The House of Representatives, with its large membership, has chosen majority and
minority leaders since the 19th century to expedite legislative business and to
keep their parties united. These leaders are elected every two years in secret balloting
of the party caucus or conference. A list of House majority and minority leaders
from 1899 to present are available below.
The role of the majority leader has been defined by history and tradition. This
officer is charged with scheduling legislation for floor consideration; planning
the daily, weekly, and annual legislative agendas; consulting with Members to gauge
party sentiment; and, in general, working to advance the goals of the majority party.
Information on the current activities of the majority leader is available from
The Office of the Majority Leader's web site.
The minority leader serves as floor leader of the "loyal opposition,"
and is the minority counterpart to the Speaker. Although many of the basic leadership
responsibilities of the minority and majority leaders are similar, the minority
leader speaks for minority party and its policies and works to protect the minority's
rights. Information on the current activities of the minority leader is available
from the
The Office of the Minority Leader's web site.
Congress
|
Majority Leader
|
Minority Leader
|
Years of Service
|
56th
|
Sereno E. Payne (R-NY)
|
James D. Richardson (D-TN)
|
(1899-1901)
|
57th
|
Sereno E. Payne (R-NY)
|
James D. Richardson (D-TN)
|
(1901-1903)
|
58th
|
Sereno E. Payne (R-NY)
|
John Sharp Williams (D-MS)
|
(1903-1905)
|
59th
|
Sereno E. Payne (R-NY)
|
John Sharp Williams (D-MS)
|
(1905-1907)
|
60th
|
Sereno E. Payne (R-NY)
|
John Sharp Williams (D-MS)
|
(1907-1908)
|
60th
|
Sereno E. Payne (R-NY)
|
James Beauchamp Clark (D-MO)
|
(1908-1909)
|
61st
|
Sereno E. Payne (R-NY)
|
James Beauchamp Clark (D-MO)
|
(1909-1911)
|
62nd
|
Oscar W. Underwood (D-AL)
|
James R. Mann (R-IL)
|
(1911-1913)
|
63rd
|
Oscar W. Underwood (D-AL)
|
James R. Mann (R-IL)
|
(1913-1915)
|
64th
|
Claude Kitchin (D-NC)
|
James R. Mann (R-IL)
|
(1915-1917)
|
65th
|
Claude Kitchin (D-NC)
|
James R. Mann (R-IL)
|
(1917-1919)
|
66th
|
Frank W. Mondell (R-WY)
|
James Beauchamp Clark (D-MO)
|
(1919-1921)
|
67th
|
Frank W. Mondell (R-WY)
|
Claude Kitchin (D-NC)
|
(1921-1923)
|
68th
|
Nicholas Longworth (R-OH)
|
Finis J. Garrett (D-TN)
|
(1923-1925)
|
69th
|
John Q. Tilson (R-CT)
|
Finis J. Garrett (D-TN)
|
(1925-1927)
|
70th
|
John Q. Tilson (R-CT)
|
Finis J. Garrett (D-TN)
|
(1927-1929)
|
71st
|
John Q. Tilson (R-CT)
|
John N. Garner (D-TX)
|
(1929-1931)
|
72nd
|
Henry T. Rainey (D-IL)
|
Bertrand H. Snell (R-NY)
|
(1931-1933)
|
73rd
|
Joseph W. Byrns (D-TN)
|
Bertrand H. Snell (R-NY)
|
(1933-1935)
|
74th
|
William B. Bankhead (D-AL) 1
|
Bertrand H. Snell (R-NY)
|
(1935-1937)
|
75th
|
Sam Rayburn (D-TX)
|
Bertrand H. Snell (R-NY)
|
(1937-1939)
|
76th
|
Sam Rayburn (D-TX) 2
|
Joseph W. Martin, Jr. (R-MA)
|
(1939-1940)
|
76th
|
John W. McCormack (D-MA) 3
|
Joseph W. Martin, Jr. (R-MA)
|
