Majority leader
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In U.S. politics (as well as in some other countries utilizing the presidential system), the majority floor leader is a partisan position in a legislative body.[1] In the federal Congress, the role of the Majority Leader of the United States House of Representatives and the Majority Leader of the United States Senate differ slightly.
In the United States House of Representatives the majority leader's presence and power often depends on the session. In some sessions, the majority leader takes precedence over the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives as house leader and legislative party leader either by force (which usually occurs when the Speaker of the House is unpopular) or because the Speaker of the House voluntarily surrenders power to the majority leader. In most sessions, the Speaker of the House takes precedence as house leader and party leader, with the majority leader being largely de facto irrelevant outside the fact they might be Speaker of the House one day.
In the United States Senate, the majority leader is the chief spokesperson for the majority party in the legislature (if the House is held by an opposition party) and the Senate.[1] While the Vice-President of the United States is the president of the Senate and the President pro tempore is president of the Senate when the Vice President is missing or becomes president according to the Constitution of the United States, in reality, the vice president is an executive position that seldom presides or even enters the Senate unless an evenly divided vote is expected while the President pro tempore has become a de facto ceremonial role deprived of any leadership ability, all of it given to the majority leader. The majority leader's role as leader of the Senate is uncontested, especially in modern times, and in accordance with Senate rule, the Presiding Officer gives the Majority Leader priority in obtaining recognition to speak on the floor of the Senate.
In the states, the majority leader of a state legislative chamber usually performs a similar role to the Majority Leader of the United States House of Representatives or Majority Leader of the United States Senate.
The current majority leader of the United States Senate is Chuck Schumer, who assumed office on January 20th, 2021.
The current majority leader of the United States House of Representatives is Steny Hoyer, who assumed office on January 3rd, 2019.
See also
References
- ^ a b USLegal.com (accessed April 11, 2013)
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