President pro tempore of the United States Senate
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The United States Senate, according to the United States Constitution, (Article I), is required to choose a President pro tempore (or, "president for a time," often shortened to President pro tem), who presides over the Senate in the absence of the Vice President. Because of the smaller size of the Senate and because Senate rules of procedure give more power to individual senators, the President pro tem is not a powerful position especially in comparison to the Speaker of the House of Representatives or even the party leaders of the Senate. As of 2005, the current President pro tempore of the Senate is Ted Stevens of Alaska.
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Power and responsibilities
The President pro tempore is a constitutionally mandated office of the Senate. Although in some ways equivalent to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the powers of the President pro tempore are far more limited. In the Senate, most power rests with party leaders and individual senators. The President pro tempore represents the Senate at formal events and, in the absence of the Vice President, presides over the Senate and, with the Speaker of the House, over joint sessions of Congress. Due to the high visibility of joint sessions, they are one of very few instances in modern times where the Vice President does make an effort to attend and preside, so Presidents pro tempore rarely have the opportunity to preside at a joint session.
The President pro tempore, together with the Speaker of the House, is the authority to which declarations of presidential inability are transmitted in accordance with the 25th Amendment to the Constitution.
The President pro tempore is third in the line of presidential succession, following the Vice President and the Speaker of the House.
History
Originally, the President pro tempore was appointed on a daily or weekly basis when the Vice President of the United States was not present to preside over the Senate. Until the 1960s, it was common practice for the Vice President to preside over daily Senate sessions, so the President pro tempore rarely presided over the Senate unless the Vice Presidency became vacant.
Until 1891, the President pro tempore only served until the return of the Vice President to the chair or the adjournment of a session of Congress. Between 1792 and 1886, the President pro tempore was second in the line of presidential succession following the Vice President and preceding the Speaker of the House of Representatives. The President pro tempore and the Speaker were removed from succession in 1886, but were restored in 1947. This time, however, the President pro tempore followed the Speaker.
In the early years, the President pro tempore was usually a senator noted for his skill at parliamentary procedure. Over the years, however, the office became less work-a-day and more ceremonial; gradually, it became the custom for it to be given to a senior senator. Since the 1940s it has been the invariable rule that the most senior senator of the majority party holds the office.
The President pro tempore, just like the Vice President, over time has ceased presiding over the Senate on a daily basis, notably due to its lack of power or glamour. More importantly, since the President pro tempore is now usually the most senior senator of the majority party, he or she most likely also chairs a major Senate committee, along with performing other duties related to seniority. Therefore, the President pro tempore has less time now than in the past to preside daily over the Senate. Instead, junior senators of the majority party are designated acting president pro tempore to preside over the Senate on a daily basis. This allows junior senators to learn proper parliamentary procedure.
