The parliamentarian advises the presiding officer, senators and their staffs, committee staffs, representatives and their staffs, administration officials, the media, and members of the general public on all matters requiring an interpretation of the Standing Rules of the Senate, the precedents of the Senate, unanimous consent agreements, and provisions of public law affecting the proceedings of the Senate. In the name of the presiding officer, the parliamentarian refers to the appropriate Senate committees all legislation, messages, communications, reports from the executive branch, and petitions and memorials from state legislatures and private citizens.
The bill clerk records actions of the Senate, keeps an authoritative historical record of Senate business, enters daily legislative activities and votes into the automated legislative information system (LIS), and assigns numbers to all bills and resolutions.
The legislative clerk reads aloud bills, resolutions, conference reports, amendments, and other material when directed by the presiding officer, calls the roll for quorums and recorded (yea and nay) votes, and prepares the Calendar of Business for each daily session of the Senate. In addition, the legislative clerk maintains official copies of measures pending before the Senate and receives all proposed and agreed-upon amendments.
The journal clerk records the minutes of the daily legislative proceedings of the Senate and prepares them for publication in the Senate Journal, as required by Article I, section 5 of the Constitution. The journal clerk also prepares a history of bills and resolutions for inclusion in the printed Journal.
The executive clerk prepares an accurate record of actions taken by the Senate during executive sessions (proceedings on nominations and treaties) which is published as the Executive Journal at the end of each session of Congress. The executive clerk also prepares the Executive Calendar, which is printed daily when any nominations, treaties, or resolutions pertaining to executive business are pending before the Senate. The executive clerk also prepares all nomination and treaty advice and consent resolutions for transmittal to the president.
The enrolling clerk proofreads and prepares for printing all Senate-passed legislation prior to its transmittal to the House of Representatives, the National Archives, the secretary of state, the United States Claims Court, and the White House. The enrolling clerk physically transmits all Senate messages to the House of Representatives and arranges for delivery of all enrolled bills and resolutions to the White House.
The official reporters of debates prepare and edit for publication in the Congressional Record a substantially verbatim report of the proceedings of the Senate and serve as liaison for all Senate personnel on matters relating to the content of the Record.
The Daily Digest section of the Congressional Record provides a concise accounting of all official actions taken by the Senate on a particular day. All Senate hearings and business meetings (including joint meetings and conferences) are scheduled through the Daily Digest, published in the Congressional Record and on the Senate Web site, and entered into the automated legislative information system (LIS) hearings file. Meeting outcomes are also published by the Daily Digest in the Record each day.
The Captioning Services Office provides real-time closed captioning of Senate floor proceedings for the deaf and hearing-impaired community. Real-time captioning is the live electronic subtitling of the audio portion of a television program.
The Disbursing Office compiles Senate budget estimates for presentation to the Committee on Appropriations, maintains and disburses all Senate appropriated funds and all Senate payrolls, interprets and carries out all matters related to budgeting, appropriations, compensation, payroll deductions, retirement, life and health insurance, and other employee benefits authorized for senators and staff.
The Printing and Document Services Office serves as liaison to the Government Printing Office for the Senate's official printing. The office assists the Senate by coordination, scheduling, delivery, and preparation of Senate legislation, hearings, documents, committee prints, and miscellaneous publications and provides printed copies of all legislation and public laws to the Senate and the public. In addition, the office assigns publication numbers to all hearings, committee prints, documents, and miscellaneous publications; orders all blank paper, envelopes and letterhead for the Senate; and prepares page counts of all Senate hearings in order to compensate commercial reporting companies for the preparation of hearings.
The Stationery Room is a nonprofit merchandising outlet that acts as purchasing agent for stationery supplies and maintains adequate inventories to meet Senate office needs.
The Senate Gift Shop offers members, staff, and the general public the opportunity to purchase Senate memorabilia and gift items.
The Interparliamentary Services Office is responsible for administrative, financial, and protocol functions for all interparliamentary conferences in which the Senate participates and for special delegations authorized by the leadership. The office also provides appropriate assistance to other Senate delegations to foreign countries.
