- Secretary of the United States Senate
The Secretary of the Senate, an elected officer of the
United States Senate , supervises an extensive array of offices and services to expedite the day-to-day operations of that body. The office is somewhat analogous to that of theClerk of the U.S. House of Representatives .The first secretary was chosen on
April 8 ,1789 , two days after the Senate achieved its firstquorum for business. From the start, the secretary was responsible for keeping the minutes and records of the Senate, including the records of senators' election, and for receiving and transmitting official messages to and from the president and the House of Representatives, as well as for purchasing supplies. As the Senate grew to become a major national institution, numerous other duties were assigned to the secretary, whose jurisdiction now encompasses clerks,curator s, and computers; disbursement of payrolls; acquisition of stationery supplies; education of the Senate pages; and the maintenance of public records. Today, the secretary coordinates two of the largest technology initiatives in Senate history, both designed to bring state-of-the-art efficiency to management of legislative and financial information. The secretary's responsibilities include both legislative and administrative functions. Today, by agreement of the two parties, the Majority Leader "appoints" the Secretary of the Senate, and the election is merely ceremonial.The current secretary (for the
110th Congress ) isNancy Erickson .Legislative functions
The secretary regularly accompanies the
chaplain into the Senate chamber for the opening of the day's session, and a seat beside the presiding officer is reserved for the secretary. Every act passed by the Senate is examined and signed by the secretary. In certain parliamentary circumstances, the secretary may also preside over the Senate, the most recent occurrence being at the opening of the Eightieth Congress in 1947 when the office of vice president was vacant. On that occasion, Secretary of the SenateLeslie Biffle took the chair until the Senate could elect apresident pro tempore .The first secretary took the minutes of Senate proceedings, a function continued today by the journal clerk. After the
Congressional Record evolved into an official publication, the secretary came to supervise the Senate's reporters of debates and preparation of theDaily Digest . Among other Senate floor staff who report to the secretary are the parliamentarian, bill clerk, and legislative clerk.Administrative functions
The first secretary purchased the
quill pen s, ink, and parchment needed by eighteenth-century senators. Modern secretaries of the Senate have responsibility for theSenate Stationery Room , a multimillion-dollar retail operation that keeps senators' offices supplied. From the beginning, the secretary served as the Senate's disbursing officer, paying senators their original salary of six dollars a day plus travel expenses. As the Senate grew, a separate financial clerk was appointed under the secretary's jurisdiction.In recognition of the immediate and historical significance of Senate bills, resolutions, hearings, and reports, the secretary oversees the
Office of Printing and Document Services , theOffice of Senate Security (which maintains classified documents), theUnited States Senate Library , theOffice of Senate Curator , and theSenate Historical Office . The secretary also maintains theOffice of Interparliamentary Services to provide support for those interparliamentary conferences in which the Senate participates and to assist senators in international travel. Also under the secretary's direction, the Office of Public Records collects and makes publicly available documents relating to campaign finance, financial ethics, foreign travel, and lobbying.In 1789 the secretary was authorized to hire "one principal clerk." This principal clerk, or chief clerk, for many years served primarily as a reading clerk on the Senate floor. But during the 1960s, in response to the secretary's growing administrative duties, the position evolved into that of assistant secretary of the Senate, who oversees the administration of the Secretary's Office, including computers and the secretary's web site. The assistant secretary also performs the functions of the secretary in his or her absence. During the 1960s, under the leadership of
Francis Valeo , staff positions under the secretary of the Senate were redefined from patronage to professional status, a trend continued by Valeo's successors.ome notable secretaries
A position of great trust and responsibility, the Senate secretaryship has been held by a long line of distinguished individuals.
Samuel Allyne Otis , the first secretary of the Senate, had previously been speaker of the Massachusetts legislature and a member of theContinental Congress . Otis held the post of secretary for twenty-five years, never missing a day that the Senate was in session. GeneralAnson McCook of New York, a former House member and one of the "Fighting McCooks " of the Civil War, served as secretary, as well as a former Confederate general and Congressman,William R. Cox of North Carolina. In addition, two former U.S. senators,Charles Cutts of New Hampshire andWalter Lowrie of Pennsylvania, have later served as secretary. Other former House members who have held the post includeCharles G. Bennett (NY). During the Ninety-ninth Congress (1985-1987), Jo-Anne Coe became the first woman to serve as secretary.It has not been unusual for secretaries of the Senate to have devoted their entire careers to the Senate. Several began as pages, including Edwin Halsey, who served throughout the dramatic New Deal years; Leslie Biffle, a close confidant of President
Harry Truman ; Carl Loeffler and J. Mark Trice, secretaries during the Eightieth and Eighty-third congresses; and Walter J. Stewart, secretary from 1987 to 1994.ecretaries of the Senate
ee also
*
Chief Clerk References
* [http://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/history/common/briefing/secretary_senate.htm U.S. Senate: Secretary of the Senate]
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