Leadership in Congress

DarfurScores.org highlights member of Congress who hold certain leadership or committee positions. These members can often use their positions to influence Darfur-related legislation. While all members can play an important role in ending the genocide, those in particular positions can use their political leverage and influence to expedite legislative opportunities.

House Leadership

Democrats took over control of the House of Representatives after the 2006 election. They currently hold the majority in the House, with 233 of a possible 435 seats. They control leadership in all committees and appoint the committee chairs. Republicans are currently the minority party in the House, holding 202 of a possible 435 seats. They appoint the ranking member of each committee, which is the lead member of a committee chosen from the majority party. The ranking member is usually selected on the basis of seniority. There are also non-voting delegates or commissioners from the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the three U.S. territories. While these members can vote for bills in the committees on which they sit, they cannot vote for the bills in the full House.

Speaker of the House: The presiding officer of the House of Representatives, elected by its members. The speaker is responsible for ensuring that the House passes legislation supported by the majority party. In pursuing this goal, the speaker may utilize his or her power to determine when each bill reaches the floor. Therefore, the speaker can control when Darfur-related legislation is voted upon by the House of Representatives. The current Speaker of the House is Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA).

Majority Leader: Acts as the leader of the party that has a majority control of the seats in the House. The majority leader helps to coordinate ideas and supporting votes for legislation. This officer is charged with scheduling legislation for floor consideration; planning the daily, weekly, and annual legislative agendas; consulting with members to gauge party sentiment; and, in general, working to advance the goals of the majority party. The majority leader is responsible for making Darfur an issue with the party. The current House Majority Leader is Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-MD).

Minority Leader: Serves as floor leader of the opposition part in the House. The minority leader meets with the majority leader and the speaker of the House to discuss agreements on controversial issues. The position is essentially the leader of the opposition. The minority leader is responsible for making Darfur an issue with the minority party. The current House Minority Leader is Rep. John Boehner (R-OH).

Majority Whip and Minority Whip: Act as assistants to the floor leaders. The whips are elected by their parties. The majority and minority whips (and their assistants) are responsible for mobilizing votes within their parties on major issues. In the absence of a party floor leader, the whip serves as acting floor leader. The whips are responsible for controlling the way a party votes. The whips can influence the parties to vote favorably on important Darfur legislation. The House Majority Whip is Rep. James Clyburn (D-SC). The House Minority Whip is Rep. Roy Blunt (R-MO).

House Appropriations Committee: Is in charge of setting the specific expenditures of money by the government of the United States. The chair of the House Appropriations Committee is Rep. David Obey (D-WI). The ranking minority member is Rep. Jerry Lewis (R-CA).

House Foreign Affairs Committee: Is in charge of bills and investigations related to the international relations of the United States. The chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee is Rep. Tom Lantos (D-CA). The ranking minority member is Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL).

House Appropriations Subcommittee on the State, Foreign Operations and Related Programs: Focuses on economic issues occurring outside of the United States and in relation to the Department of State. The subcommittee is responsible for appropriating money for peacekeeping and humanitarian initiatives. The chair of this subcommittee is Rep. Nita Lowey (D-NY) and the ranking member is Rep. Frank Wolf (R-VA).

House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health: Deals with American policy in Africa and ensures that aid programs have successful returns. The chair of this subcommittee is Rep. Donald Payne (D-NJ) and the ranking member is Rep. Christopher Smith (R-NJ).

House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on International Organizations, Human Rights, and Oversight: Follows U.S. committment to international human rights policies. The chair of this subcommittee is Rep. William Delahunt (D-MA) and the ranking member is Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA).

Senate Leadership

Democrats took over control of the Senate after the 2006 election. They currently hold 49 of a possible 100 seats (plus 2 independents who support them). They control leadership in all committees and appoint the committee chairs. Republicans are currently the minority party in the Senate, holding 49 of a possible 100 seats. They appoint the ranking member of each committee, which is the lead member of a committee chosen from the majority party. The ranking member is usually selected on the basis of seniority.

Majority and Minority Leader: Elected by the parties that hold the majority and the minority respectively. These leaders serve as the chief Senate spokespeople for their parties and manage and schedule the legislative and executive business of the Senate. The leaders are responsible for making Darfur an issue with their respective parties. The Senate Majority Leader is Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV). The Senate Minority Leader is Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY).

Majority Whip and Minority Whip: Act as assistants to the floor leaders. The whips are elected by their parties. The majority and minority whips (and their assistants) are responsible for mobilizing votes within their parties on major issues. The whips are responsible for mobilizing votes on Darfur-related issues. In the absence of a party floor leader, the whip serves as acting floor leader. The Senate Majority Whip is Sen. Richard Durbin (D-IL). The Senate Minority Whip is Sen. Trent Lott (R-MS).

President Pro Tempore: The highest-ranking senator in Congress from the majority party. The president pro tempore presides over the chamber in the absence of the vice president of the United States (who is also the president of the Senate). The president pro tempore helps to control the legislation which reaches the Senate floor. Therefore, this person is largely responsible for deciding when Darfur-related legislation receives a vote. The president pro tempore is Sen. Robert Byrd (D-WV).

Senate Appropriations Committee: The largest committee in the Senate. Its role is defined by the U.S. Constitution, which requires "appropriations made by law" prior to the expenditure of any money from the federal treasury. The chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee is Sen. Robert Byrd (D-WV). The ranking minority member is Sen. Thad Cochran (R-MS).

Senate Foreign Relations Committee: Sets the foreign policy activities of the Senate. Members evaluate all treaties with foreign governments; approve all diplomatic nominations; and write legislation pertaining to US foreign policy, the state department, foreign assistance programs and many associated topics. The chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee is Sen. Joseph Biden (D-DE). The ranking minority member is Sen. Richard Lugar (R-IN).

Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations and Related Programs: Focuses on economic issues occurring outside of the United States. The subcommittee is responsible for appropriating money for peacekeeping and humanitarian initiatives. The chair of this subcommittee is Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT) and the ranking member is Sen. Judd Gregg (R-NH).

Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on African Affairs: This subcommittee considers all international treaties, diplomatic efforts, and U.S. legislation related to Africa. The chair of this subcommittee is Sen. Russell Feingold (D-WI) and the ranking member is Sen. John Sununu (R-NH).