Home > President pro tempore of the United States Senate
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.In earlier times, when the Vice President usually presided over the Senate, a President pro tempore was chosen each time there was an absence. Since 1890, a sitting president pro tempore has been chosen at the beginning of the session. In 1945, the 79th Congress instituted the custom of giving the position to the longest-serving Senator from the majority party, which has prevailed since. Since the chairmanship of Senate committees is also determined by seniority and this is a more effective means for a Senator to exert influence, most days the Senate is in session it is a junior Senator designated by the President Pro Tem who actually calls the Senate to order with a request that his letter of designation be read.
Since 1947, the President Pro Tempore of the Senate has been third in line to succeed to the US presidency in the case of death or resignation, after the Vice-President and the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
The current President Pro Tempore of the Senate is Ted Stevens
of Alaska. Before the Republicans regained control of the Senate after the congressional elections of November 5, 2002, the President Pro Tempore was Robert Byrd of West Virginia. Prior to the shift of James Jeffords from Republican to Independent in May 2001, which shifted control of the Senate from the Republican to the Democratic Partylogo depicts a stylized donkey in red, white, and blue. The Democratic Party is one of the two major United States political parties. The Party is currently the minority in both the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives, as w, the office was held by J. Strom ThurmondJames Strom Thurmond ( December 5, 1902 June 26, 2003), known as Strom Thurmond was the oldest and longest serving United States Senator, who represented South Carolina from 1954 to April 1956 and November 1956 to 1964 as a Democrat and from 1964 to 2003 of South CarolinaSouth Carolina ( In Detail) (Full size) State nickname: Palmetto State Other U. States Capital Columbia Largest City Columbia Governor Mark Sanford Area Total Land Water % water Ranked 40th 82,965 kmē 78,051 kmē 4,915 kmē 6% Population Total ( 2000) Densi.
Presidents pro Tempore of the United States Senate
1st Congress (1789-1791)
- John LangdonJohn Langdon ( June 26, 1741 September 18, 1819) was an American politician and one of the first two U. Senators from New Hampshire. Langdon was an early supporter of the American Revolutionary War and later served in the Continental Congress. After bein (NH) April 6April 6 is the 96th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (97th in leap years). There are 269 days remaining. Events 648 BC Earliest solar eclipse recorded by the Ancient Greeks. 402 Stilicho stymies the Visigoths under Alaric in the Battle of Pollent - April 21April 21 is the 111th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (112th in leap years). There are 254 days remaining. Events 753 BC Romulus founds Rome ( traditional). 43 BC Mark Antony is defeated in battle by consul Hirtius in the Battle of Mutina, who i, 1789Events January 7 First nationwide United States election January 21 The first American novel, The Power of Sympathy or the Triumph of Nature Founded in Truth is printed in Boston, Massachusetts January 23 Georgetown College becomes the first Catholic coll
- John LangdonJohn Langdon ( June 26, 1741 September 18, 1819) was an American politician and one of the first two U. Senators from New Hampshire. Langdon was an early supporter of the American Revolutionary War and later served in the Continental Congress. After bein (NH) August 7 - August 9, 1789
2nd Congress (1791-1793)
3rd Congress (1793-1795)
4th Congress (1795-1797)
5th Congress (1797-1799)
6th Congress (1799-1801)
7th Congress (1801-1803)
8th Congress (1803-1805)
9th Congress (1805-1807)
10th Congress (1807-1809)
11th Congress (1809-1811)
12th Congress (1811-1813)
13th Congress (1813-1815)
14th Congress (1815-1817)
15th Congress (1817-1819)
16th Congress (1819-1821)
17th Congress (1821-1823)
18th Congress (1823-1825)
19th Congress (1825-1827)
20th Congress (1827-1829)
21st Congress (1829-1831)
22nd Congress (1831-1833)
23rd Congress (1833-1835)
24th Congress (1835-1837)
25th Congress (1837-1839)
26th Congress (1839-1841)
27th Congress (1841-1843)
28th Congress (1843-1845)
29th Congress (1845-1847)
30th Congress (1847-1849)
31st Congress (1849-1851)
32nd Congress (1851-1853)
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)
36th Congress (1859-1861)
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)
41st Congress (1869-1871)
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)
44th Congress (1875-1877)
45th Congress (1877-1879)
46th Congress (1879-1881)
47th Congress (1881-1883)
48th Congress (1883-1885)
49th Congress (1885-1887)
50th Congress (1887-1889)
51st Congress (1889-1891) - 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
on Frye's death, it proved difficult to elect a successor. For the remainder of the 62nd Congress (1911-1913), the position alternated among:
In the next Congress, things returned to normal:
- 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 - Present
United States Senate