Candy Desk Traditions associated with the Senate desks continue to evolve. A recent example is the so-called "Candy Desk." In 1965 Senator George Murphy...more |
Names Listed inside the Desk Drawer The easiest method of tracing the history of each desk is to read the names listed inside the desk drawers...more |
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Cherokee Strip Occasionally one party maintains such an overwhelming majority that it has become necessary for majority members to sit on the minority side...more |
Choosing Seats At the beginning of each new Congress, the party secretaries ask senators if they would like to change locations on their side of the Chamber...more |
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Daniel Webster Desk In 1974 the Senate adopted Senate Resolution 469 (93rd Congress, 2nd session) introduced by New Hampshire Senator Norris Cotton. The resolution...more |
Henry Clay Desk In 1999 the Senate adopted Senate Resolution 89 (106th Congress, 1st session) introduced by Kentucky Senator Mitch McConnell...more |
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Isaac Bassett Protects Jefferson Davis's Desk during the Civil War In the early days of the Civil War, federal troops were housed in the U.S. Capitol. Isaac Bassett, who worked in the...more |
Jefferson Davis Desk In 1995 the Senate adopted Senate Resolution 161 (104th Congress, 1st session) introduced by Mississippi Senator Thad Cochran...more |
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Numbering Systems The Senate Chamber desks are not arranged on the Senate floor in numerical order. To keep track of the desks over the years...more |
Party Leaders The seating of the majority and minority leaders at the front row desks on either side of the center aisle of the Senate Chamber is a relatively...more |
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Seating Arrangement The custom of dividing the Senate desks by party is almost as old as the parties themselves. Democrats traditionally sit to the presiding officer's...more |
Setting up the Desks by the Senate Pages Isaac Bassett, who served in the Senate Chamber for 64 years, began his career as a Senate page in 1831...more |
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Speech Reinforcement System For many years, the poor acoustics of the Senate Chamber were a constant topic of concern...more |
Hollywood Movie Prop Desk The climactic scene of the classic 1939 film Mr. Smith Goes to Washington features Jefferson Smith, played by Jimmy Stewart...more |
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Senate Chamber Chairs When British troops burned the Capitol in 1814, the Senate Chamber was extensively damaged and its furnishings destroyed...more |
Senate Chamber Memorial Services and Funerals The Senate has recognized the death of incumbent members in many ways over the years...more |