Parliamentarian of the United States Senate explained

Post:Parliamentarian
Body:the
United States Senate
Insignia:Seal of the United States Senate.svg
Insigniacaption:Seal of the United States Senate
Incumbent:Elizabeth MacDonough
Incumbentsince:2012
Department:United States Senate
Type:Parliamentarian
Member Of:Senate Dais
Appointer:Senate Majority Leader
Termlength:Serves at the pleasure of the Majority Leader
Constituting Instrument:Standing Rules of the United States Senate
Formation:1935
First:Charles L. Watkins
Salary:$203,700[1]

The Parliamentarian of the United States Senate is the official advisor to the United States Senate on the interpretation of Standing Rules of the United States Senate and parliamentary procedure. Incumbent parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough has held the office since 2012, appointed by then-Senate majority leader Harry Reid.

As the Presiding officer of the Senate may not be, and usually is not, aware of the parliamentary situation currently facing the Senate, a parliamentary staff sits second from the left on the Senate dais to advise the presiding officer on how to respond to inquiries and motions from senators (including "the Sergeant at Arms will restore order in the gallery"). The role of the parliamentary staff is advisory, and the presiding officer or Senate may overrule the advice of the Parliamentarian. In practice, this is rare; the most recent example of a Vice President (as President of the Senate) overruling the parliamentarian was Nelson Rockefeller in 1975.[2] That ruling was extremely controversial,[3] to such an extent that the leaders of both parties immediately met and agreed that they did not want this precedent to stand, so the next week the Senate altered the rule under consideration via standard procedure.[4] The Senate majority leader may also fire the parliamentarian, as occurred in 2001 during a dispute between parliamentarian Robert Dove and Majority Leader Trent Lott.[5]

Overview

An important role of the parliamentarian is to decide what can and cannot be done under the Senate's budget reconciliation process under the provisions of the Byrd Rule.[6] These rulings are important because they allow certain bills to be approved by a simple majority, instead of the sixty votes needed to end debate and overcome a filibuster.

The office also refers bills to appropriate committees on behalf of the Senate's presiding officer, and referees efforts by the ruling party to change the Senate rules by rulings from the chair. The parliamentarian is appointed by and serves at the pleasure of the Senate majority leader. Traditionally, the parliamentarian is chosen from senior staff in the parliamentarian office, which helps ensure consistency in the application of the Senate's complex rules. The last two parliamentarians have served under both Republican and Democratic Senate leaders.

The parliamentarian's salary is $203,700 per year, as of 2022.[7]

List of parliamentarians

The following individuals have served as Senate parliamentarian:[8]

Years Parliamentarian
11935–1964[9] Charles L. Watkins[10]
21964–1974 Floyd M. Riddick
31974–1981 Murray Zweben[11]
41981–1987 Robert Dove
51987–1995 Alan Frumin
61995–2001 Robert Dove
72001–2012 Alan Frumin
82012–present Elizabeth MacDonough[12]

There have only been six Senate parliamentarians since the role was founded, with Dove and Frumin each serving two non-consecutive terms.

See also

References

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Ida A. . Brudnick . Congressional Salaries and Allowances: In Brief . . April 11, 2018 . February 26, 2021.
  2. Web site: Healthcare reform and reconciliation a bad mix, ex-parliamentarian says. The Hill. Jeffrey. Young. February 16, 2010. March 23, 2017.
  3. Walter J. Oleszek . February 23, 2016 . Amending Senate Rules at the Start of a New Congress, 1953-1975: An Analysis with an Afterword to 2015 . Congressional Research Service . 56 . July 17, 2021 . "His decisions, especially the furor aroused by Rockefeller’s recognition practices, triggered such vehement criticism that it created a hostile mood in the chamber.".
  4. Web site: Nelson Aldrich Rockefeller, 41st Vice President (1974-1977). United States Senate. July 17, 2021.
  5. News: Dewar. Helen . Key Senate Official Loses Job in Dispute With GOP. The Washington Post . May 8, 2001. November 29, 2022.
  6. Web site: After nearly 20 years, Senate parliamentarian Alan Frumin to retire. The Hill. Alexander. Bolton. January 31, 2012. March 23, 2017.
  7. Web site: April 11, 2018 . Report of the Secretary of the Senate: April 1, 2022 to September 30, 2022 . December 30, 2022 . GovInfo - U.S. Government Publishing Office.
  8. Book: Gold, Martin. Senate procedure and practice. Rowman & Littlefield. 2008. 978-0-7425-6305-6. 11.
  9. Web site: Heitshusen. Valerie. Parliamentarian_of_the_United_States_Senate. Congressional Research Service. 30 May 2017.
  10. Web site: First Official Parliamentarian . United States Senate.
  11. News: Murray Zweben . . September 24, 2000.
  12. Web site: Elizabeth MacDonough is Senate's first female parliamentarian. Politico. David. Rogers. Crs . February 6, 2012. April 12, 2014.