The Green Papers
The Green Papers
Historical Data

Congressional Floor Leaders in
the Congress of the United States

Mon 9 Jan 2017

Names in boldface indicate the Majority Party.
Names in normal type indicate the Minority Party.

 
CONGRESS HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES UNITED STATES SENATE CONGRESS
(years) Democrat Republican Democrat Republican (years)
  Leader Whip Leader Whip Leader Whip Leader Whip  
56th
(1899-1901)
James D. Richardson
[Tennessee]
Oscar W. Underwood
[Alabama]
Sereno E. Payne
[New York]
James A. Tawney
[Minnesota
        56th
(1899-1901)
57th
(1901-1903)
Richardson James T. Lloyd
[Missouri]
Payne Tawney         57th
(1901-1903)
58th
(1903-1905)
John Sharp Williams
[Mississippi]
Lloyd Payne Tawney         58th
(1903-1905)
59th
(1905-1907)
Williams Lloyd Payne James E. Watson
[Indiana]
        59th
(1905-1907)
60th
(1907-1909)
James Beauchamp ["Champ"] Clark
[Missouri]
Lloyd Payne Watson         60th
(1907-1909)
61st
(1909-1911)
Clark   Payne John W. Dwight
[New York]
        61st
(1909-1911)
62nd
(1911-1913)
Oscar W. Underwood
[Alabama]
  James R. Mann
[Illinois]
Dwight Thomas S. Martin
[Virginia]
  Shelby M. Cullom
[Illinois]
  62nd
(1911-1913)
63rd
(1913-1915)
Underwood   Mann Charles H. Burke
[South Dakota]
John W. Kern
[Indiana]
J. Hamilton Lewis
[Illinois]
Jacob H. Gallinger
[New Hampshire]
  63rd
(1913-1915)
64th
(1915-1917)
Claude Kitchin
[North Carolina]
  Mann Charles M. Hamilton
[New York]
Kern Lewis Gallinger James W. Wadsworth
[New York]
(to 13 December 1915);
Charles Curtis
[Kansas]
64th
(1915-1917)
65th
(1917-1919)
Kitchin   Mann Hamilton Martin
(returning)
Lewis Gallinger
(died 17 August 1918);
Henry Cabot Lodge
[Massachusetts]
Curtis 65th
(1917-1919)
66th
(1919-1921)
Clark
(returning)
  Franklin W. Mondell
[Wyoming]
Harold Knutson
[Minnesota]
Martin
(died 12 November 1919);
Gilbert M. Hitchcock
[Nebraska] (interim)
(to 27 April 1920);
Oscar W. Underwood
[Alabama]
Peter G. Gerry
[Rhode Island]
Lodge Curtis 66th
(1919-1921)
67th
(1921-1923)
Kitchin
(returning)
William A. Oldfield
[Arkansas]
Mondell Knutson Underwood Gerry Lodge Curtis 67th
(1921-1923)
68th
(1923-1925)
Finis J. Garrett
[Tennessee]
Oldfield Nicholas Longworth
[Ohio]
Albert H. Vestal
[Indiana]
Joseph T. Robinson
[Arkansas]
Gerry Lodge
(died 9 November 1924);
Charles Curtis
[Kansas]
Curtis
(to 28 November 1924);
Wesley L. Jones
[Washington]
68th
(1923-1925)
69th
(1925-1927)
Garrett Oldfield John Q. Tilson
[Connecticut]
Vestal Robinson Gerry Curtis Jones 69th
(1925-1927)
70th
(1927-1929)
Garrett Oldfield
(died 19 November 1928);
John McDuffie
[Alabama]
Tilson Vestal Robinson Gerry Curtis Jones 70th
(1927-1929)
71st
(1929-1931)
John Nance Garner
[Texas]
McDuffie Tilson Vestal Robinson Morris Sheppard
[Texas]
James E. Watson
[Indiana]
Simeon D. Fess
[Ohio]
71st
(1929-1931)
72nd
(1931-1933)
Henry T. Rainey
[Illinois]
McDuffie Bertrand H. Snell
[New York]
Carl G. Bachmann
[West Virginia]
Robinson Sheppard Watson Fess 72nd
(1931-1933)
73rd
(1933-1935)
Joseph W. Byrns
[Tennessee]
Arthur H. Greenwood
[Indiana]
Snell Harry L. Englebright
[California]
Robinson Lewis
(returning)
Charles L. McNary
[Oregon]
Felix Hebert
[Rhode Island]
73rd
(1933-1935)
74th
(1935-1937)
William B. Bankhead
[Alabama]
(Speaker: 4 June 1936)
Patrick J. Boland
[Pennsylvania]
Snell Englebright Robinson Lewis McNary   74th
(1935-1937)
75th
(1937-1939)
Sam Rayburn
[Texas]
Boland Snell Englebright Robinson
(died 14 July 1937);
Alben W. Barkley
[Kentucky]
Lewis McNary   75th
