The Majority Leader
The Majority Leader is the second-ranking official in the United States House of
Representatives.
The Office of the House Majority Leader was created in 1899, by then House Speaker
David B. Henderson. Speaker Henderson felt that a new leadership position
in the House was necessary due to the growing day-to-day responsibilities and national
prominence associated with the position of House Speaker.
When creating the position, Henderson also noted the fact that the House membership
had grown significantly in the 1800s - membership had grown from 105 in 1800 to
356 by century's end - and pointed to the fact that the existence of the Majority
Leader also made it possible for the House Speaker to criticize his or her own party
when necessary.
Today, the House Majority Leader is chosen by the majority party's membership prior
to the launch of a new Congress. While the responsibilities of the Majority
Leader are largely defined by little more than history and tradition, there are
certain duties that now customarily fall under the Leader's purview. These
responsibilities include the scheduling of legislation for Floor consideration and
the planning of daily, weekly and annual legislative agendas.
In addition to more formal obligations, the Majority Leader is also expected to
consult with members to gauge attitudes and prevailing sentiment on the issues of
the day, urge party colleagues to support or defeat a particular piece of legislation
and communicate the party's overarching policy messages to the media and public
at large.
The Majority Leader is also responsible for closely monitoring Floor activities,
especially those of the opposition party's parliamentary maneuvers.
