Congressional Leadership: Speaker of the House

John Boehner (OH) (Republican)

#1 Position in House

Assigns Bills to Committees

Assigns Congressmen to Committees

Controls Agenda

Presides over House http://www.speaker.gov

Minority Leader #1 Minority Party Nancy Pelosi (CA) Assigns members

to Committees Voice of Minority

Party http://www.democraticleader.

gov/

Eric Cantor (VA)

#2 in Majority Party

Assists Speaker w/Agenda

http://republicanleader.house.gov/

Majority Leader

Encourage party discipline

Keep party members informed of party position on issues.

Whip Notice ◦ House agenda, time for

votes, position on votes.http://www.democraticwhip.gov/

Whips

Majority Leader #1 Position in Senate

◦ Most Important

Harry Reid (NV)

Assigns Bills to Committee

Assigns Members to Committee

Controls Senate Agenda

Senate Leadership

President of the Senate◦ Vice President

Breaks Ties

Presides over debate

Seldom Present

President Pro Tempore◦ Temporary President

Majority Party member with most seniority.

Patrick Leahy (VT)◦ Elected 1975

Senate Leadership

Minority Leader◦ #1 Position in

minority party◦ Mitch McConnell (KY)

Majority and Minority Whips◦ Same role as House

Whips

Senate Leadership

20 in the House 16 in the SenatePurpose: Main part of law-

making process.◦ Craft/analyze

possible legislation

Investigate/Oversight

Standing in Senate-Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry -Appropriations -Armed Services -Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs -Budget -Commerce, Science, and Transportation -Energy and Natural Resources -Environment and Public Works -Finance -Foreign Relations -Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions -Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs -Judiciary -Rules and Administration -Small Business and Entrepreneurship -Veterans Affairs

Standing Committees

HOW CONGRESSMEN VOTE Representational

Organizational

Attitudinal