[Deschler's Precedents, Volume 1, Chapters 1 - 6]
[Chapter 3.  Party Organization]
[E. Party Whips]
[Â§ 23. In General]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]


[Page 256-261]
 
                               CHAPTER 3
 
                           Party Organization
 
                             E. PARTY WHIPS
 
Sec. 23. In General


    [Note: The following is descriptive of practices in effect in some 
Congresses. For discussion of any current modification of the functions 
or composition of the office of the whip, consult supplements to this 
edition as they appear.]
    Each party maintains a whip organization, presided over by the 
party whip. The Democratic floor leader with the approval of the 
Speaker appoints the Democratic whip and announces in the House the 
name of the person he has appointed to that position.(1) The 
Republican Conference chooses that party's whip, and an announcement 
concerning such selection is made in the House by the Republican floor 
leader or, on occasion, by the chairman of the 
conference.(2) A number of assistant Democratic whips 
representing various regions of the country are chosen by the 
Democratic state delegations.(3)
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 1. Sec. 23.1, infra.
 2. Sec. 23.3, infra.
 3. Congressional Quarterly's Guide to the Congress of the United 
        States, Congressional Quarterly Service (Washington, D.C., 
        1971), p. 141.
            Collateral references: Ripley, Randall B., Party Leaders in 
        the House of Representatives, The Brookings Institution 
        (Washington, D.C., 1967), pp. 33-41 (development of whip 
        organizations); 64, 65, 67-72, 75, 76 (functions of whips); 
        ``The Party Whip Organization in the United States House of 
        Representatives,'' American Political Science Review, vol. 58 
        (Sept., 1964), pp. 561-576.
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    The Democratic organization formerly included a post of ``deputy 
whip,'' but the Majority Leader in the 92d Congress announced that that 
position had been abolished and replaced by the positions of ``floor 
whips.''(4)
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 4. Sec. 23.2, infra.
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    In the Record of the 82d Congress,(5) the Republican 
whip set forth a description of the Republican whip organization, 
consisting of the Republican whip, a deputy whip, an Eastern regional 
whip, an East Central regional whip, a Midwest regional whip, a Western 
regional whip; and various area whips.
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 5. 97 Cong. Rec. 992, 82d Cong. 1st Sess., Feb. 5, 1951.
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    The functions of the party whips are to maintain close contact with 
party members; ascertain the sentiments of party members with respect 
to legislative issues; ensure the presence of party members on the 
floor when matters of interest to the party

[[Page 257]]

are to be voted upon; assist the floor leader in fulfilling the duties 
of party leadership; and promote party positions with respect to issues 
before the House.(6) For purposes of keeping party members 
informed of matters pending in the House, the whip sends periodic 
notices containing a description of such matters to party members.
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 6. See 8 Cannon's Precedents Sec. 3615.
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    The office was described in these terms by Mr. Charles A. Halleck, 
of Indiana:(7)
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 7. 114 Cong. Rec. 19074, 90th Cong. 2d Sess., June 27, 1968.
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        . . . In many ways, the job of whip is a thankless assignment 
    that involves a lot more than just taking polls, calling Members to 
    the floor, and putting out notices of the program for the following 
    week. And I must say, the title ``whip'' is really a misnomer. You 
    just do not line up Members--especially if you are in the 
    minority--by applying the lash. . . .
        [Success] in the office of whip [requires] a personal facility 
    for conciliation, for bringing together divergent views through 
    reason and . . . an ability to persuade. . . .

    The whip has sometimes been designated Speaker pro 
tempore,(8) or has assumed the Chair for particular 
purposes, as where the majority whip has presided over the election of 
the Majority Leader as Speaker pro tempore,(9) or where the 
minority whip has presided over proceedings honoring the Speaker of the 
House.(10) Similarly, the whip frequently acts as his 
party's floor leader when the floor leader is absent.(11)
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 8. Sec. 23.5, infra.
 9. Sec. 23.6, infra.
10. Sec. 24.1, infra.
11. See Congressional Quarterly's Guide to the Congress of the United 
        States, Congressional Quarterly Service (Washington, D.C., 
        1971), p. 141.
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    Party whips have sometimes served in that capacity for a 
considerable length of time. Thus, as an example, many tributes were 
paid in the 91st Congress to one who had served as Republican whip for 
many years.(12)
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12. See 116 Cong. Rec. 17878, 17879, 91st Cong. 2d Sess., June 2, 
        1970.                          -------------------
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Selection of Whip; Announcement

Sec. 23.1 The Democratic floor leader with the approval of the Speaker 
    appoints his party's whip, and announces such appointment in the 
    House.

