House and Senate Sergeants at Arms

The House elected its first Sergeant at Arms in 1789, and the Senate, which began with a Doorkeeper, gave that officer the title of Sergeant at Arms in 1798. Each is elected by its chamber, usually on the majority party's nomination. The House Sergeant at Arms carries the Mace of the House, a silver-topped bundle of ebony rods made in 1841, which is placed beside the Speaker when the House is in session and in the past was raised before unruly members to restore order.

The Sergeants at Arms enforce the rules of their chambers, maintain order on the floor and in the galleries, and with the Architect of the Capitol make up the Capitol Police Board, which oversees the U.S. Capitol Police. They handle security for members, coordinate emergency planning and continuity of operations, and manage protocol for events such as joint sessions, State of the Union addresses, inaugurations, and state funerals, when the House Sergeant at Arms announces the President. The Senate Sergeant at Arms also runs the chamber's technology, telecommunications, and many support services.

When a chamber lacks a quorum, it can direct its Sergeant at Arms to arrest absent members and bring them in, a power last used in a notable way in February 1988, when Senate officers carried a senator onto the floor. After the January 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol, both Sergeants at Arms resigned amid criticism of security failures, and Congress gave the Capitol Police chief new emergency authority. Supporters say keeping security under officers accountable to Congress protects the legislature's independence, while critics say the divided command structure slowed the response on January 6.