William_T._Bianco,_David_T._Canon]_American_Polit

The structure of Congress 397

NUTS

& B O LT S

11.2

Majority-Party Structure in the House of

Representatives and the Senate

Members of majority

party in House

Standing

committee

members and

chairpersons

Budget

committee

Steering

committee*

Majority

Leader

Whip

All House

members

Speaker of

the House

Republican

conference

chair

Policy

committee

chair

elect

elect

nominates

nominates

Members of majority

party in Senate

Majority

Leader

President

pro tempore*

Republican Whip

conference

chair

Committee on

committees

Policy

committee

chair

Standing

committee

members and

chairpersons

nominates

elect

Voters in the

United States

elect

Vice President

of the United States†

nominates

some

members

*Steering committee includes the Speaker, majority leader, and whip, and some members who are appointed by the Speaker and some

who are elected by the conference.

*The president pro tempore is elected by the majority party members, but by custom is the most senior member of the majority party.

†The vice president of the United States is the president of the Senate, but rarely presides over the floor. The vice president’s most

important role is to break tie votes.

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