During its early years, however, the Senate did not closely scrutinize the qualifications of its members. Each party is allocated seats on committees in proportion to its overall strength. In 1787, Virginia had roughly ten times the population of Rhode Island, whereas today California has roughly 70 times the population of Wyoming, based on the 1790 and 2000 censuses. As Vice President, Pence represents no state, but his home state is Indiana. These include the approval of treaties, and the confirmation of Cabinet secretaries, Supreme Court justices, federal judges, flag officers, regulatory officials, ambassadors, other federal executive officials and other federal uniformed officers. The Senate's chief administrative officer is the secretary of the Senate, who maintains public records, disburses salaries, monitors the acquisition of stationery and supplies, and oversees clerks. Although the Constitution gave the House the power to initiate revenue bills, in practice the Senate is equal to the House in the respect of spending. In most of these states, the nominee may receive only a plurality, while in some states, a runoff is required if no majority was achieved.

This provision, which came into force soon after the end of the Civil War, was intended to prevent those who had sided with the Confederacy from serving. Sessions of the Senate are opened with a special prayer or invocation and typically convene on weekdays. Once the need for a delay has ended, a senator may request unanimous consent to rescind the quorum call. Committees may be established on an ad hoc basis for specific purposes; for instance, the Senate Watergate Committee was a special committee created to investigate the Watergate scandal. In most cases, senators do not refer to each other by name, but by state or position, using forms such as "the senior senator from Virginia", "the gentleman from California", or "my distinguished friend the chairman of the Judiciary Committee". The effect of the ballot-approved law is to withhold from the governor authority to appoint a senator. All speeches must be addressed to the presiding officer, who is addressed as "Mr. President" or "Madam President", and not to another member; other Members must be referred to in the third person. U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Alabama, Assistant Secretary of State for Economic and Business Affairs, U.S. Assistant Secretary of Veterans Affairs, U.S. Department of Justice Office of Legislative Affairs, Speaker of the Maryland House of Delegates, Mississippi Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce, Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, Speaker of the North Carolina House of Representatives, Director of the Office of Management and Budget, "Jones victorious in stunning Alabama Senate upset", "State Sen. Kyrsten Sinema pursues House seat", "Martha McSally Appointed to Arizona Senate Seat Once Held by John McCain", "Franken to make announcement Thursday as chorus grows for his resignation", "Congressional candidate Jacky Rosen a newcomer, unknown to most Southern Nevadans", "RollCall.com – Member Profile – Sen. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D.", https://simple.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_current_members_of_the_United_States_Senate&oldid=6952546, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
The Senate was thus not designed to serve the people of the United States equally. Except for the president of the Senate, the Senate elects its own officers,[1] who maintain order and decorum, manage and schedule the legislative and executive business of the Senate, and interpret the Senate's rules, practices and precedents. The proceedings remain sealed indefinitely until the Senate votes to remove the injunction of secrecy. (For instance, the Judiciary Committee considers nominees for judgeships, and the Foreign Relations Committee considers nominees for positions in the Department of State.) In current practice, the threat of filibuster is more important than its use; almost any motion that does not have the support of three-fifths of the Senate effectively fails. Other joint committees serve to make advisory reports; for example, there exists a Joint Committee on Taxation. Each standing committee may consider, amend, and report bills that fall under its jurisdiction. The recess appointment remains valid only temporarily; the office becomes vacant again at the end of the next congressional session.


The presiding officer enforces the rules of the Senate, and may warn members who deviate from them. [61], The powers of the Senate concerning nominations are, however, subject to some constraints. [25][26] In June 2003, at least 40 senators were millionaires;[27] in 2018, over 50 senators were millionaires. Recent criticisms of the Senate's operations object to what the critics argue is obsolescence as a result of partisan paralysis and a preponderance of arcane rules.[52][53].