United States Senate Majority Leader - Definition and Overview

The Senate Majority Leader is a member of the United States Senate who is elected by his or her party conference to serve as the chief Senate spokesman for his or her party and to manage and schedule the legislative and executive business of the Senate. By custom, the Presiding Officer gives the Majority Leader priority in obtaining recognition to speak on the floor of the Senate. The term Floor Leaders refers to both the Majority Leader and the Minority Leader.

The Majority leader customarily serves as the chief represenative and "face" of his or her party in Senate, and sometimes even in all of Congress if the House of Representatives and thus office of Speaker of the United States House of Representatives is controlled by the opposition party.

The current Majority Leader is Republican Bill Frist, who has held the office since the resignation of Trent Lott.

See also:

• List of Majority and Minority Leaders of the United States Senate
• Politics of the United States

References

This information is from the following pages at the Senate web site:

• Majority and Minority Leaders and Party Whips (http://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/history/common/briefing/Majority_Minority_Leaders.htm#4).
• Majority Leaders 1919-1977 (http://www.senate.gov/pagelayout/history/g_three_sections_with_teasers/people.htm)