Why Is The Senate Parliamentarian So Powerful?

Civics 101

NHPR

Government, Society & Culture, History

4.2 • 2.6K Ratings

🗓️ 29 March 2022

⏱️ 25 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Since 1935, the Senate has had a parliamentarian. Their job is to decide, in a truly nonpartisan way, how things operate in the chamber. Their power to decide what can and cannot be done when it comes to legislation, filibustering, motions, and points of order has grown ever since. Today, learn about this complicated and often-unseen role from Sarah Binder, professor at George Washington University, and a person who spent over thirty years in the office, former Senate Parliamentarian Alan Frumin. CLICK HERE: Visit our website to see all of our episodes, donate to the podcast, sign up for our newsletter, get free educational materials, and more! To see Civics 101 in book form, check out A User's Guide to Democracy: How America Works by Hannah McCarthy and Nick Capodice, featuring illustrations by Tom Toro. Check out our other weekly NHPR podcast, Outside/In - we think you'll love it! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Is it the contention of the chair that under the rules of the Senate, I am not allowed
0:09.0	to accurately describe public views of Senator Sessions?
0:13.7	I want to play this clip from February of 2017.
0:17.3	Sure, go ahead.
0:18.3	Senator Elizabeth Warren is found in violation of Senate rule 19 and is being cautioned by
0:24.3	the chair.
0:25.3	The chair is not made a ruling as respect to the Senate's comments.
0:28.5	The Senator is following process and tradition by reminding the Senate to set the choosehits
0:33.0	of the rule.
0:34.0	Standard procedural stuff, right?
0:36.4	But I cut something out.
0:38.0	This is what it really sounded like.
0:42.1	The chair is not made a ruling as respect to the Senate's comments.
0:47.6	The Senator is following process and tradition.
0:50.3	By reminding the Senator from the Senate.
0:53.3	By reminding the Senate to set the choosehits.
0:54.3	Wait, someone is just feeding him lines.
0:56.6	This is happening in the Senate.
0:58.2	It happens every day in the Senate.
1:01.3	So, I've read a few articles about you and people tend to refer you in sports metaphors.
1:08.6	Like, you're a referee or an umpire.
1:12.2	Is that accurate?
	...

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