Presidents pro tempore of the United States Senate
1789-1841
1st Congress (1789-1791)
- John Langdon (NH) April 6 - April 21, 1789
- John Langdon (NH) August 7 - August 9, 1789
2nd Congress (1791-1793)
- Richard Henry Lee (VA) April 18 - October 8, 1792
- John Langdon (NH) November 5 - December 4, 1792
- John Langdon (NH) March 1 - March 3, 1793
3rd Congress (1793-1795)
- John Langdon (NH) March 4 - December 2, 1793
- Ralph Izard (SC) May 31 - November 9, 1794
- Henry Tazewell (VA) February 20 - June 7, 1795
4th Congress (1795-1797)
- Henry Tazewell (Republican-VA) December 7 - December 8, 1795
- Samuel Livermore (Federalist-NH) May 6 - December 4, 1796
- William Bingham (Federalist-PA) February 16 - March 3, 1797
5th Congress (1797-1799)
- William Bradford (Federalist-RI) July 6 - October, 1797
- Jacob Read (Federalist-SC) November 22 - December 12, 1797
- Theodore Sedgwick (Federalist-MA) June 27 - December 5, 1798
- John Laurance (Federalist-NY) December 6 - December 27, 1798
- James Ross (Federalist-PA) March 1 - December 1, 1799
6th Congress (1799-1801)
- Samuel Livermore (Federalist-NH) December 2 - December 29, 1799
- Uriah Tracy (Federalist-CT) May 14 - November 16, 1800
- John E. Howard (Federalist-MD) November 21 - November 27, 1800
- James Hillhouse (Federalist-CT) February 28 - March 3, 1801
7th Congress (1801-1803)
- Abraham Baldwin (Republican-GA) December 7, 1801 - January 14, 1802
- Abraham Baldwin (Republican-GA) April 17 - December 13, 1802
- Stephen R. Bradley (Republican-VT) December 14, 1802 - January 18, 1803
- Stephen R. Bradley (Republican-VT) February 25, 1803
- Stephen R. Bradley (Republican-VT) March 2 - October 16, 1803
8th Congress (1803-1805)
- John Brown (Republican-KY) October 17 - December 6, 1803
- John Brown (Republican-KY) January 23 - February 26, 1804
- Jesse Franklin (Republican-KY) March 10 - November 4, 1804
- Joseph Anderson (Republican-TN) January 15 - February 3, 1805
- Joseph Anderson (Republican-TN) February 28 - March 2, 1805
- Joseph Anderson (Republican-TN) March 2 - December 1, 1805
9th Congress (1805-1807)
- Samuel Smith (Republican-MD) December 2 - December 15, 1805
- Samuel Smith (Republican-MD) March 18 - November 30, 1806
- Samuel Smith (Republican-MD) March 2 - October 25, 1807
10th Congress (1807-1809)
- Samuel Smith (Republican-MD) April 16 - November 6, 1808
- Stephen R. Bradley (Republican-VT) December 28, 1808 - January 8, 1809
- John Milledge (Republican-GA) January 30 - March 3, 1809
11th Congress (1809-1811)
- John Milledge (Republican-GA) March 4 - May 21, 1809
- Andrew Gregg (Republican-PA) June 26 - December 18, 1809
- John Gaillard (Republican-SC) February 28 - March 2, 1810
- John Gaillard (Republican-SC) April 17 - December 11, 1810
- John Pope (Republican-KY) February 23 - November 3, 1811
12th Congress (1811-1813)
- William H. Crawford (Republican-GA) March 24, 1812 - March 3, 1813
13th Congress (1813-1815)
- William H. Crawford (Republican-GA) March 4 - March 23, 1813
- Joseph B. Varnum (Republican-MA) December 6, 1813 - February 3, 1814
- John Gaillard (Republican-SC) November 25, 1814 - December 3, 1815
14th Congress (1815-1817)
- John Gaillard (Republican-SC) December 4, 1815 - March 3, 1817
15th Congress (1817-1819)
- John Gaillard (Republican-SC) March 4, 1817
