are not senators more powerful than house members
2006-11-11 17:16:14 · 6 answers · asked by don_vvvvito 6 in Politics & Government ➔ Politics
The Speaker of the House (what you're calling house majority leader) has more power because that's the way our Founding Fathers set it up. Senators are not necessarily more powerful than House members. Newly-elected Senators are much less powerful than House committee chairpersons. The Committee chairmen of Appropriations, Rules and Ways and Means are extremely powerful. Congressmen would much rather have these jobs than Senate Majority Leader. With Appropriations and Ways and Means you're controlling the purse of the country and with Rules, you're controlling the agenda.
2006-11-11 17:28:13 · answer #1 · answered by Babs 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Actually, it's the other way around. The Senate Majority leader wields more power in the senate, than the House Majority leader wields in the House. You may be confused between the House Majority Leader and the Speaker of the House.
There are four positions we're talking about:
The Speaker of the House - This is the highest ranking member of the House, and Constitutionally, the third-highest position in the country (second in line of succession to the President).
The House Majority Leader - This is the highest ranking member of the majority party, but the second-highest ranking member of the House ... i.e. is outranked by the Speaker. This is not a position defined in the Constitution, but is defined by House rules.
The Senate President Pro Tempore - This is mostly a ceremonial position that traditionally goes to the *oldest* member of the majority party (Strom Thurmond was PPT at 93). The actual president of the senate is the Vice-President of the U.S., so the PPT officially presides over the senate in the VP's absence. But even then, the PPT does not set agendas and is mostly a ceremonial position (gaveling the chamber into session, etc.)
The Senate Majority Leader - This is the highest ranking member of the majority party in the senate. Effectively, the Senate Majority Leader is the second-most-powerful person in the Senate, after the VP ... and has more power than the PPT.
Currently, Nancy Pelosi is the Minority Leader in the House, but when it takes session in January, she will become the new Speaker. The Dems will then have to elect a Majority Leader.
In the Senate, Harry Reid is currently the Minority Leader, and will become the Majority Leader when it takes session in January. Robert Byrd will become the President Pro Tem as the oldest-serving member of the Democrats (I believe he will be 89 years old).
Finally, senators are not "more powerful" than house members. Constitutionally, the two chambers have equal power. Senators appear to be more powerful because they have to share the chamber power with fewer other Senators.
2006-11-12 01:44:22 · answer #2 · answered by c_sense_101 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
House Majority Leader sets the agenda and can initiate more policy that affects budgets. Senate can not appropriate bills and affect budget spending.
2006-11-12 01:26:04 · answer #3 · answered by Tony C 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The house represents the population . The senate represents the states, so the house is more reflective of the will of the people (at least in theory)
2006-11-12 01:55:04 · answer #4 · answered by ams 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
That is the way the Constitution set it up. You will have to go back to the forefathers to get a complete answer. Good Question.
2006-11-12 01:20:18 · answer #5 · answered by zclifton2 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
i still dont get it
2013-09-23 09:22:46 · answer #6 · answered by ? 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