Often the only way a minority party in Congress can defeat legislation is in the U.S. Senate by means of the filibuster. In such occasions, it is critical that party discipline holds together. The most important person for helping to retain party unity in this regard is the Senate Minority Leader.
Strong Minority Leaders of the past, such as Sen. Robert Byrd, could effectively bottle up bills for lengthy periods of time, forcing the majority to make concessions if they want a bill passed but lack the 60 votes necessary to cut off debate.
On the other hand, weak minority leaders, particular those of a party greatly outnumbered, can do little to stem off tides of legislation supported by a determined majority. Once such Minority Leader was Charles McNary, who was one of only 16 Republicans in the Senate during the 75th Congress (1937-1939).
Many minority leaders have also held the post of majority leader, when their party fared better in Congressional elections. Senators who have held both posts include Joseph Robinson, Alben Barkley, Lyndon Johnson, Howard Baker, Robert Byrd and Robert Dole, too name a few. Byrd and Dole are the only majority leaders to have seen their party lose control of the Senate and help lead the way to regain control later, all the while maintaining the Senate floor leadership of their parties.
Everett M. Dirksen, R-Ill., is the only senator to be elected as Minority Leader six consecutive times. Dirksen was first elected to lead the Republican minority in 1959, while Lyndon Johnson of Texas led the majority Democrats and while Dwight Eisenhower was president. Dirksen would still hold the post after Johnson's presidency ended in 1969. He remains the only Senate Minority Leader to have seen four different presidential administrations.
Democrat Thomas Daschle of South Dakota became Senate Minority Leader when the 107th Congress convened in January 2001. However, on May 24, 2001, Senator Jim Jeffords of Vermont announced that he was leaving the Republican Party and would caucus with the Democrats as an independent, thus giving the Democrats a 51-49 organizing majority. So, under historic circumstances on June 6, 2001, Daschle became Majority Leader.
The Democrats, however, suffered a setback in the 2002 mid-term elections, relegating Daschle back to Minority Leader when the 108th Congress convened in January 2003.
However, Daschle was also in a difficult position himself. South Dakota has voted for the Republican presidential candidate in every election but one (Lyndon Johnson's landslide in 1964) since 1940 and the state has been trending more towards the GOP with each passing election. In the 2004 elections, smelling blood, Republicans targeted Daschle for defeat, banking on the popularity of President George W. Bush and Daschle's opposition to many of the President's policies. It worked. Despite being outspent by a nearly 2-1 margin, former Rep. John Thune (R) defeated Daschle by 4,508 votes. It was the first time that the floor leader of either party in the Senate was defeated for re-election in 52 years.
In 2005, Democrats selected Harry Reid of Nevada to be the new Minority Leader for the 109th Congress.
Below is a complete listing of Senate Minority Leaders.
(Also see Footnote 1)
|
Period
|
Congress
|
Majority Leader
|
President
|
1920-1921
1921-1923
1923-1925
1925-1927
1927-1929
|
66th
67th
68th
69th
70th
|
Oscar W. Underwood (D-AL)
Oscar W. Underwood
Oscar W. Underwood
Joseph T. Robinson (D-AR)
Joseph T. Robinson
|
Wilson (D)
Harding (R)
Harding/Coolidge (R)
Coolidge
Coolidge
|
|
1929-1931
1931-1933
1933-1935
1935-1937
1937-1939
|
71st
72nd
73rd
74th
75th
|
Joseph T. Robinson
Joseph T. Robinson
Charles L. McNary (R-OR)
Charles L. McNary
Charles L. McNary
|
Hoover (R)
Hoover
F. Roosevelt (D)
F. Roosevelt
F. Roosevelt
|
|
1939-1941
1941-1943
1943-1945
1945-1947
1947-1949
|
76th
77th
78th
79th
80th
|
Charles L. McNary
Charles L. McNary
Wallace H. White, Jr. (R-ME)
Wallace H. White, Jr.
Alben W. Barkley (D-KY)
|
F. Roosevelt
F. Roosevelt
F. Roosevelt
Roosevelt/Truman (D)
Truman
|
|
1949-1951
1951-1953
"
1953-1955
1955-1957
|
81st
82nd
"
83rd
84th
|
Kenneth S. Wherry (R-ME)
Kenneth S. Wherry
Styles Bridges (R-NH)
Lyndon B. Johnson (D-TX)
William F. Knowland (R-CA)
|
Truman
Truman
Truman
Eisenhower (R)
Eisenhower
|
|
1957-1959
1959-1961
1961-1963
1963-1965
1965-1967
|
85th
86th
87th
88th
89th
|
William F. Knowland
Everett M. Dirksen (R-IL)
Everett M. Dirksen
Everett M. Dirksen
Everett M. Dirksen
|
Eisenhower
Eisenhower
Kennedy (D)
Kennedy/Johnson (D)
L. Johnson
|
|
1967-1969
1969-1971
"
1971-1973
1973-1975
|
90th
91st
"
92nd
93rd
|
Everett M. Dirksen
Everett M. Dirksen
Hugh S. Scott, Jr. (R-PA)
Hugh S. Scott, Jr.
Hugh S. Scott, Jr.
|
L. Johnson
Nixon (R)
Nixon
Nixon
Nixon/Ford (R)
|
|
1975-1977
1977-1979
1979-1981
1981-1983
1983-1985
|
94th
95th
96th
97th
98th
|
Hugh S. Scott, Jr.
Howard H. Baker, Jr. (R-TN)
Howard H. Baker, Jr.
Robert C. Byrd (D-WV)
Robert C. Byrd
|
Ford
Carter (D)
Carter
Reagan (R)
Reagan
|
|
1985-1987
1987-1989
1989-1991
1991-1993
1993-1995
|
99th
100th
101st
102nd
103rd
|
Robert C. Byrd
Robert Dole (R-KS)
Robert Dole
Robert Dole
Robert Dole
|
Reagan
Reagan
G.H.W. Bush (R)
G.H.W. Bush
Clinton (D)
|
|
1995-1997
1997-1999
1999-2001
2001
2001-2003
|
104th
105th
106th
107th
107th
|
Thomas A. Daschle (D-SD)
Thomas A. Daschle
Thomas A. Daschle
Thomas A. Daschle
Trent Lott (R-MS)
|
Clinton
Clinton
Clinton
G.W. Bush (R)
G.W. Bush
|
|
2003-2005
2005-
|
108th
109th
|
Thomas A. Daschle
Harry Reid (D-NV)
|
G.W. Bush
G.W. Bush
|
|
Footnote 1: Prior to the turn of the 20th Century, the parties had no official floor leaders. Then, party caucuses began to elect their officers. Go back
 Senate Majority Leaders
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