- John Gaillard (Republican-SC) March 6, 1817 - February 18, 1818
- John Gaillard (Republican-SC) March 31, 1818 - January 5, 1819
- James Barbour (Republican-VA) February 15 - December 5, 1819
16th Congress (1819-1821)
- James Barbour (Republican-VA) December 6 - December 26, 1819
- John Gaillard (Republican-SC) January 25, 1820 - December 2, 1821
17th Congress (1821-1823)
- John Gaillard (Republican-SC) December 3 - December 27, 1821
- John Gaillard (Republican-SC) February 1 - December 2, 1822
- John Gaillard (Republican-SC) February 19 - November 30, 1823
18th Congress (1823-1825)
- John Gaillard (Republican-SC) December 1, 1823 - January 20, 1824
- John Gaillard (Republican-SC) May 21, 1824 - March 3, 1825
19th Congress (1825-1827)
- John Gaillard (Republican-SC) March 9 - December 4, 1825
- Nathaniel Macon (Republican-NC) May 20 - December 3, 1826
- Nathaniel Macon (Republican-NC) January 2 - February 13, 1827
- Nathaniel Macon (Republican-NC) March 2 - December 2, 1827
20th Congress (1827-1829)
- Samuel Smith (Jacksonian-MD) May 15 - December 18, 1828
21st Congress (1829-1831)
- Samuel Smith (Democrat-MD) March 13 - December 10, 1829
- Samuel Smith (Democrat-MD) May 20 - December 31, 1830
- Samuel Smith (Democrat-MD) March 1 - December 4, 1831
22nd Congress (1831-1833)
- Samuel Smith (Democrat-MD) December 5 - December 11, 1831
- Littleton Tazewell (Democrat-MD) July 9 - July 16, 1832
- Hugh L. White (Democrat-TN) December 3, 1832 - December 1, 1833
23rd Congress (1833-1835)
- Hugh L. White (Democrat-TN) December 2 - December 15, 1833
- George Poindexter (Whig-MS) June 28 - November 30, 1834
- John Tyler (Whig-VA) March 3 - December 6, 1835
24th Congress (1835-1837)
- William R. King (Democrat-AL) July 1 - December 4, 1836
- William R. King (Democrat-AL) January 28 - March 3, 1837
25th Congress (1837-1839)
- William R. King (Democrat-AL) March 7 - September 3, 1837
- William R. King (Democrat-AL) October 13 - December 3, 1837
- William R. King (Democrat-AL) July 2 - December 18, 1838
- William R. King (Democrat-AL) February 25 - December 1, 1839
26th Congress (1839-1841)
- William R. King (Democrat-AL) December 2 - December 26, 1839
- William R. King (Democrat-AL) July 3 - December 15, 1840
- William R. King (Democrat-AL) March 3, 1841
1841-1890
27th Congress (1841-1843)
- William R. King (Democrat-AL) March 4, 1841
- Samuel Southard (Whig-NJ) March 11 - May 31, 1842
- Willie P. Mangum (Whig-NC) May 31, 1842 - December 3, 1843
28th Congress (1843-1845)
- Willie P. Mangum (Whig-NC) December 4, 1843 - March 3, 1845
29th Congress (1845-1847)
- Willie P. Mangum (Whig-NC) March 4, 1845
- Ambrose H. Sevier (Democrat-AR) December 27, 1845
- David R. Atchison (Democrat-MO) August 8 - December 6, 1846
- David R. Atchison (Democrat-MO) January 11 - January 13, 1847
- David R. Atchison (Democrat-MO) March 3 - December 5, 1847
30th Congress (1847-1849)
- David R. Atchison (Democrat-MO) February 2 - February 8, 1848
- David R. Atchison (Democrat-MO) June 1 - June 14, 1848
- David R. Atchison (Democrat-MO) June 26 - June 29, 1848
- David R. Atchison (Democrat-MO) July 29 - December 4, 1848
- David R. Atchison (Democrat-MO) December 26, 1848 - January 1, 1849
- David R. Atchison (Democrat-MO) March 2 - March 4, 1849
31st Congress (1849-1851)
- David R. Atchison (Democrat-MO) March 5, 1849
- David R. Atchison (Democrat-MO) March 16 - December 2, 1849
- William R. King (Democrat-AL) May 6 - May 19, 1850
- William R. King (Democrat-AL) July 11, 1850 - March 3, 1851
32nd Congress (1851-1853)
- William R. King (Democrat-AL) March 4, 1851 - December 20, 1852
