[Deschler's Precedents]
[From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access]
[DOCID:52093c03_txt-7]
[Page 164-169]
CHAPTER 3
Party Organization
B. PARTY CAUCUS OR CONFERENCE
Sec. 6. Specific Functions--Selection of Leaders
The caucus and conference organize at the beginning of a Con
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gress<SUP>(16)</SUP> electing their respective chairmen<SUP>(17)</SUP>
and attending to preliminary business.
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16. 8 Cannon's Precedents Sec. Sec. 3602-3604a. For discussion of
procedures recently adopted with respect to calling meetings of
the caucus for organizational purposes prior to the convening
of a new Congress, see supplements to this edition as they
appear.
17. See 8 Cannon's Precedents Sec. Sec. 3603, 3604a; and Cannon's
Procedure, H. Doc. No. 122, 86th Cong. 1st Sess. (1959), p.
187. See also Riddick, Floyd M., Congressional Procedure,
Chapman and Grimes (Boston, 1941), p. 32.
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An important function of the caucus or conference early in the
Congress is to select the party's candidate for Speaker.<SUP>(18)</SUP>
Each party then selects its floor leader;<SUP>(19)</SUP> customarily,
it is understood that the minority party's candidate for Speaker will
become Minority Leader upon the election of the other party's candidate
for Speaker.<SUP>(20)</SUP>
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18. See Sec. Sec. 6.1-6.3, infra.
If a Speaker dies in office, the caucus and conference
nominate candidates for the vacant office. See Sec. 3.2, supra.
19. See Sec. 6.4, infra.
20. See Congressional Quarterly's Guide to the Congress of the United
States, Congressional Quarterly Service (Washington, D.C.,
1971), p. 140 (discussion of Minority Leader). See also,
Riddick, Floyd M., Congressional Procedure, Chapman and Grimes
(Boston, 1941), p. 34.
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The Republican Conference selects its party whip.<SUP>(1)</SUP>
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1. See Sec. 6.6, infra. The Democratic whip is appointed by the
Democratic floor leader (See Sec. 23, infra).
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A Democratic Caucus rule <SUP>(2)</SUP> provides that, ``In the
Election of Officers and in the Nomination of Candidates for Office in
the House, the Majority of Those Present and Voting Shall Bind the
Membership of the Caucus.''
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2. Rule 6, Democratic Caucus Rules (July 20, 1971).
See also Ripley, Randall B., Party Leaders in the House of
Representatives, The Brookings Institution (Washington, D.C.,
1967), pp. 58-61, 64, 72, and 76 (functions of party caucuses
and committees). -------------------
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Selection of Candidate for Speaker
Sec. 6.1 Prior to the beginning of a Congress, the Democratic Caucus
and the Republican Conference select their respective candidates
for Speaker.
In the 92d Congress,<SUP>(3)</SUP> as in prior
Congresses,<SUP>(4)</SUP> the Clerk
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called on the first day of the Congress for nominations for Speaker;
the chairmen of the caucus and conference then presented to the House
the names of the persons nominated by
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3. 117 Cong. Rec. 10, 92d Cong. 1st Sess., Jan. 21, 1971.
4. For further examples of announcements made by caucus and conference
chairmen in prior Congresses respecting the selection of
candidates for Speaker, see Sec. Sec. 3.1-3.3, supra. the
respective parties. The proceedings were as follows:
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The Clerk: The next order of business is the election of a
Speaker of the House of Representatives for the 92nd Congress.
Nominations are now in order.
Mr. [Olin E.] Teague of Texas: Mr. Clerk, as Chairman of the
Democratic Caucus, I am directed by the unanimous vote of that
caucus to present for election to the office of the Speaker of the
House of Representatives of the 92nd Congress the name of the
Honorable Carl Albert, a Representative-elect from the State of
Oklahoma.
Mr. [John B.] Anderson of Illinois: Mr. Clerk, as Chairman of
the Republican Conference and by authority, by direction, and by
unanimous vote of the Republican Conference, I nominate for Speaker
of the House of Representatives the Honorable Gerald R. Ford, a
Representative-elect from the State of Michigan.
