1. Leadership in Congress

2. Introduction
Leadership in Congress is based on how many seats your political party controls
Majority Party: Political party that controls the most seats in the House or Senate
Minority Party: Political party that does not control the majority of seats in the House or Senate
The majority party elects the senior leaders of both the House and Senate

3. House of Representatives
Democrats: 191
Republicans: 242
Vacant: 3
Total: = 435
John Boehner (R-OH)
Speaker of the House
Majority Leader
Majority Whip
Minority Leader
Minority Whip
Eric Cantor (R-VA)
Nancy Pelosi (D-Cal)
Kevin McCarthy (R-CA)
Steny Hoyer (D-MD)

4. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D) 8th District from California
Elected Speaker in 2007
First female Speaker
Elected to the House in 1987

5. The Role of the Speaker
The Speaker typically maintains three roles, as the Representative for his or her district, as a leader of his or her party, and as the leader of the House as a whole.
Elected by the majority party in the House
Calling the House to order.
Administering the oath of office to House Members.
Presiding over debate, recognizing Members to speak on the floor, and preserving order
Leading the appointment process for the chairs of the various committees and subcommittees in the House, including conference committees which negotiate final versions of legislation.

6. Floor Leaders Majority and Minority Leaders:
Party officers elected by their party
Legislative strategists who carry out the decision of their party and try to get their bills passed
Chief spokesperson of their party
Majority and Minority Whips:
Whips check with party members and inform the floor leader how members plan to vote (whip count)
Ensure that all members are present to vote
Ensure that members always vote along party lines

7. Mitch McConnell (R-KY)
U.S. Senate
Joseph Biden
Vice President:
Democrats: 51
Republicans: 47
Total: = 100
Pro Tempore
Majority Leader
Majority Whip
Minority Leader
Minority Whip
President of Senate
Daniel Inouye (D-HI)
Harry Reid (D-NV)
Mitch McConnell (R-KY)
Richard Durbin (D-IL)
Jon Kyl (R-AZ)

8. President of the Senate
Vice President of the United States
Presides over the Senate but is not a Senator
Can only vote in order to break a tie vote

9. Senator Robert Byrd (D-WV) Longest Serving Senator
Pro Tempore of Senate
Senator Robert Byrd (D-WV)
Elected: January 3, 1959
Longest Serving Senator
50 years!
Born: 1917

10. The Role of the Pro Tempore
The Constitution requires the Senate to elect a president pro tempore to serve as presiding officer in the absence of the vice president. The president pro tempore is authorized to preside over the Senate, sign legislation, and issue the oath of office to new senators.
Elected by the majority party
Generally performs same duties as the Speaker