🎙 Who picks the Senate majority leader | The Receipts - Dataspheres AI

Who picks the Senate majority leader (6 min), with captions The story Senator Chris Van Hollen of Maryland said on Thursday, November 12, that he is runnin...

Who picks the Senate majority leader (6 min), with captions The story Senator Chris Van Hollen of Maryland said on Thursday, November 12, that he is running for Senate majority leader against Chuck Schumer of New York, the Democratic leader since 2017. NBC News reports Van Hollen is the first senator to challenge Schumer for the job. Democrats won control of the Senate on November 3 and take over in January. Voters do not choose the majority leader; the party's senators do, by secret ballot behind closed doors. In a two-paragraph statement, Van Hollen said the election showed Americans want change from "the status quo that isn't working for working people" and that "we need new leadership." He said the race is "not about any one person" but about answering the call of the American people. Schumer replied Thursday night that he welcomes discussion about the future of the caucus, and said, "I have the votes to continue serving as Democratic Leader," according to the Associated Press and NBC News. He also called 55 seats and counting an amazing result. The job matters because the majority leader schedules business on the Senate floor by calling bills from the calendar, speaks for the party's positions, and has the right to be recognized before any other senator. The Senate's own history page says the post of party floor leader is not in the Constitution. Schumer entered the Senate in 1999 and became Democratic leader in 2017; Van Hollen entered the House in 2003 and was first elected to the Senate in 2016. The post has changed hands three times since 1989, from George Mitchell to Tom Daschle to Harry Reid to Schumer. Contested votes for the job are rare. In 1994 Senate Democrats chose Tom Daschle over Christopher Dodd, and Daschle later told the Senate, "I was elected leader by one vote." The Associated Press calls this year's race the first contested one in decades. The Democratic caucus has 55 seats so far, meaning 28 votes are needed to win; Van Hollen says more than 10 senators have committed to him, though no list of names has been published. If Alaska's undecided race goes to the Democrat, the caucus would have 56 seats and 29 votes would be needed. Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont says he will support Van Hollen, and Senator-elect Abdul El-Sayed of Michigan said Van Hollen leads with courage and experience. Senator Angus King of Maine asked why anyone would fire the manager right after winning the World Series, and Senator Catherine Cortez Masto credited Schumer with securing a historic majority. The Associated Press reports most other Democratic senators have not said where they stand. NBC News reports Schumer remains favored to keep the post. As Roll Call reports them, Van Hollen's proposals include restoring Medicaid funding cut in last year's budget law, extending health insurance tax credits in the first 100 days, and keeping the party neutral in contested Democratic primaries. In a joint statement Thursday, he said any short-term funding bill before the December 11 deadline must restrict money for the war against Iran. Senate Democrats vote behind closed doors by secret ballot in early December, and the new Senate takes office in January with Democrats in the majority. There is no date yet for the result of Alaska's Senate race. Highlights Highlight In pictures Listen The episode as audio