The Clerk: . . . are there further nominations? (After a
pause.) There being no further nominations, the Clerk will appoint
tellers.
Role in Filling Vacancy in Office
Sec. 6.2 Upon the death of a Speaker, the caucus and conference select
their respective candidates for Speaker, and the names of the
candidates are presented to the House as at the beginning of a
Congress.
Speaker Sam Rayburn, of Texas, died prior to the second session of
the 87th Congress. Proceedings in the second session for selection of a
new Speaker are set forth in 3.2, supra.
Parliamentarian's Note: In the case of the Speaker's absence, the
Chair may be assumed by one who has been designated Speaker pro tempore
by the Speaker.<SUP>(5)</SUP> In a case where the Speaker was to be
absent for an uncertain length of time, the Chairman of the Democratic
Caucus, having been requested to do so by the Speaker, offered in the
House a resolution electing the Majority Leader as Speaker pro
tempore.<SUP>(6)</SUP>
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5. See Ch. 6, infra.
6. See the proceedings set forth in Sec. 3.4, supra.
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Third-Party Candidate for Speaker
Sec. 6.3 A third party may organize as a conference and name its
candidate for Speaker, and the chairman of such conference
announces to the House his
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party's candidate for the Speakership.
In the 75th Congress, the chairman of the Farmer-Labor-Progressive
party's conference, Gardner R. Withrow, of Wisconsin, presented to the
House the name of his party's candidate for Speaker, George J.
Schneider.<SUP>(7)</SUP>
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7. See the proceedings set forth in Sec. 3.3, supra. For references
relating to third parties generally, see Sec. 2, supra.
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Election of Floor Leader
Sec. 6.4 The caucus and conference elect their respective party floor
leaders.
At the beginning of each Congress, the caucus and conference
chairmen announce the election by their respective parties of the floor
leaders. Thus, in the 75th Congress,<SUP>(8)</SUP> the following
announcements were made:
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8. 81 Cong. Rec. 15, 75th Cong. 1st Sess., Jan. 5, 1937.
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Mr. [Robert L.] Doughton [of North Carolina]: Mr. Speaker, the
Democratic Caucus at a meeting yesterday elected Hon. Sam Rayburn,
of Texas, as floor leader of the Seventy-fifth Congress. [Applause]
Mr. [Roy O.] Woodruff [of Michigan]: Mr. Speaker, I take this
opportunity to announce that by the authority and direction of the
Republican Conference the honorable gentleman from New York, Mr.
Bertrand H. Snell, has been selected as minority leader of this
House. [Applause]
Mr. [Gardner R.] Withrow [of Wisconsin]: Mr. Speaker, I
announce to the House that the Farmer-Labor-Progressive Party's
Conference by unanimous consent selected Hon. Gerald J. Boileau, of
Wisconsin, as floor leader for the Seventy-fifth Congress.
[Applause]
In the 92d Congress,<SUP>(9)</SUP> the announcements were as
follows:
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9. 117 Cong. Rec. 13, 92d Cong. 1st Sess., Jan. 21, 1971.
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Mr. [Olin E.] Teague of Texas: Mr. Speaker, as chairman of the
Democratic caucus, I have been directed to report to the House that
the Democratic Members have selected unanimously as majority leader
the gentleman from Louisiana, the Honorable Hale Boggs.
Mr. [John B.] Anderson of Illinois: Mr. Speaker, as Chairman of
the Republican Conference, I am directed by that conference to
officially notify the House that the gentleman from Michigan, the
Honorable Gerald R. Ford, has been unanimously selected as the
minority leader of the House.<SUP>(10)</SUP>
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10. Substantially the same proceedings have taken place in other
Congresses. See Sec. 3.5, supra.
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Sec. 6.5 When a vacancy occurs in the office of floor leader, the
caucus or conference elects a new floor leader, whose name is
presented to the House in the usual manner.
