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Since the office was created in 1789, 92 individuals, from 39 of the 50 states, have served as president pro tempore of the Senate. The current president pro tempore is Patty Murray of Washington, who assumed office on January 3, 2023, at the start of the 118th Congress.
Jan 3, 2023 · By Rebecca Shabad. WASHINGTON — Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., on Tuesday became the first female Senate president pro tempore, the second-highest-ranking position in the chamber. The...
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The Constitution instructs the Senate to choose a president pro tempore to preside over the Senate in the absence of the vice president. Pro tempore is a Latin term meaning "for the time being,” signaling that the position was originally conceived as a temporary replacement.
The current president pro tempore of the U.S. Senate is Patty Murray of Washington. The most senior senator in the majority Senate Democratic Caucus and the first woman to hold the position, she was sworn in on January 3, 2023, at the start of the 118th Congress.
Mar 12, 2024 · Senator Strom Thurmond resumed his role as president pro tempore. On May 24, 2001, Senator James Jeffords of Vermont announced his switch from Republican to Independent status, effective June 6, 2001. Jeffords announced that he would caucus with the Democrats, changing control of the evenly divided Senate from the Republicans to the Democrats.
Jan 3, 2023 · The president pro tempore, a Latin term for “for the time being,” is specified in the Constitution as a replacement for the vice president, who also serves as the president of the Senate, when he or she cannot be present.
In modern times, presidents pro tempore have tended to ask new members of the majority party to preside over the Senate, a practice that enables freshmen senators to grow more accustomed to the Senate's rules and procedures.
