# Senate spit is 50/50. Who gets to elect a majority leader? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [January 7, 2021, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senate-spit-is-50-50-who-gets-to-elect-a-majority-leader/929947 "2021-01-07T18:44:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![songsearch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b77776/32.png) [@songsearch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/songsearch)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2021, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senate-spit-is-50-50-who-gets-to-elect-a-majority-leader/929947/1 "2021-01-07T18:44:27Z")
Technically, the republicans still have a majority in the Senate because of the two independents. I assume McConnell will continue to be majority leader. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2021, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senate-spit-is-50-50-who-gets-to-elect-a-majority-leader/929947/2 "2021-01-07T18:46:31Z")
My understanding is that, once Biden and Harris are inaugurated, since Harris will serve as the tie-breaking vote, in her role as President of the Senate, the Democrats would be the majority party, as the two independents caucus with the Democrats, effectively giving them 50 seats. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2021, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senate-spit-is-50-50-who-gets-to-elect-a-majority-leader/929947/3 "2021-01-07T18:47:04Z")
> [@songsearch](#): > > Technically, the republicans still have a majority in the Senate because of the two independents The “independents” caucus with the Democrats, so they count towards 50. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2021, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senate-spit-is-50-50-who-gets-to-elect-a-majority-leader/929947/4 "2021-01-07T18:54:08Z")
Remember, our system is set up without acknowledgement of political parties. The choice of leadership is a just plain vote. Theoretically senators or representatives could cross party lines for that vote; they just don’t because doing so would be the end of their political career. ---
**Author:** ![flurb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/51bf81/32.png) [@flurb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flurb)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2021, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senate-spit-is-50-50-who-gets-to-elect-a-majority-leader/929947/5 "2021-01-07T21:21:57Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > The choice of leadership is a just plain vote. Theoretically senators or representatives could cross party lines for that vote; they just don’t because doing so would be the end of their political career. They really can’t – the full Senate never votes on who will be the Majority Leader. Rather, the Republican Senators and Democratic Senators separately vote in their party caucuses for their floor leaders. The floor leader of the party that commands a majority of seats is the Senate Majority Leader with no vote necessary by the full Senate. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2021, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senate-spit-is-50-50-who-gets-to-elect-a-majority-leader/929947/6 "2021-01-07T22:12:33Z")
Who is the new majority leader? I mean, who will it be once it is picked? ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2021, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senate-spit-is-50-50-who-gets-to-elect-a-majority-leader/929947/7 "2021-01-07T22:15:49Z")
Chuck Schumer is currently the Minority Leader. Unless something really surprising happens when the Democratic caucus meets to select a new leader, Schumer will likely become the Majority Leader. ---
**Author:** ![songsearch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b77776/32.png) [@songsearch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/songsearch)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2021, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senate-spit-is-50-50-who-gets-to-elect-a-majority-leader/929947/8 "2021-01-08T00:33:11Z")
But the democrats don’t have a majority, unless you county Kamela. My understanding is that the VP acting as president of the Senate is mainly a ceremonial thing, and is only effectively used to break a tie on legislation. Majority leadership is not a legislative question, it’s just the parties choosing a leader. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2021, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senate-spit-is-50-50-who-gets-to-elect-a-majority-leader/929947/9 "2021-01-08T01:01:03Z")
> [@songsearch](#): > > But the democrats don’t have a majority, unless you county Kamela. My understanding is that the VP acting as president of the Senate is mainly a ceremonial thing, and is only effectively used to break a tie on legislation. Majority leadership is not a legislative question, it’s just the parties choosing a leader. The last time this happened, 20 years ago, the Republican leader (then Trent Lott) was, indeed, the majority leader, because the Vice-President (Dick Cheney) was a Republican. As this Reuters article notes: > [@](#): > > In 2001 the Senate was split 50-50 from January until June, when Senator James Jeffords left the Republican Party and became an independent who caucused with Democrats, giving the Democrats control. > [@](#): > > In practice, the vice president usually is not in the Senate chamber every day, delegating the presiding to a member of the majority party. > > So the desire to bring some predictability to daily operations prompted the party leaders in 2001 to strike a power-sharing agreement to guide the chamber. > > Republican Leader Trent Lott was recognized as the majority leader, based on the fact that the new Republican vice president, Dick Cheney, was the tie-breaking vote. The agreement, however, mandated that both leaders seek to attain an equal balance of the two parties’ s interests when scheduling and debating legislative and executive business. > > The deal split committee memberships evenly, instead of giving the majority an advantage as would normally happen, and made some other provisions to regulate floor proceedings. > > If a tie vote prevented a measure or nomination from escaping committee to the Senate floor, the majority or minority leader could move to bring the bill to the floor - and only a majority vote was needed to do so. [https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-senate-divided-explainer/explainer-how-a-u-s-senate-divided-50-50-on-party-lines-could-work-idUSKBN29B2MY](https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-senate-divided-explainer/explainer-how-a-u-s-senate-divided-50-50-on-party-lines-could-work-idUSKBN29B2MY) ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Bravo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_bravo/32/493_2.png) [@Johnny\_Bravo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Bravo)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2021, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senate-spit-is-50-50-who-gets-to-elect-a-majority-leader/929947/10 "2021-01-08T01:08:16Z")
