Congressional Leadership - 2011

Speaker John Boehner (R) and Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D) in the House and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D) and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R) are key faces of their respective parties in Congress. Effective congressional leadership requires a particular temperament and set of skills. Speaker Boehner has said that his experience working in his father's bar helped give him the skills to do the job. "I mopped floors. I cleaned dishes. I waited tables. I tended bar...You have to learn to deal with every character that walks in the door." Then-Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-TN) likened his job to "herding cats." Law-making is a messy business; the health care debate once again proved the adage that compares legislating to sausage-making.

2010 Edition

House	.
elected Nov. 17, 2010 (1, 2) Speaker - John Boehner (OH)* Majority Leader - Eric Cantor (VA)* Majority Whip - Kevin McCarthy (CA)* Chair, Republican Conference - Jeb Hensarling* NRCC Chairman - Pete Sessions (TX) Chair, Republican Policy Committee - Tom Price (GA)* Conference Vice-Chair - Cathy McMorris Rodgers (WA) Conference Secretary - John Carter (TX) Freshman Representative - Kristi Noem (SD) Freshman Representative - Tim Scott (SC) Rules Committee Representative - David Dreier (CA) Chairman of the Leadership - Greg Walden (OR) groupings Republican Study Committee	elected Nov. 17, 2010 (1, 2) Minority Leader - Nancy Pelosi (CA)* Minority Whip - Steny H. Hoyer (MD)* Assistant Leader - James Clyburn (SC)* Democratic Caucus Chair - John Larson (CT) Vice Chair - Xavier Becerra (CA) DCCC Chairman - Steve Israel (NY) Democratic Steering and Policy Committee Co-Chair - Rosa DeLauro (CT) Co-Chair - George Miller (CA) groupings Progressive Caucus Blue Dog Coalition

Senate >	.
Minority Leader - Mitch McConnell (KY)* Minority Whip - Jon Kyl (AZ) Chair, Senate Republican Conference - Lamar Alexander (TN)* Vice Chair, Senate Republican Conference - John Barrasso (WY) Chair, Republican Policy Committee - John Thune (SD)* NRSC Chairman - John Cornyn (TX)	elected Nov. 16, 2010 except DSCC position which Murray agreed to take at the end of November (1) Majority Leader - Harry Reid (NV)* President Pro Tem - Daniel Inouye (HI)** Assistant Democratic Leader - Dick Durbin (IL) Vice Chair of the Conference and Chair of the Democratic Policy Committee - Charles E. Schumer (NY) Secretary of the Conference and DSCC Chairman - Patty Murray (WA) Vice Chair of the Democratic Policy Committee - Debbie Stabenow (MI) Chair, Steering and Outreach Committee - Mark Begich (AK)*

.	.
	*leadership page