Listed below are the current leadership and officers for the 118th Congress. Also available on Senate.gov are historical essays on and lists of Senate leadership and Senate officers.

In addition to serving as presiding officer, the vice president has the sole power to break a tie vote in the Senate and formally presides over the receiving and counting of electoral ballots cast in presidential elections.

The Constitution names the vice president of the United States as the president of the Senate. In addition to serving as presiding officer, the vice president has the sole power to break a tie vote in the Senate and formally presides over the receiving and counting of electoral ballots cast in presidential elections.

The Constitution instructs the Senate to choose a president pro tempore to preside over the Senate in the absence of the vice president. Pro tempore is a Latin term meaning "for the time being,” signaling that the position was originally conceived as a temporary replacement.

The Constitution provides for two officers to preside over the Senate: the vice president and a president pro tempore. The vice president of the United States is designated as the president of the Senate.

“If the vice-President were not to be President of the Senate,” Sherman stated, “he would be without employment.” Most delegates agreed with Sherman, and they passed the measure by an 8 to 2 vote.

Senate Stories. Presented to enlighten, amuse, and inform, our new Senate history blog explores the forces, events, and personalities that have shaped the modern Senate.

Feb 5, 2010 · Find your state's senators and learn about your state's place in Senate history. Women of the Senate Learn about the varied and important roles played by women in Senate history, from the first women to gain key staff positions to the female senators who have held positions of power and influence.

On July 18, 1947, President Harry Truman signed the Presidential Succession Act. The original act of 1792 had placed the Senate president pro tempore and Speaker of the House in the line of succession, but in 1886 Congress had removed them.

The vice presidency shifted dramatically in the middle of the 20th century from being mainly a legislative position to a predominately executive branch post. Calvin Coolidge was the first vice president to be invited by the president to attend cabinet meetings.