On Jan. 10, 1962,<SUP>(11)</SUP> the Chairman of the Democratic
Caucus an
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nounced the selection of Carl Albert, of Oklahoma, as Majority Leader,
to replace John W. McCormack, of Massachusetts, who had been elevated
to the Speakership after the death of Speaker Rayburn. The announcement
was made as follows:
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11. 108 Cong. Rec. 5, 87th Cong. 2d Sess.
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Mr. [Francis E.] Walter [of Pennsylvania]: Mr. Speaker, as
Chairman of the Democratic Caucus I am directed to report to the
House that the Democratic Members have selected as Majority Leader
the gentleman from Oklahoma, the Honorable Carl Albert.
Selection of Republican Whip
Sec. 6.6 The members of the Republican<SUP>(12)</SUP> Conference select
their party whip.<SUP>(13)</SUP>
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12. The Democratic whip is appointed by the Democratic floor leader.
See Sec. 23, infra.
13. See, in addition to the discussion in this section, 8 Cannon's
Precedents Sec. 3615, in which Mr. Guy U. Hardy, of Colorado,
is quoted as remarking, (69 Cong. Rec. 8439, 1st Sess. 70th
Cong., May 11, 1928), ``The Republican Whip was formerly
appointed by the Speaker, but is now chosen by the party
caucus.''
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Announcements traditionally made in the House with respect to the
selection of the Republican whip have generally indicated that such
selection is made by the party members in their conference. There is
reference in some authorities<SUP>(14)</SUP> to a practice, at least at
one time, whereby the Republican party's Committee on Committees would
recommend to the Republican Conference the name of the person to be
designated Republican whip. The role of the Committee on Committees was
reflected, for example, in the announcement by Mr. Charles A. Halleck,
of Indiana, in the 83d Congress:<SUP>(15)</SUP>
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14. See Riddick, Floyd M., Congressional Procedure, Chapman and Grimes
(Boston, 1941), pp. 36, 37.
15. 99 Cong. Rec. 134, 83d Cong. 1st Sess., Jan. 6, 1953.
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Mr. Halleck: Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the Committee on
Committees, I hereby wish to announce the selection of Hon. Leslie
C. Arends, of Illinois, as majority whip.
In other announcements, reference has been made to the ``approval''
by the Republican Conference of the Republican whip. In the 88th
Congress,<SUP>(16)</SUP> for example, the conference chairman announced
as follows:
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16. 109 Cong. Rec. 506, 88th Cong. 1st Sess., Jan. 17, 1963.
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Mr. [Gerald R.] Ford [of Michigan]: Mr. Speaker, as the
chairman of the Republican Conference, it is my privilege to report
to the House that the Republican conference has unanimously
approved the gentleman from Illinois [Mr. Arends] as minority whip.
. . .
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In the 82d Congress,<SUP>(17)</SUP> Joseph W. Martin, Jr., the
Minority Leader, announced:
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17. 97 Cong. Rec. 40, 82d Cong. 1st Sess., Jan. 4, 1951.
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to announce to the House that the
gentleman from Illinois, Mr. Leslie C. Arends, has been elected
Republican whip.
More recent announcements have been as follows:
Mr. [John B.] Anderson of Illinois: Mr. Speaker, as Chairman of
the Republican Conference, I am directed by that conference to
notify the House officially that the Republican Members have
selected as minority whip the gentleman from Illinois, the
Honorable Leslie C. Arends.<SUP>(18)</SUP>
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18. 115 Cong. Rec. 34, 91st Cong. 1st Sess., Jan. 3, 1969.
And in the 90th Congress:
Mr. [Melvin R.] Laird [of Wisconsin]: Mr. Speaker, as Chairman
of the Republican Conference, I am directed by that conference to
notify the House officially that the Republican Members have
selected as minority whip the gentleman from Illinois, the
Honorable Leslie C. Arends.<SUP>(19)</SUP>
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19. 113 Cong. Rec. 27, 90th Cong. 1st Sess., Jan. 10, 1967.
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