Congress LeadershipMedal of Honor Winner

Speaker of the House

Constitutionally CreatedPresiding Officer

Member of the majority party

Duties of the Speaker

Recognizes SpeakersInterprets and applies rulesRefers bill to standing committee

Rules on points of orderPuts questions to a voteDetermines vote outcomeVotes on issues

Speaker of the House

John Boehner (OH)

House of Representatives

House of Rep.Speaker

Majority Leader

Minority Leader

Majority Whip

Minority Whip

Majority/Minority Leader

Represent the party on the Floor

Serve as spokespersons Advocate their parties' policies and viewpoints

Unite the partyBlock opponents legislation

Majority Leader

Eric Cantor (VA)

Minority Leader

Nancy Pelosi (CA) – House Mitch McConnell (KY) - Senate

Senate LeadershipSenate

Vice-PresidentPresident Pro Tempore

Majority Leader

Minority Leader

Majority Whip

Minority Whip

President of the Senate

Joe Biden (CT)

Biden: It's easy being VPBy: Patrick Gavin February 25, 2010 04:36 PM EST

There have been some tense moments during today's health care summit at the Blair House, but not for Vice President Joe Biden, it seems.

Just moments before the afternoon session got underway, C-SPAN's cameras picked up audio of Biden chatting casually with participants.

"It's easy being vice president — you don't have to do anything."

Whomever Biden was chatting with said, "It's like being the grandpa and not the parent."

"Yeah, that's it!" replied Biden.

Biden spokesman Jay Carney tells POLITICO that the vice president was "obviously joking, as any review of his schedule and responsibilities would make abundantly clear."“In the last month, the vice president has, among many other things, made his fourth trip to Iraq since being elected, delivered a major speech on the administration’s non-proliferation agenda, produced a report on the Recovery Act’s first year to the president and played a key role in bringing about the president’s bi-partisan Fiscal Commission,” Carney said. “In the coming days and weeks, the vice president will deliver a first-year report from the Middle Class Task Force, which he chairs, and travel to the Middle East to meet with key leaders in the region.”

© 2010 Capitol News Company, LLC

President Pro Tempore

Tem Darrell Steinberg (D) CA

Senate Majority Leader

Harry Reid (NV)

Whip System

Assist Party LeaderHelp party leader get bills passed Keep party members informedMake sure all party members are

present for votes on important measures

House Whips

Steny Hoyer (MD)- D Kevin McCarthy (CA)- R

Senate Whips

Richard Durbin (IL) - D John Cornyn (TX)- R

Non-Germane

Boy with Sprinkles