My takeaway from that article is that McConnell is free to continue to do his best to fuck things over by refusing to a power-sharing agreement and forcing Kamala to sit in the Senate chambers every day if the Democrats want to get anything done. ---
**Author:** ![songsearch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b77776/32.png) [@songsearch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/songsearch)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2021, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senate-spit-is-50-50-who-gets-to-elect-a-majority-leader/929947/11 "2021-01-08T01:28:39Z")
I suspect that may happen. The Republicans will use every method they can to prevent the dems from passing legislation they don’t agree with. I expect that Biden and this Congress are going to accomplish very little for the next two years. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2021, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senate-spit-is-50-50-who-gets-to-elect-a-majority-leader/929947/12 "2021-01-08T01:44:47Z")
> [@songsearch](#): > > I expect that Biden and this Congress are going to accomplish very little for the next two years. Well, there was never going to be revolutionary change barring a truly massive Blue Wave that never materialized. IMHO that was always a pipe dream anyway. Since the filibuster doesn’t look like it will be revoked, there are three major things that can happen with a 50+1 majority: 1.) Cabinet appointments. 2.) Judge appointments (probably the biggest deal). 3.)[Reconciliation bills](https://budget.house.gov/publications/fact-sheet/budget-reconciliation-basics). Which have a limited, but not zero utility. That’s not earth-shattering perhaps, but it is a lot more than what would have happened if the Democrats hadn’t won both seats in Georgia. The control over judicial appointments alone make it worthwhile. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2021, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senate-spit-is-50-50-who-gets-to-elect-a-majority-leader/929947/13 "2021-01-08T02:24:24Z")
America got an ice cream sundae with all the toppings except nuts. Enjoy the sundae and don’t dwell on the lack of peanuts. It’s still better than no sundae. ---
**Author:** ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2021, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senate-spit-is-50-50-who-gets-to-elect-a-majority-leader/929947/14 "2021-01-08T14:52:13Z")
Force her? Its really the only job the VP formally has. That and she already is a senator, all she will be doing is changing seats and most likely be doing more voting to break ties. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Bravo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_bravo/32/493_2.png) [@Johnny\_Bravo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Bravo)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2021, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senate-spit-is-50-50-who-gets-to-elect-a-majority-leader/929947/15 "2021-01-08T15:05:50Z")
> [@Si\_Amigo](#): > > Force her? Its really the only job the VP formally has. Yes, of course force her. We all know that the VP only has one **constitutional** obligation. We also know that no VP wants to sit in the chamber day after day fulfilling an obligation described by the very first one as “not worth a bucket of warm piss.” The actual value of a VP to the administration is exactly proportional to the amount of **formal** responsibilities he or she is given by the president. McConnell will no doubt love to sideline Kamala and keep her from taking an active role in the administration, which will not only weaken Biden’s presidency but weaken Kamala’s inevitable 2024 bid for the nomination. ---
**Author:** ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2021, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senate-spit-is-50-50-who-gets-to-elect-a-majority-leader/929947/16 "2021-01-08T16:19:48Z")
> [@Johnny\_Bravo](#): > > not worth a bucket of warm piss Not when you get to cast the deciding vote. I seem to recall from the mini series on John Adams that he relished the time he got to be the deciding vote since it allowed him to speak his mind and forced to be heard. She could be like a senator on steroids in that situation and provide another bully pulpit for the POTUS’s agenda. Both her and Biden were senators so they value the control of the Senate highly and likely don’t see the position as “a warm bucket of piss”, but as a sacred duty. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2021, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senate-spit-is-50-50-who-gets-to-elect-a-majority-leader/929947/17 "2021-01-08T16:21:08Z")
> [@Tamerlane](#): > > barring a truly massive Blue Wave that never materialized. Fraud! Rigged Election! 😆 ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Sensitive](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/58956e/32.png) [@Darth\_Sensitive](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Sensitive)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2021, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senate-spit-is-50-50-who-gets-to-elect-a-majority-leader/929947/18 "2021-01-08T17:33:41Z")
> [@Johnny\_Bravo](#): > > We also know that no VP wants to sit in the chamber day after day fulfilling an obligation described by the very first one as “not worth a bucket of warm piss.” That wasn’t Adams. That was Garner, FDR’s first VP. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Bravo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_bravo/32/493_2.png) [@Johnny\_Bravo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Bravo)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2021, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senate-spit-is-50-50-who-gets-to-elect-a-majority-leader/929947/19 "2021-01-08T17:48:40Z")
> [@Darth\_Sensitive](#): > > That wasn’t Adams. That was Garner, FDR’s first VP. Huh. I stand corrected. ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Sensitive](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/58956e/32.png) [@Darth\_Sensitive](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Sensitive)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2021, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senate-spit-is-50-50-who-gets-to-elect-a-majority-leader/929947/20 "2021-01-08T17:57:59Z")
Adams’ thoughts include “My country has in its wisdom contrived for me the most insignificant office that ever the invention of man contrived or his imagination conceived.” > **[Here are a bunch of awful things vice presidents have said about being No. 2](https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2014/10/03/a-brief-history-of-vice-presidents-bemoaning-the-vice-presidency/)** > > A compendium of all the nasty things said about the job. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senate-spit-is-50-50-who-gets-to-elect-a-majority-leader/929947.md?page=2)