(1937-1939)
76th
(1939-1941)
Rayburn
(Speaker: 16 September 1940);
John W. McCormack
[Massachusetts]
Boland Joseph W. Martin, Jr.
[Massachusetts]
Englebright Barkley Sherman Minton
[Indiana]
McNary   76th
(1939-1941)
77th
(1941-1943)
McCormack Boland
(died 18 May 1942);
Robert Ramspeck
[Georgia]
Martin Englebright Barkley Lister Hill
[Alabama]
McNary   77th
(1941-1943)
78th
(1943-1945)
McCormack Ramspeck Martin Leslie C. Arends
[Illinois]
Barkley Hill McNary Kenneth S. Wherry
[Nebraska]
78th
(1943-1945)
79th
(1945-1947)
McCormack Ramspeck
(resigned 31 December 1945);
John J. Sparkman
[Alabama]
Martin Arends Barkley Hill Wallace H. White, Jr.
[Maine]
Wherry 79th
(1945-1947)
80th
(1947-1949)
Rayburn
(returning)
John W. McCormack
[Massachusetts]
Charles A. Halleck
[Indiana]
Arends Barkley Scott W. Lucas
[Illinois]
White Wherry 80th
(1947-1949)
81st
(1949-1951)
McCormack
(returning)
J. Percy Priest
[Tennessee]
Martin
(returning)
Arends Scott W. Lucas
[Illinois]
Francis Myers
[Pennsylvania]
Kenneth S. Wherry
[Nebraska]
Leverett Saltonstall
[Massachusetts]
81st
(1949-1951)
82nd
(1951-1953)
McCormack Priest Martin Arends Ernest W. McFarland
[Arizona]
Lyndon Baines Johnson
[Texas]
Wherry
(died 29 November 1951);
H. Styles Bridges
[New Hampshire]
Saltonstall 82nd
(1951-1953)
83rd
(1953-1955)
Rayburn
(returning)
McCormack
(returning)
Halleck
(returning)
Arends Lyndon Baines Johnson
[Texas]
Earle Clements
[Kentucky]
Robert A. Taft
[Ohio]
(died 31 July 1953);
William F. Knowland
[California]
Saltonstall 83rd
(1953-1955)
84th
(1955-1957)
McCormack
(returning)
Carl Albert
[Oklahoma]
Martin
(returning)
Arends Johnson Clements Knowland Saltonstall 84th
(1955-1957)
85th
(1957-1959)
McCormack Albert Martin Arends Johnson Michael J. "Mike" Mansfield
[Montana]
Knowland Everett McKinley Dirksen
[Illinois]
85th
(1957-1959)
86th
(1959-1961)
McCormack Albert Halleck
(returning)
Arends Johnson Mansfield Everett McKinley Dirksen
[Illinois]
Thomas H. Kuchel
[California]
86th
(1959-1961)
87th
(1961-1963)
McCormack
(Speaker: 10 January 1962);
Carl Albert
[Oklahoma]
Albert
(to 10 January 1962);
Hale Boggs
[Louisiana]
Halleck Arends Michael J. "Mike" Mansfield
[Montana]
Hubert H. Humphrey
[Minnesota]
Dirksen Kuchel 87th
(1961-1963)
88th
(1963-1965)
Albert Boggs Halleck Arends Mansfield Humphrey Dirksen Kuchel 88th
(1963-1965)
89th
(1965-1967)
Albert Boggs Gerald R. Ford
[Michigan]
Arends Mansfield Russell B. Long
[Louisiana]
Dirksen Kuchel 89th
(1965-1967)
90th
(1967-1969)
Albert Boggs Ford Arends Mansfield Long Dirksen Kuchel 90th
(1967-1969)
91st
(1969-1971)
Albert Boggs Ford Arends Mansfield Edward M. Kennedy
[Massachusetts]
Dirksen
(died 7 September 1969);
Hugh Scott
[Pennsylvania]
Hugh Scott
[Pennsylvania]
(to 24 September 1969);
Robert P. Griffin
[Michigan]
91st
(1969-1971)
92nd
(1971-1973)
Hale Boggs
[Louisiana]
Thomas P. "Tip" O'Neill
[Massachusetts]
Ford Arends Mansfield Robert C. Byrd
[West Virginia]
Scott Griffin 92nd
(1971-1973)
93rd
(1973-1975)
Thomas P. "Tip" O'Neill
[Massachusetts]
John J. McFall
[California]
Ford
(Vice President: 6 December 1973);
John J. Rhodes
[Arizona]
Arends Mansfield Byrd Scott Griffin 93rd
(1973-1975)
94th
(1975-1977)
O'Neill McFall Rhodes Robert H. Michel
[Illinois]
Mansfield Byrd Scott Griffin 94th
(1975-1977)
95th
(1977-1979)
James C. Wright, Jr.
[Texas]
John Brademas
[Indiana]
Rhodes Michel Robert C. Byrd
[West Virginia]
Alan Cranston
[California]
Howard H. Baker, Jr.
[Tennessee]
Ted Stevens
[Alaska]
95th
(1977-1979)
96th
(1979-1981)
