Democratic Caucus of the United States Senate

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The Senate Democratic Caucus (or Conference) is the formal organization of the current 58 Democratic Senators in the United States Senate. In the 111th Congress, the Democratic Caucus includes two independent senators who formally caucus with the Democrats for the purpose of committee assignments and Senate organization, which brought total membership of the caucus to 59 after the party change of Arlen Specter. With Democratic Senator Al Franken of Minnesota being sworn in on July 7, 2009, membership has increased to 60. The primary organizational front for Democrats in the Senate, its primary function is communicating the party's message to and unifying all of its members. Caucus leadership consists of Senator Harry Reid (NV) as Chairman and Senate Majority Leader, Senator Dick Durbin (IL) as Whip or Assistant Majority Leader, Senator Charles Schumer (NY) as Vice-Chairman, and Senator Patty Murray (WA) as Secretary.

[edit] History

The Caucus was formally organized on March 6, 1903, electing a chairman to preside over its members and a secretary to keep minutes. Until that time, the caucus was often disorganized, philosophically divided, and had neither firm written rules of governance nor a clear mission.

[edit] List of caucus chairpersons

• John W. Stevenson (inception-1877)
• William A. Wallace (1877-1881)
• George H. Pendleton (1881-1885)
• James B. Beck (1885-1890)
• Arthur P. Gorman (1890-1898)
• David Turpie (1898-1899)
• James K. Jones (1899-1903)
• Arthur P. Gorman (1903-1906)^[1]
• Joseph Clay Stiles Blackburn (1906-1907)
• Charles A. Culberson (1907-1909)
• Hernando D. Money (1909-1911)
• Thomas S. Martin (1911-1913)
• John Worth Kern (1913-1917)
• Thomas S. Martin (1917-1919)
• Oscar W. Underwood (1920-1923)^[2]
• Joseph T. Robinson (1923-1937)
• Alben W. Barkley (1937-1949)
• Scott W. Lucas (1949-1951)
• Ernest W. McFarland (1951-1953)
• Lyndon B. Johnson (1953-1961)
• Mike Mansfield (1961-1977)
• Robert C. Byrd (1977-1989)
• George J. Mitchell (1989-1995)
• Thomas A. Daschle (1995-2005)
• Harry M. Reid (2005-present)

[edit] Vice Chairmanship

After the victory of Democrats in the Midterm Elections of 2006, an overwhelming majority of the caucus thought of rewarding Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY), chair of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, a position in the hierarchy after knocking off six incumbent Republicans. In response, Democratic Leader Harry Reid created a position of the Vice Chairman, making it the third ranking Democratic position, after Leader and Whip.

• Chuck Schumer (2007-Present)

[edit] References

[edit] Bibliography

• Donald A. Ritchie (ed). Minutes of the Senate Democratic Conference: Fifty-eighth through Eighty-eighth Congress, 1903-1964. Washington, D.C., GPO, 1999. Available online in PDF or Text format.

[edit] External links

• Official Home of the Senate Democratic Caucus on the Internet
• Senate Party Leadership -- Much of this article's content was adapted from this useful public domain resource.
• First Formal Organization of the Senate Democratic Caucus