The Senate Security Office is responsible for the administration of classified national security information and personnel, communications, and computer security programs to protect classified information in Senate offices and committees. It serves as the Senate's liaison to the executive branch in matters relating to classified national security information.
The Public Records Office receives, processes, and maintains for public inspection records, reports, and other documents filed with the secretary involving the Federal Election Campaign Act, the Ethics in Government Act, the Lobbying Disclosure Act, the Mutual Security Act, and the Senate Code of Official Conduct. As provided by various Senate rules, it also handles public financial disclosure, reimbursed travel reports, registration of mass mailings, political fund designations, and supervisors' reports on individuals performing Senate services. The office reviews the filings of and provides guidance to registrants under the Lobbying Disclosure Act.
The Chief Counsel for Employment provides legal advice to, and represents, Senate offices in employment law matters and lawsuits under the Congressional Accountability Act, which brings the Senate under eleven federal laws regulating the employer-employee relationship.
The Senate Library is a legislative and general reference library that provides both traditional and computerized information services and maintains a comprehensive collection of congressional, governmental, and other publications for the use of Senate offices and the media.
The Conservation and Preservation Office develops and coordinates programs directly related to the preservation of Senate records and materials for which the secretary of the Senate has statutory authority. Initiatives include mass deacidification, conservation of books and documents, collection surveys, and contingency planning for disaster response and recovery.
The Senate Curator, under the direction of the Senate Commission on Art, administers the museum programs of the Senate for the Capitol and Senate office buildings. The curator and staff suggest acquisitions, design and present exhibits, and produce publications. The office studies, identifies, arranges, protects, preserves, and records the historical paintings, sculpture, and furnishings in the Senate Collection. The office also exercises supervisory responsibility for those chambers in the Capitol under the jurisdiction of the Senate Commission on Art.
The Senate Historical Office collects and provides information on important events, dates, statistics, precedents, and historical comparisons of current and past activities of the Senate for use by senators, staff, the media, scholars, and the public. The office advises Senators and committees on the cost-effective disposition of their noncurrent office files, assists researchers seeking access to Senate records, and conducts a program of oral history interviews with retired senior Senate staff. The office maintains extensive collections of photographs and biographical files on all former members.
The Senate Page School serves all appointed Senate pages. It exists to provide a smooth transition from and to the students' home schools, providing students with a sound program, both academically and experientially during their service to the Senate.
Note: Additional information is available for some Secretaries of the Senate. Click on the name of the individual to view an accompanying essay.
Samuel Allyne Otis
Term of Service: April 8, 1789 - April 22, 1814
Note: The Senate elected Otis as Secretary on April 8, 1789, just two days after achieving its first quorum. Otis began immediately to function officially in the office without having taken any oath, but the instance is unique and explained by the fact that at the time there was no oath to administer. The "Act to Regulate the Time and Manner of Administering Certain Oaths" was not signed into law until June 1, 1789 (1 Stat. 23). This law prescribed that the Secretary of the Senate take the same oath supporting the Constitution as senators, representatives, and other officers of the Congress. Otis took his oath on June 3, 1789 (Senate Journal, Volume 1, p. 31), and served until his death on April 22, 1814, just four days after the end of the second session of the 13th Congress. When the Senate convened a third session of the 13th Congress on September 19, 1814, it swore into office Chief Clerk Samuel Turner, Jr., as acting secretary. Turner served until Charles Cutts took office the following month.
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Charles Cutts
Term of Service: October 12, 1814 - December 12, 1825
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Walter Lowrie
Term of Service: December 12, 1825 - December 5, 1836
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Asbury Dickins
Term of Service: December 13, 1836 - July 15, 1861
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John W. Forney
Term of Service: July 15, 1861 - June 4, 1868
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George C. Gorham
Term of Service: June 6, 1868 - March 24, 1879
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John C. Burch
Term of Service: March 24, 1879 - July 28, 1881
Note: Francis E. Shober (October 25, 1881 to December 18, 1883) was elected Acting Secretary during a special session of the Senate in October 1881. He no doubt would have been relieved of his duties the following December when the 47th Congress convened, but for a quirk of fate, the party lines of that Congress were equally split, 37 Democrats to 37 Republicans. The Senate could not settle on a Secretary, and Shober continued in office for two more years until the 48th Congress, dominated by Republicans, elected a new Secretary.