Wright Brademas Rhodes Michel Byrd Cranston Baker Stevens 96th
(1979-1981)
97th
(1981-1983)
Wright Thomas S. Foley
[Washington]
Robert H. Michel
[Illinois]
Trent Lott
[Mississippi]
Byrd Cranston Baker Stevens 97th
(1981-1983)
98th
(1983-1985)
Wright Foley Michel Lott Byrd Cranston Baker Stevens 98th
(1983-1985)
99th
(1985-1987)
Wright Foley Michel Lott Byrd Cranston Robert J. Dole
[Kansas]
Alan K. Simpson
[Wyoming]
99th
(1985-1987)
100th
(1987-1989)
Thomas S. Foley
[Washington]
Anthony L. "Tony" Coelho[California] Michel Lott Byrd Cranston Dole Simpson 100th
(1987-1989)
101st
(1989-1991)
Foley
(Speaker: 6 June 1989);
Richard A. Gephardt
[Missouri]
Coelho
(resigned 15 June 1989);
William H. Gray 3d
[Pennsylvania]
Michel Richard B. "Dick" Cheney
[Wyoming]
(resigned 17 March 1989);
Newt Gingrich
[Georgia]
George J. Mitchell
[Maine]
Cranston Dole Simpson 101st
(1989-1991)
102nd
(1991-1993)
Gephardt Gray
(resigned 11 September 1991);
David E. Bonior
[Michigan]
Michel Gingrich Mitchell Wendell H. Ford
[Kentucky]
Dole Simpson 102nd
(1991-1993)
103rd
(1993-1995)
Gephardt Bonior Michel Gingrich Mitchell Ford Dole Simpson 103rd
(1993-1995)
104th
(1995-1997)
Gephardt Bonior Richard K. "Dick" Armey
[Texas]
Thomas D. "Tom" DeLay
[Texas]
Thomas A. Daschle
[South Dakota]
Ford Dole
(resigned 11 June 1996);
Trent Lott
[Mississippi]
Trent Lott
[Mississippi}
(to 11 June 1996);
Donald L. "Don" Nickles
[Oklahoma]
104th
(1995-1997)
105th
(1997-1999)
Gephardt Bonior Armey DeLay Daschle Ford Lott Nickles 105th
(1997-1999)
106th
(1999-2001)
Gephardt Bonior Armey DeLay Daschle Harry Reid
[Nevada]
Lott Nickles 106th
(1999-2001)
107th*
(2001-2003)
Gephardt Bonior
(resigned 15 January 2002)
Nancy Pelosi
[California]
Armey DeLay Daschle* Reid* Lott* Nickles* 107th
(2001-2003)
108th
(2003-2005)
Nancy Pelosi
[California]
Steny Hoyer
[Maryland]
Tom DeLay
[Texas]
Roy Blunt
[Missouri]
Daschle Reid Bill Frist
[Tennessee]
Mitch McConnell
[Kentucky]
108th
(2003-2005)
109th
(2005-2007)
Pelosi Hoyer DeLay
(replaced 2 February 2006)
(Majority Whip Blunt having been acting Leader from 28 September 2005 thru 2 February 2006);
John Boehner
[Ohio]
Blunt Harry Reid
[Nevada]
Richard Durbin
[Illinois]
Frist McConnell 109th
(2005-2007)
110th
(2007-2009)
Steny Hoyer
[Maryland]
James Clyburn
[South Carolina]
Boehner Blunt Reid Durbin Mitch McConnell
[Kentucky]
Trent Lott
[Mississippi]
(replaced 6 December 2007)
(in anticipation of Senator Lott's impending resignation from the Senate);
Jon Kyl
[Arizona]
110th
(2007-2009)
111th
(2009-2011)
Hoyer Clyburn Boehner Eric Cantor
[Virginia]
Reid Durbin McConnell Kyl 111th
(2009-2011)
112th
(2011-2013)
Nancy Pelosi
[California]
Steny Hoyer
[Maryland]
Eric Cantor
[Virginia]
Kevin McCarthy
[California]
Reid Durbin McConnell Kyl 112th
(2011-2013)
113th
(2013-2015)
Pelosi Hoyer Cantor McCarthy Reid Durbin McConnell John Cornyn
[Texas]
113th
(2013-2015)
113th
(2013-2015)
Pelosi Hoyer Cantor
(replaced 1 August 2014);
Kevin McCarthy
[California]
McCarthy;
Steve Scalise
[Louisiana]
(from 1 August 2014)
Reid Durbin McConnell John Cornyn
[Texas]
113th
(2013-2015)
114th
(2015-2017)
Pelosi Hoyer McCarthy Scalise Reid Durbin McConnell Cornyn 114th
(2015-2017)
115th
(2017-2019)
Pelosi Hoyer McCarthy Scalise Charles E. Schumer
[New York]
Durbin McConnell Cornyn 115th
(2017-2019)
  Leader Whip Leader Whip Leader Whip Leader Whip  
(years) Democrat Republican Democrat Republican (years)
CONGRESS HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES UNITED STATES SENATE CONGRESS
 