    The following announcement by the Majority Leader in the 82d 
Congress is illustrative of announcements made by the Demo

[[Page 258]]

cratic floor leader with respect to his appointment of a party 
whip:(13)
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13. 97 Cong. Rec. 40, 82d Cong. 1st Sess., Jan. 4, 1951. For further 
        examples, see 115 Cong. Rec. 34, 91st Cong. 1st Sess., Jan. 3, 
        1969; and 99 Cong. Rec. 134, 83d Cong. 1st Sess., Jan. 6, 1953.
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        Mr. [John W.] McCormack [of Massachusetts]: Mr. Speaker, I 
    desire to announce to the House that I have reappointed as the 
    majority whip the distinguished gentleman from Tennessee, Mr. 
    Priest.

    In the 84th Congress, upon the occurrence of a vacancy in the 
office of majority whip, the Majority Leader announced the selection of 
a new whip pursuant to a conference between the Speaker and the 
Majority Leader.(14)
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14. 101 Cong. Rec. 191, 84th Cong. 1st Sess., Jan. 10, 1955.
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Floor Whips

Sec. 23.2 The Majority Leader announced the abolition of the post of 
    deputy whip, and the creation of the positions of floor whips.

    In the 92d Congress, the Majority Leader made the following 
announcement, which was concerned in part with certain changes in the 
structure of the Democratic whip organization:(15)
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15. See 117 Cong. Rec. 131, 92d Cong. 1st Sess., Jan. 22, 1971. For 
        more recent changes in the composition of the Democratic Whip 
        organization, see supplements to this edition as they appear.
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        Mr. [Hale] Boggs [of Louisiana]: . . . Mr. Speaker, it is my 
    pleasure to announce that we have named the distinguished gentleman 
    from Massachusetts (Mr. O'Neill) as the majority whip of the 
    Democratic Party.
        Mr. Speaker, I would like to conclude the announcement by 
    saying that in consultation with the distinguished Speaker, the 
    position of deputy whip has been abolished and in place thereof we 
    have created the position of two floor whips which will be held by 
    the gentleman from California (Mr. McFall), who will fill one spot, 
    and the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Brademas), who will fill the 
    other spot.

Election of Republican Whip

Sec. 23.3 The Republican Conference selects the Republican whip, and an 
    announcement concerning such selection is made in the House by the 
    Republican floor leader or the conference chairman.

    On Jan. 22, 1971, the following announcement was made by the 
Minority Leader, Gerald R. Ford, of Michigan:(16)
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16. 117 Cong. Rec. 131, 92d Cong. 1st Sess.
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        Mr. Speaker, it is my privilege to announce for the benefit of 
    the membership as a whole, the election of the Honorable Leslie 
    Arends, of Illinois, to

[[Page 259]]

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    be the Republican whip for the ninth consecutive Congress.

Similarly, in the 82d Congress, the floor leader made the following 
announcement:(17)
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17. 97 Cong. Rec. 40, 82d Cong. 1st Sess., Jan. 4, 1951.
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        Mr. [Joseph W.] Martin [Jr.] of Massachusetts: Mr. Speaker, I 
    would like to announce to the House that the gentleman from 
    Illinois, Mr. Leslie C. Arends, has been elected Republican whip.

    In the 83d Congress, the Republican Majority Leader, Charles A. 
Halleck, of Indiana, announced:(18)
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18. 99 Cong. Rec. 134, 83d Cong. 1st Sess., Jan. 6, 1953. The 
        Republican whip was formerly selected by the party committee on 
        committees (see Congressional Quarterly's Guide to the Congress 
        of the United States, Congressional Quarterly Service 
        [Washington, D.C., 1971], p. 141).
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        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 the 91st Congress, the conference chairman, John B. Anderson, of 
Illinois, made the announcement concerning the selection of the 
minority whip, as follows:(19)
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19. 115 Cong. Rec. 34, 91st Cong. 1st Sess., Jan 3, 1969. For other 
        examples of occasions on which the selection of the Republican 
        whip has been announced by the conference chairman, see 
        Sec. 3.7, supra.

        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 
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    from Illinois, the Honorable Leslie C. Arends.

Republican Whip Organization

Sec. 23.4 The Republican whip extended his remarks in the Record to 
    include a description of the Republican whip organization.

    On Feb. 5, 1951, Mr. Leslie C. Arends, of Illinois, was permitted 
to extend his remarks in the Record to include the following 
description of the Republican whip organization.(20)
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20. 97 Cong. Rec. 992, 82d Cong. 1st Sess.

        Republican whip, Leslie C. Arends, Illinois; deputy whip, Ralph 
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    A. Gamble, New York.