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Anson G. McCook
Term of Service: December 18, 1883 - August 7, 1893
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William Ruffin Cox
Term of Service: August 7, 1893 - January 31, 1900
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Charles G. Bennett
Term of Service: February 1, 1900 - March 13, 1913
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James M. Baker
Term of Service: March 13, 1913 - May 19, 1919
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George A. Sanderson
Term of Service: May 19, 1919 - April 24, 1925
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Edwin Pope Thayer
Term of Service: December 7, 1925 - March 9, 1933
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Edwin A. Halsey
Term of Service: March 9, 1933 - January 29, 1945
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Leslie Biffle
Term of Service: February 8, 1945 - January 4, 1947
Note: Leslie Biffle (January 29, 1945 to February 8, 1945) was first elected Acting Secretary after Halsey's death, and then -- about a week later -- was chosen Secretary by a subsequent resolution of the Senate.
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Carl A. Loeffler
Term of Service: January 4, 1947 - January 3, 1949
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Leslie Biffle
Term of Service: January 3, 1949 - January 3, 1953
Note: Biffle is the only person to be elected Secretary of the Senate for two non-consecutive terms.
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J. Mark Trice
Term of Service: January 3, 1953 - January 5, 1955
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Felton M. Johnston
Term of Service: January 5, 1955 - December 30, 1965
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Emery L. Frazier
Term of Service: January 1, 1966 - September 30, 1966
Note: Frazier was elected on August 20, 1965 by a resolution of the Senate which specified that his term commence on January 1, 1966 and terminate on September 30, 1966 (Senate Resolution 140, 89th Congress, 1st session). In order that there be no break in the continuity of the occupancy of the office, Frazier was sworn in on October 22, 1965 (the day before Congress adjourned) even though his period of service was not to start until January 1, 1966 (Senate Journal, Volume 174, page 955). If this step had not been taken, Frazier could not have begun to function officially until Congress reconvened on January 10, 1966. The termination date of September 30, 1966 was specified in the resolution at Mr. Frazier's insistence because of his desire to retire as soon after his 70th birthday (September 24, 1966) as practicable.
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Francis R. Valeo
Term of Service: October 1, 1966 - March 31, 1977
Note: Valeo was elected on August 20, 1965 by a resolution of the Senate which specified that his term commence on October 1, 1966 (Senate Resolution 140, 89th Congress, 1st session). He was sworn in on September 30, 1966.
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J. Stanley Kimmitt
Term of Service: April 1, 1977 - January 4, 1981
Note: The elections of Frazier, Valeo, and Kimmitt are three instances where the election of the Secretary did not mark the end of the incumbent's term of service. That is -- Felton Johnston continued in office for over four months after Frazier's election, Valeo's election took place before Frazier even began his service, and Valeo served three months after Kimmitt's election.
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William F. Hildenbrand
Term of Service: January 5, 1981 - January 2, 1985
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Jo-Anne L. Coe
Term of Service: January 3, 1985 - January 6, 1987
Note: Coe was the first woman to serve as Secretary of the Senate.
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Walter J. Stewart
Term of Service: January 6, 1987 - April 15, 1994
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Martha S. Pope
Term of Service: April 15, 1994 - January 3, 1995
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Sheila P. Burke
Term of Service: January 4, 1995 - June 7, 1995
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Kelly D. Johnston
Term of Service: June 8, 1995 - September 30, 1996
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Gary Lee Sisco
Term of Service: October 1, 1996 - July 11, 2001
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Jeri Thomson
Term of Service: July 12, 2001 -- January 6, 2003
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Emily J. Reynolds
Term of Service: January 7, 2003 - January 4, 2007
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Nancy Erickson
Term of Service: January 4, 2007 - present
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