- David R. Atchison (Democrat-MO) December 20, 1852 - March 3, 1853
33rd Congress (1853-1855)
- David R. Atchison (Democrat-MO) March 4, 1853 - December 4, 1854
- Lewis Cass (Democrat-MI) December 4, 1854
- Jesse D. Bright (Democrat-IN) December 5, 1854 - December 2, 1855
34th Congress (1855-1857)
- Jesse D. Bright (Democrat-IN) December 3, 1855 - June 9, 1856
- Charles E. Stuart (Democrat-MI) June 9 - June 10, 1856
- Jesse D. Bright (Democrat-IN) June 11, 1856 - January 6, 1857
- James M. Mason (Democrat-VA) January 6 - March 3, 1857
35th Congress (1857-1859)
- James M. Mason (Democrat-VA) March 4, 1857
- Thomas J. Rusk (Democrat-TX) March 14 - July 29, 1857
- Benjamin Fitzpatrick (Democrat-AL) December 7 - December 20, 1857
- Benjamin Fitzpatrick (Democrat-AL) March 29 - May 2, 1858
- Benjamin Fitzpatrick (Democrat-AL) June 14 - December 5, 1858
- Benjamin Fitzpatrick (Democrat-AL) January 19, 1859
- Benjamin Fitzpatrick (Democrat-AL) January 25 - February 9, 1859
36th Congress (1859-1861)
- Benjamin Fitzpatrick (Democrat-AL) March 9 - December 4, 1859
- Benjamin Fitzpatrick (Democrat-AL) December 19, 1859 - January 15, 1860
- Benjamin Fitzpatrick (Democrat-AL) February 20 - February 26, 1860
- Jesse D. Bright (Democrat-IN) June 12 - June 13, 1860
- Benjamin Fitzpatrick (Democrat-AL) June 26 - December 2, 1860
- Solomon Foot (Republican-VT) February 16 - February 17, 1861
37th Congress (1861-1863)
- Solomon Foot (Republican-VT) March 23 - July 3, 1861
- Solomon Foot (Republican-VT) July 18 - December 1, 1861
- Solomon Foot (Republican-VT) January 15, 1862
- Solomon Foot (Republican-VT) March 31 - May 21, 1862
- Solomon Foot (Republican-VT) June 19 - December 12, 1862
- Solomon Foot (Republican-VT) February 18 - March 3, 1863
38th Congress (1863-1865)
- Solomon Foot (Republican-VT) March 4 - December 6, 1863
- Solomon Foot (Republican-VT) December 18 - December 20, 1863
- Solomon Foot (Republican-VT) February 23, 1864
- Solomon Foot (Republican-VT) March 11 - March 13, 1864
- Solomon Foot (Republican-VT) April 11 - April 13, 1864
- Daniel Clark (Republican-NH) April 26, 1864 - January 4, 1865
- Daniel Clark (Republican-NH) February 9 - February 19, 1865
39th Congress (1865-1867)
- Lafayette S. Foster (Republican-CT) May 7, 1865 - March 2, 1867
- Benjamin F. Wade (Republican-OH) March 2 - March 3, 1867
40th Congress (1867-1869)
- Benjamin F. Wade (Republican-OH) March 4, 1867 - March 3, 1869
41st Congress (1869-1871)
- Henry B. Anthony (R-RI) March 23-28, 1869
- Henry B. Anthony (R-RI) April 9-December 5, 1869
- Henry B. Anthony (R-RI) May 28-June 2, 1870
- Henry B. Anthony (R-RI) July 1-5, 1870
- Henry B. Anthony (R-RI) July 14-December 4, 1870
42nd Congress (1871-1873)
- Henry B. Anthony (R-RI) March 10-12, 1871
- Henry B. Anthony (R-RI) April 17-May 9, 1871
- Henry B. Anthony (R-RI) May 23-December 3, 1871
- Henry B. Anthony (R-RI) December 21, 1871 - January 7, 1872
- Henry B. Anthony (R-RI) February 23-25, 1872
- Henry B. Anthony (R-RI) June 8-December 1, 1872
- Henry B. Anthony (R-RI) December 4-8, 1872
- Henry B. Anthony (R-RI) December 13-15, 1872
- Henry B. Anthony (R-RI) December 20, 1872 - January 5, 1873
- Henry B. Anthony (R-RI) January 24, 1873
43rd Congress (1873-1875)
- Matthew H. Carpenter (R-WI) March 12-13, 1873
- Matthew H. Carpenter (R-WI) March 26-November 30, 1873
- Matthew H. Carpenter (R-WI) December 11, 1873 - December 6, 1874
- Matthew H. Carpenter (R-WI) December 23, 1874 - January 4, 1875
- Henry B. Anthony (R-RI) January 25-31, 1875
- Henry B. Anthony (R-RI) February 15-17, 1875
44th Congress (1875-1877)
- Thomas W. Ferry (R-MI) March 9-10, 1875
