Majority and Minority Whips

The title comes from British fox hunting, where the whipper-in kept the hounds from straying, and from the British Parliament, which adopted it for party managers. House Republicans named their first whip, James Tawney, in 1897, and Senate Democrats named J. Hamilton Lewis in 1913. Each party in each chamber now elects a whip, the second-ranking leader in the Senate parties and the third-ranking in the House majority after the Speaker and majority leader, second in the House minority.

The whip's job is to know before a vote how it will turn out. Whips and their networks of deputy and assistant whips poll members, persuade the undecided, relay the leadership's position, and report back which members need concessions or cannot be moved. A whip count that comes up short can force leaders to change a bill or pull it from the floor. Whips also make sure members are present for close votes, sometimes arranging travel and pairing absences.

The position has often been a route to the top: Nancy Pelosi, Steny Hoyer, Steve Scalise, and Mitch McConnell all served as whips on the way to higher leadership. In the 119th Congress the House whips are Tom Emmer for the Republicans and Katherine Clark for the Democrats, and the Senate whips are John Barrasso and Dick Durbin.