President pro tempore of the United States Senate
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President pro tempore of the United States Senate is the longest serving Senator from a major political party in the United States Senate. According to the Constitution, this is the fourth highest office in the United States. It is the third in the presidential line of succession (behind the Vice President and the Speaker of the House).
Officially the Vice President is person in charge of the Senate, but he is not a Senator. Robert Byrd (D-WV) is the President pro tempore. When the Vice President cannot be in charge, the President pro tempore is in charge of the Senate. Many people still think of the President pro tempore as de facto president of the Senate. During President Andrew Johnson's impeachment trial in 1868 president pro tempore Benjamin Wade was the first person in the line of succession. No president pro tempore has taken over the presidency as of 2006.
Probably the most famous Presidents pro tempore were John Langdon (first in this office), David Rice Atchison (D-MO), Benjamin Wade (R-OH), Arthur Vandenberg (R-MI), Strom Thurmond (R-SC), and Robert Byrd (D-WV).
When Senator Hubert Humphrey, a former Vice President of the United States, was seriously ill the Senate showed its respect for him by creating the office of Deputy President Pro tem for any Vice President who is elected to the Senate. Only Humphrey has done this.
| United States Congress House of Representatives, Senate — 110th Congress |
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|---|---|
| Members | House: Current, Former, Districts (by area) | Senate: Current (by seniority, by age), Former (expelled/censured), Classes |
| Leaders | House: Speaker, Party leaders, Party whips, Dem. caucus, Rep. conference, Dean | Senate: President pro tempore (list), Party leaders, Assistant party leaders, Dem. Caucus (Chair, Secretary, Policy comm. chair), Rep. Conference (Chair, Vice-Chair, Policy comm. chair), Dean |
| Groups | African Americans, Asian Pacific Americans, Hispanic Americans, Caucuses, Committees, Demographics, Senate Women |
| Agencies, Employees & Offices | Architect of the Capitol, Capitol guide service (board), Capitol police (board), Chiefs of Staff, GAO, Government Printing Office, Law Revision Counsel, Librarian of Congress, Poet laureate | House: Chaplain, Chief Administrative Officer, Clerk, Doorkeeper, Emergency Planning, Preparedness, and Operations, Historian, Page (board), Parliamentarian, Postmaster, Reading clerk, Recording Studio, Sergeant at Arms | Senate: Chaplain, Curator, Historian, Librarian, Page, Parliamentarian, Secretary, Sergeant at Arms |
| Politics & Procedure | Act of Congress (list), Caucuses, Committees, Hearings, Joint session, Oversight, Party Divisions, Rider | House: Committees, History, Jefferson's Manual, Procedures | Senate: Committees, Filibuster, History, Traditions, VPs' tie-breaking votes |
| Buildings | Capitol Complex, Capitol, Botanic Garden | Office buildings– House: Cannon, Ford, Longworth, O'Neill, Rayburn, Senate: Dirksen, Hart, Russell |
| Research | Biographical directory, Congressional Quarterly, Congressional Record, Congressional Research Service, Library of Congress, The Hill, Roll Call, THOMAS |
| Misc | Mace of the House, Power of enforcement, Scandals, Softball League |