        Eastern Regional whip, W. Sterling Cole, New York--8 states, 50 
    members: Maine (3), New Hampshire (2), Vermont (1), Connecticut 
    (4), Delaware (1), A. N. Sadlak; Massachusetts (8), W. H. Bates; 
    New York (22), Katherine St. George; New Jersey (9), T. Millet 
    Hand. . . .

In similar fashion, Mr. Arends named the East Central regional

[[Page 260]]

whip, the Midwest regional whip, and the Western regional whip; 
indicated the state delegations represented by such whips; and named 
those persons in the whip organization who represented particular 
states or groups of states within a region.

Designation of Majority Whip as Speaker Pro Tempore

Sec. 23.5 The majority whip has been designated Speaker pro tempore.

    On May 29, 1958, Carl Albert, of Oklahoma, the majority whip, 
assumed the Chair. The proceedings were as follows:(1)
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 1. 104 Cong. Rec. 9854, 85th Cong. 2d Sess.
            For instances in which the minority whip has assumed the 
        Chair to preside over proceedings relating to the customary 
        resolution expressing the gratitude of the House for the manner 
        in which the Speaker performed his duties, see Sec. 24.1, 
        infra.
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        The Speaker Pro Tempore: The Chair lays before the House the 
    following communication from the Speaker:

                                  May 29, 1958

            I hereby designate the Honorable Carl Albert to act as 
        Speaker pro tempore today.

                                                  Sam Rayburn,
                                                  Speaker of the
                                         House of Representatives.

Election of Speaker Pro Tempore Presided Over by Whip

Sec. 23.6 The majority whip on occasion has assumed the Chair for 
    purposes of presiding over the election of the Majority Leader as 
    Speaker pro tempore.

    On Nov. 18, 1963, the Majority Leader, Carl Albert, of Oklahoma, 
called the House to order and laid before the House a communication 
from the Speaker designating Mr. Albert as Speaker pro tempore. 
Subsequently, the majority whip, Hale Boggs, of Illinois, assumed the 
Chair and presided over proceedings in which Mr. Albert was elected 
Speaker pro tempore. The proceedings were as follows:(2)
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 2. 109 Cong. Rec. 22015, 88th Cong. 1st Sess., Nov. 18, 1963.
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        Mr. Boggs assumed the Chair.
        Mr. [Carl] Vinson [of Georgia]: Mr. Speaker, I send to the desk 
    a privileged resolution and ask for its immediate consideration.
        The Clerk read the resolution as follows:

                                  H. Res. 567

            Resolved, That Honorable Carl Albert . . . is hereby 
        elected Speaker pro tempore during the absence of the Speaker. 
        . . .

        The resolution was agreed to.

    Similar proceedings have taken place in other Congresses. Thus,

[[Page 261]]

in the 85th Congress, on Apr. 15, 1958, Majority Leader John W. 
McCormack, of Massachusetts, Speaker pro tempore by designation, 
requested the majority whip, Carl Albert, of Oklahoma, to assume the 
Chair.(3) After Mr. Albert assumed the Chair, a resolution 
was agreed to electing the Majority Leader Speaker pro tempore during 
the absence of the Speaker.
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 3. 104 Cong. Rec. 6436, 85th Cong. 2d Sess. As to illustrative 
        instances in which the minority whip has assumed the Chair to 
        preside over proceedings of a ceremonial nature, see Sec. 24.1, 
        infra.
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Request for Division of Question

Sec. 23.7 The minority whip requested a division of the question on the 
    resolution electing House officers.

    On Jan. 10, 1967, following the introduction of the resolution 
relating to the election of House officers, the Republican Conference 
Chairman announced that he intended to offer a substitute for the 
resolution. In response to an inquiry from the Chair as to whether a 
division of the question was desired, Mr. Leslie C. Arends, of 
Illinois, the Republican whip, made the request as 
follows:(4)
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 4. 113 Cong. Rec. 27, 90th Cong. 1st Sess. The resolution naming the 
        majority party's candidates for the offices of Clerk, Sergeant 
        At Arms, Doorkeeper, Postmaster, and Chaplain is generally 
        offered by the chairman of the majority caucus (see Sec. 3.9, 
        supra). Frequently, the chairman of the minority caucus or 
        conference has offered a substitute for the resolution and at 
        the same time requested a division of the question to allow a 
        separate vote on the office of Chaplain (see Sec. 3.9, supra).
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        Mr. Arends: Mr. Speaker, I request that there be a division of 
    the question on the resolution so that we may have a separate vote 
    on the Office of the Chaplain.