Notes

The 107th Congress convened at noon on 3 January 2001 with 50 Democrats and 50 Republicans in the SENATE: from then until noon on 20 January 2001- while Democrat Al Gore remained Vice President of the United States (and, thus, constitutional President of the Senate)- Senators Daschle and Reid were Majority Leader and Whip, respectively, while Senators Lott and Nickles were Minority Leader and Whip, respectively. At noon on 20 January 2001, at which point Republican Dick Cheney was inaugurated as Vice President of the United States (and, thus, constitutional President of the Senate)- Senators Lott and Nickles returned as Majority Leader and Whip, respectively, while Senators Daschle and Reid reverted to being Minority Leader and Whip, respectively.

On 24 May 2001, Republican Senator Jim Jeffords of Vermont announced his intention to leave the Republican Party and become an Independent; as a result of this action, the SENATE became one of 50 Democrats, 49 Republicans and 1 Independent. Therefore, officially as of 6 June 2001, Senators Daschle and Reid returned as Majority Leader and Whip, respectively, while Senators Lott and Nickles reverted to being Minority Leader and Whip, respectively.

Events surrounding the Midterm Election of 5 November 2002 further complicated the leadership situation in the SENATE as the outgoing 107th Congress drew to a close. On 25 October 2002, after Congress had recessed for the Election itself, Democrat Senator Paul Wellstone of Minnesota was killed in a plane crash; he was replaced through the appointment of Independent Dean Barkley on 4 November: as a result, the SENATE became one of 49 Democrats, 49 Republicans and 2 Independents; as neither Party had control of half the Senate (50 seats) when the so-called "lame duck" (that is, post-election) period of the 2nd session of the 107th Congress got underway on 12 November 2002, Senators Daschle and Reid retained- for the time being- their positions as Majority Leader and Whip, respectively, while Senators Lott and Nickles remained- for this duration- Minority Leader and Whip, respectively.


Sessions of Congress of the United States
A Brief History of Congressional Leadership

 

Created Mon 9 Jan 2017. Modified .