24 years in the House. Michel's predecessor, Republican John Rhodes of Arizona, was elected minority leader in 1973 after 20 years of House service.
By contrast, party leaders of the United States Senate have often ascended to their position despite relatively few years of experience in that chamber, such as Lyndon B. Johnson, William Knowland, Tom Daschle, and Bill Frist.
Before 1899, the majority party floor leader had traditionally been the chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, the most powerful committee in the House, as it generates the bills of revenue specified in the Constitution as the House's unique power. However, this designation (begun under Speaker Henry Clay during the 12th United States Congress) was informal, and after 1865, alternated between the Ways and Means Committee Chair and the House Appropriations Committee Chair after the latter committee was split from the former. By at least 1850, the Senate and House Republican Conferences and the Senate and House Democratic Caucuses began naming chairs (although conference and caucus chairs carried very little authority).