#32 (cont'd): CIVICS 101: The Legislative Branch
Q&A #32: Who are the officers of the Senate, how are they chosen, and what are their duties? (Part 2)
Our American Government
Our American Government is a small book published by the House of Representatives for citizens and those who seek a greater understanding of the American interpretation of democracy. It follows a question-and-answer format and covers a broad range of topics dealing with the three branches of our Government, the electoral process, and the role of political parties.
The Savvy Citizen is reproducing the 169 questions-and-answers through a series of posts called Civics 101. Each post will contain the Q&A as well as some additional commentary to add historical context, fun facts, or anything we believe will add to our collective understanding of these topics.
Think of it as your adult Civics class, but without the test!
Let’s keep at it.
SECTION: The Legislative Branch: The Congress
Members, Offices, and Staff
Q&A #32 (Part 2): Who are the officers of the Senate, how are they chosen, and what are their duties?
By resolution, the Senate elects five officers:
the Secretary,
Sergeant at Arms,
Chaplain,
Secretary for the Majority, and
Secretary for the Minority
The previous post covered the Secretary of the Senate, this post covers the Sergeant at Arms and the Chaplain. The remaining positions will be covered in the next post.
—
Sergeant at Arms—The Sergeant at Arms is the chief law enforcement and security officer of the Senate, charged with enforcing Senate rules and regulations in the Chamber, and in Senate Office buildings. The Sergeant at Arms implements orders of the Senate, including locating absent Senators, and, when so directed, making arrests. The Sergeant at Arms notified President Andrew Johnson in 1868 and President William Jefferson Clinton in 1999 of impeachment charges to be tried in the Senate. [This was also the case with Donald Trump in 2019 and 2021.]
As the Senate’s protocol officer, the Sergeant at Arms escorts the President and other dignitaries during official visits to the Capitol, leads formal processions during Senate ceremonies, and arranges funerals for Senators who die in office. The Sergeant at Arms supervises many Senate support services, including the Senate Computer Center; the Service Department; Senate postal and telecommunications services, gallery services including pages, media galleries and services, recording studios, doorkeepers, and Capitol tour guides, among others.
Chaplain.—Nominated in the conference of the majority-party Senators, the full Senate elects the Senate Chaplain. The Chaplain prepares and offers the convening prayer each day the Senate is in session; provides pastoral services to Senators, their families, and staffs; and supervises the scheduling of appearances by guest chaplains. Traditionally, changes in party control do not interrupt the tenure of the Chaplain of the Senate.
You can learn more about the history of the Senate Chaplaincy here:
My Thoughts
The current Senate Chaplain is Rear Adm. Barry C. Black (photo above). He began his term as the 62nd Senate Chaplain on June 27, 2003, and remains in his position today. Chaplain Black is the first African-American to serve in the Senate chaplaincy as well as the first Seventh-Day Adventist to hold the position.
Here’s the denominational breakdown of all Senate chaplains to date:
Episcopalian = 19
Methodist = 17
Presbyterian = 14
Baptist = 6
Unitarian = 2
Congregationalist = 1
Lutheran = 1
Roman Catholic = 1
Seventh-day Adventist = 1
Total: 62
—
Back next time with Part 3 of Q&A #32 followed by Q&A #33: What are party Leaders?
Meanwhile, don’t forget that we’re organizing the post links on a single page available here.
xo,
Kelley for the Savvy Citizen Team
December 30, 2024