- Thomas W. Ferry (R-MI) March 19, 1875 - March 4, 1877
45th Congress (1877-1879)
- Thomas W. Ferry (R-MI) March 5, 1877
- Thomas W. Ferry (R-MI) February 26-March 3, 1878
- Thomas W. Ferry (R-MI) April 17-December 1, 1878
- Thomas W. Ferry (R-MI) March 3-17, 1879
46th Congress (1879-1881)
- Allen G. Thurman (D-OH) April 15-November 30, 1879
- Allen G. Thurman (D-OH) April 7-14, 1880
- Allen G. Thurman (D-OH) May 6-December 5, 1880
47th Congress (1881-1883)
- Thomas F. Bayard (D-DE) October 10-13, 1881
- David Davis (Independent-IL) October 13, 1881-March 3, 1883
- George F. Edmunds (R-VT) March 3-December 2, 1883
48th Congress (1883-1885)
- George F. Edmunds (R-VT) December 3, 1883 - March 3, 1885
49th Congress (1885-1887)
- John Sherman (R-OH) December 7, 1885 - February 26, 1887
- John J. Ingalls (R-KS) February 26-December 4, 1887
50th Congress (1887-1889)
- John J. Ingalls (R-KS) December 5, 1887 - March 3, 1889
51st Congress (1889-1891)
- John J. Ingalls (R-KS) March 17-17, 1889
- John J. Ingalls (R-KS) April 2-December 1, 1889
- John J. Ingalls (R-KS) December 5-10, 1889
- John J. Ingalls (R-KS) February 28-March 18, 1890
1891-present
At this point, it was decided that presidents pro tempore should serve until a new one was elected. They were as follows:
- John J. Ingalls (R-KS) April 3, 1890 - March 2, 1891
- Charles F. Manderson (R-NE) March 2, 1891 - March 22, 1893
- Isham G. Harris (D-TN) March 22, 1893 - January 7, 1895
- Matt W. Ransom (D-NC) January 7-10, 1895
- Isham G. Harris (D-TN) January 10-March 3, 1895
- William P. Frye (R-ME) February 7, 1896 - April 27, 1911
Upon Frye's death, it proved difficult to elect a successor. For the remainder of the 62nd Congress (1911-1913), the position alternated among:
- Augustus O. Bacon (D-GA)
- Charles Curtis (R-KS)
- Jacob H. Gallinger (R-NH)
- Frank B. Brandegee (R-CT) and
- Henry Cabot Lodge (R-MA)
In the next Congress, the selection process returned to as it had been since 1891:
- James P. Clarke (D-AR) March 13, 1913 - October 1, 1916
- Willard Saulsbury (D-DE) December 14, 1916 - March 3, 1919
- Albert B. Cummins (R-IA) May 19, 1919 - March 6, 1925
- George H. Moses (R-NH) March 6, 1925 - March 3, 1933
- Key Pittman (D-NV) March 9, 1933 - November 10, 1940
- William H. King (D-UT) November 19, 1940 - January 3, 1941
- B. Patton Harrison (D-MS) January 6 - June 22, 1941
- Carter Glass (D-VA) July 10, 1941 - January 2, 1945
- Kenneth McKellar (D-TN) January 6, 1945 - January 2, 1947
- Arthur H. Vandenberg (R-MI) January 4, 1947 - January 2, 1949
- Kenneth McKellar (D-TN) January 3, 1949 - January 2, 1953
- Styles Bridges (R-NH) January 3, 1953 - January 4, 1955
- Walter F. George (D-GA) January 5, 1955 - January 2, 1957
- Carl T. Hayden (D-AZ) January 3, 1957 - January 2, 1969
- Richard B. Russell, Jr. (D-GA) January 3, 1969 - January 21, 1971
- Allen J. Ellender (D-LA) January 22, 1971 - July 27, 1972
- James O. Eastland (D-MS) July 28, 1972 - December 27, 1978
- Warren G. Magnuson (D-WA) January 15, 1979 - December 4, 1980
- Milton R. Young (R-ND) December 5, 1980
- Warren G. Magnuson (D-WA) December 6, 1980 - January 4, 1981
- J. Strom Thurmond (R-SC) January 5, 1981 - January 5, 1987
- John C. Stennis (D-MS) January 6, 1987 - January 2, 1989
- Robert C. Byrd (D-WV) January 3, 1989 - January 3, 1995
- J. Strom Thurmond (R-SC) January 4, 1995 - January 3, 2001
- Robert C. Byrd (D-WV) January 3-20, 2001
- J. Strom Thurmond (R-SC) January 20-June 6, 2001
- Robert C. Byrd (D-WV) June 6, 2001 - January 3, 2003
- Theodore F. Stevens (R-AK) January 3, 2003 - Presentnl:President Pro Tempore