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The 'Senate Democratic Caucus' (or 'Conference') is the formal organization of the current 49 Democratic Senators in the United States Senate. In the 110th Congress, the Democratic Caucus includes two Independent senators that formally caucus with the Democrats for the purpose of committee assignments and Senate organization, bringing the total membership of the caucus to 51. The primary organizational front for Democrats in the Senate, its primary function is communicating the party's message to and unifying all of its members. Caucus leadership consists of Senator Harry Reid (NV) as Chairman and Senate Majority Leader, Senator Dick Durbin (IL) as Whip or Assistant Majority Leader, Senator Charles Schumer (NY) as Vice-Chairman, and Senator Patty Murray (WA) as Secretary.

Contents

History

List of caucus chairpersons

Vice Chairmanship

References

External links

History

The Caucus was formally organized on March 61903, electing a chairman to preside over its members and a secretary to keep minutes. Until that time, the caucus was often disorganized, philosophically divided, and had neither firm written rules of governance nor a clear mission.

List of caucus chairpersons

★ John W. Stevenson (inception-1877)

★ William A. Wallace (1877-1881)

★ George Pendleton (1881-1885)

★ James B. Beck (1885-1890)

★ Arthur P. Gorman (1890-1898)

★ David Turpie (1898-1899)

★ James K. Jones (1899-1903)

★ Arthur P. Gorman (1903-1906)^[1]

★ Joseph Clay Stiles Blackburn (1906-1907)

★ Charles A. Culberson (1907-1909)

★ Hernando D. Money (1909-1911)

★ Thomas S. Martin (1911-1913)

★ John Worth Kern (1913-1917)

★ Thomas S. Martin (1917-1919)

★ Oscar W. Underwood (1920-1923)^[2]

★ Joseph T. Robinson (1923-1937)

★ Alben W. Barkley (1937-1949)

★ Scott W. Lucas (1949-1951)

★ Ernest W. McFarland (1951-1953)

★ Lyndon B. Johnson (1953-1961)

★ Mike Mansfield (1961-1977)

★ Robert C. Byrd (1977-1989)

★ George J. Mitchell (1989-1995)

★ Thomas A. Daschle (1995-2005)

★ Harry M. Reid (2005-present)

Vice Chairmanship

After the victory of Democrats in the Midterm Elections of 2006, an overwhelming majority of the caucus thought of rewarding Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) a position in the hierarchy after knocking off six incumbent Republicans. In response, Democratic Leader Harry Reid created a position of the Vice Chairman, making it is the third ranking Democratic position, after Leader and Whip.

★ Chuck Schumer (2007-Present)

References

★ Donald A. Ritchie (ed). ''Minutes of the Senate Democratic Conference: Fifty-eighth through Eighty-eighth Congress, 1903-1964''. Washington, D.C., GPO, 1999. Available online in PDF or Text format.
1. Gorman was the first elected by a formally organized caucus. See Senate.gov
2. Beginning in 1920, the Democratic Conference chairperson also served as Democratic floor leader. In that year, Oscar Underwood became the first officially designated Democratic floor leader, and the tradition of combining the two positions continues to this day.

External links

★ Official Home of the Senate Democratic Caucus on the Internet

★ Senate Party Leadership -- Much of this article's content was adapted from this useful public domain resource.

★ First Formal Organization of the Senate Democratic Caucus