(1940-1941)
|
77th
|
John W. McCormack (D-MA)
|
Joseph W. Martin, Jr. (R-MA)
|
(1941-1942)
|
78th
|
John W. McCormack (D-MA)
|
Joseph W. Martin, Jr. (R-MA)
|
(1943-1945)
|
79th
|
John W. McCormack (D-MA)
|
Joseph W. Martin, Jr. (R-MA)
|
(1945-1947)
|
80th
|
Charles A. Halleck (R-IN)
|
Sam Rayburn (D-TX)
|
(1947-1949)
|
81st
|
John W. McCormack (D-MA)
|
Joseph W. Martin, Jr. (R-MA)
|
(1949-1951)
|
82nd
|
John W. McCormack (D-MA)
|
Joseph W. Martin, Jr. (R-MA)
|
(1951-1953)
|
83rd
|
Charles A. Halleck (R-IN)
|
Sam Rayburn (D-TX)
|
(1953-1955)
|
84th
|
John W. McCormack (D-MA)
|
Joseph W. Martin, Jr. (R-MA)
|
(1955-1957)
|
85th
|
John W. McCormack (D-MA)
|
Joseph W. Martin, Jr. (R-MA)
|
(1957-1959)
|
86th
|
John W. McCormack (D-MA)
|
Charles A. Halleck (R-IN)
|
(1959-1961)
|
87th
|
John W. McCormack (D-MA) 4
|
Charles A. Halleck (R-IN)
|
(1961-1962)
|
87th
|
Carl B. Albert (D-OK) 5
|
Charles A. Halleck (R-IN)
|
(1962-1963)
|
88th
|
Carl B. Albert (D-OK)
|
Charles A. Halleck (R-IN)
|
(1963-1965)
|
89th
|
Carl B. Albert (D-OK)
|
Gerald R. Ford (R-MI)
|
(1965-1967)
|
90th
|
Carl B. Albert (D-OK)
|
Gerald R. Ford (R-MI)
|
(1967-1969)
|
91st
|
Carl B. Albert (D-OK)
|
Gerald R. Ford (R-MI)
|
(1969-1971)
|
92nd
|
Hale Boggs (D-LA) 6
|
Gerald R. Ford (R-MI)
|
(1971-1973)
|
93rd
|
Thomas P. O'Neill Jr. (D-MA)
|
Gerald R. Ford (R-MI) 7
|
(1973)
|
93rd
|
Thomas P. O'Neill Jr. (D-MA)
|
John J. Rhodes (R-AZ) 8
|
(1973-1975)
|
94th
|
Thomas P. O'Neill Jr. (D-MA)
|
John J. Rhodes (R-AZ)
|
(1975-1977)
|
95th
|
James C. Wright, Jr. (D-TX)
|
John J. Rhodes (R-AZ)
|
(1977-1979)
|
96th
|
James C. Wright, Jr. (D-TX)
|
John J. Rhodes (R-AZ)
|
(1979-1981)
|
97th
|
James C. Wright, Jr. (D-TX)
|
Robert H. Michel (R-IL)
|
(1981-1983)
|
98th
|
James C. Wright, Jr. (D-TX)
|
Robert H. Michel (R-IL)
|
(1983-1985)
|
99th
|
James C. Wright, Jr. (D-TX)
|
Robert H. Michel (R-IL)
|
(1985-1987)
|
100th
|
Thomas S. Foley (D-WA)
|
Robert H. Michel (R-IL)
|
(1987-1989)
|
101st
|
Thomas S. Foley (D-WA) 9
|
Robert H. Michel (R-IL)
|
(1989-1990)
|
101st
|
Richard A. Gephardt (D-MO) 10
|
Robert H. Michel (R-IL)
|
(1989-1991)
|
102nd
|
Richard A. Gephardt (D-MO)
|
Robert H. Michel (R-IL)
|
(1991-1993)
|
103rd
|
Richard A. Gephardt (D-MO)
|
Robert H. Michel (R-IL)
|
(1993-1995)
|
104th
|
Richard K. Armey (R-TX)
|
Richard A. Gephardt (D-MO)
|
(1995-1997)
|
105th
|
Richard K. Armey (R-TX)
|
Richard A. Gephardt (D-MO)
|
(1997-1999)
|
106th
|
Richard K. Armey (R-TX)
|
Richard A. Gephardt (D-MO)
|
(1999-2001)
|
107th
|
Richard K. Armey (R-TX)
|
Richard A. Gephardt (D-MO)
|
(2001-2003)
|
108th
|
Tom DeLay (R-TX)
|
Nancy Pelosi (D-CA)
|
(2003-2005)
|
109th
|
Tom DeLay (R-TX) 11
|
Nancy Pelosi (D-CA)
|
(2005)
|
109th
|
Roy Blunt (R-MO) 12
|
Nancy Pelosi (D-CA)
|
(2005-2006)
|
109th
|
John Boehner (R-OH) 13
|
Nancy Pelosi (D-CA)
|
(2006-2007)
|
110th
|
Steny Hoyer (D-MD)
|
John Boehner (R-OH)
|
(2007-2009)
|
111th
|
Steny Hoyer (D-MD)
|
John Boehner (R-OH)
|
(2009-2011)
|
112th
|
Eric Cantor (R-VA)
|
Nancy Pelosi (D-CA)
|
(2011-present)
|