Senate Majority Leader Job Description
The Senate majority leader is a very powerful political post. The U.S. Senate has a majority leader as do many state senates. The majority leader serves as his party's leader, as the chief collaborator with the minority party leaders, and as the chief policy strategist for the Senate. The Senate majority leader works closely with other senators and representatives to shepherd legislation to enactment.
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History
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The job of U.S. Senate majority leader is not outlined in the Constitution as are some other Senate posts. The Senate majority and minority leader positions originated in the 20th century. In 1913, Democrat John Worth Kern functioned in the manner of a Senate majority leader, working to enact President Woodrow Wilson's ambitious legislative agenda. Kern was not formally given the title, however. In 1925, when the Republicans were in power, Charles Curtis was the first to be officially designated Senate majority leader. Since then, every session of Congress has named a Senate majority leader.
Education and Background
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As with all elected positions in government, no specific education or training is required to be the Senate majority leader. Some majority leaders have been highly educated lawyers, while others came in with a great deal of work experience but little formal higher education. Similarly, there is no specific background required to assume the post.
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Selection
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The Senate majority leader is chosen by her party. At the beginning of each legislative session, party members gather for a caucus to choose their leader. The minority party operates the same way to choose the Senate minority leader. As the leader of the majority party, the Senate majority leader faces a great deal of pressure to keep party members in line and to stay productive. Therefore, the majority leader post is considered both very difficult and very prestigious.
Major Duties
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The Senate majority leader, both at the federal and state levels, serves as one of the primary spokesmen of the Senate. He speaks publicly about the accomplishments of the Senate and advocates for his party's position. He is also the ceremonial leader of the Senate. The majority leader also delineates which issues will be discussed and which bills will come to the floor for a vote. In this way, the Senate majority leader is the chief policy leader. At the federal level, the Senate majority leader and the speaker of the House hold the vast majority of the power to bring issues before the rest of Congress or stifle legislation that they do not support.
Administrative Duties
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One of the majority leader's most important roles is as the chief administrator in the Senate. The Senate majority leader produces the daily legislative schedule, schedules votes and discussion sessions, and is responsible for adjourning the Senate at the end of the day. Some states grant the Senate majority leader the authority to name all of the committee chairmen. In addition, the majority leader can call for a recess and or reject a request for recess if she is not satisfied with the progress made on a given issue.
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References
- Photo Credit Capitol Building image by dwight9592 from Fotolia.com
