Presiding Officers

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Current Leadership and Officers of the 118th Congress

Presiding Officers

The President Pro Tempore of the US Senate, also known as the president pro tem, is the second-highest-ranking officer in the Senate and presides over the body in the absence of the Vice President. The current President Pro Tempore is Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT).

Senate Majority Leader and Minority Leader

The Senate Majority Leader is the leader of the majority party in the Senate and is responsible for scheduling legislation and setting the agenda for floor debate. The current Senate Majority Leader is Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY). The Senate Minority Leader is the leader of the minority party in the Senate and is responsible for representing the views of the minority party on legislative matters. The current Senate Minority Leader is Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY).

Additional information about the current leadership and officers of the 118th Congress can be found on the Senate website: https://www.senate.gov/senators/leadership.htm.

Historical Leadership

The Senate website also provides information on historical leadership and officers of the Senate. This information includes the names and terms of service for all previous Presidents Pro Tempore, Senate Majority Leaders, and Senate Minority Leaders. The historical leadership information can be found at the following link: https://www.senate.gov/senators/leadership/history_leadership.htm.

Senate Artifacts

The Senate Chamber is home to a number of gavels and other artifacts that are used to conduct business. These artifacts include the President's Gavel, which is used by the President Pro Tempore to call the Senate to order, and the Sergeant-at-Arms Gavel, which is used by the Sergeant-at-Arms to maintain order in the chamber. Visitors to the Capitol can view these artifacts in the Senate Chamber when the Senate is not in session.

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