Frequently Asked Questions
About The United States Senate Chamber

1. When is a senator on the floor?

United States senators have many conflicting demands on their time. Each senator is a member of several committees, which may be holding hearings. Senators also work in their offices in the Senate office buildings, where they meet with constituents, representatives of the executive agencies, their staff, or others concerned about legislative business. Generally, the only senators on the floor at a given time are those prepared to speak on the issue at hand. Since the proceedings are televised, other senators can follow the debates from their offices, just as the public can watch at home. Senators can quickly be notified of the need to return to the floor to establish a quorum or to cast a vote, by a series of bells that ring throughout the Capitol and the Senate office buildings.

2. Who is that presiding?

The Constitution designates the Vice President of the United States as the President, or presiding officer, of the Senate. Because of other demands on their time, vice presidents generally preside only on rare occasions when they might be needed to cast a tie-breaking vote. The Senate elects a President Pro Tempore—usually the senior member of the majority party—to act in the vice president’s absence. The President Pro Tempore frequently presides at the opening of a day’s session and prepares a list of senators from the majority party to preside hourly, throughout the day, on a rotating basis.

3. When does a senator speak on the floor?

Through floor speeches senators seek to explain their legislation, to convince other senators to support their bills, and to leave a legislative history of a bill for executive agencies and the courts to interpret after the law is enacted. They announce their positions on legislation, nominations, and treaties and offer their reasons for casting their votes for or against. Their remarks are broadcast to all Senate offices and to viewers at home. Reporters of debates are also recording everything said on the floor for publication in the next day’s Congressional Record.

4. What is a quorum call?

From time to time, debate is suspended for a quorum call, which will last for a few minutes or longer. During this period, the clerk will slowly call the names of all senators. There are two types of quorum calls. The most frequently used quorum calls simply suspend floor proceedings while awaiting the next scheduled speaker. Such quorum calls may also occur while the managers of the legislation under debate confer to seek compromise or to draft amendments to the bill. "Live" quorums, by contrast, are designed to bring enough senators to the chamber to establish that a majority is present to conduct business. Such quorums are sometimes employed by senators seeking to delay or otherwise prevent passage of legislation and are frequently demanded during filibusters.

5. Why are reading and writing prohibited?

Space in the gallery is limited, and visitors are often waiting for seats. For these reasons, and for purposes of general decorum, the reading of newspapers and other literature in the galleries is prohibited. Similarly, with the exception of the press galleries, writing is also prohibited. The official record of the debates is published the next day in the Congressional Record.

6. Can I take photos in the Senate?

No. For security purposes, all cameras must be checked before entering the Senate chamber. Flash photographs and noise of cameras are distracting to Senate business. However, once during each Congress, senators sit for an official photograph in the chamber.

7. Why must calculators be checked?

For security purposes, calculators, umbrellas, brief cases, back packs, radios, electronic equipment, food, flowers, flags and any bags other than ladies’ purses, must be checked before entering the galleries. All visitors will also pass through a screening device. These precautions insure the protection of senators and the public while keeping the U.S. Capitol and its legislative chambers as open and accessible as possible to all visitors.

8. Why can’t I see my senator from my seat in the gallery?

No gallery has an unobstructed view of the entire chamber. Although it seems that one might see better from a different gallery, in fact the best view is from the public gallery. Visitors should consult the seating chart to find their senators’ desks.

9. Who are those other people on the floor?

In addition to the senators, a variety of Senate staff may be seen within the chamber at any given time. At the desk immediately in front of the presiding officer sit the parliamentarian, the legislative clerk, the journal clerk, and often the executive clerk and bill clerk. The parliamentarian advises the presiding officer and the Senate as a whole on rules and precedents. The legislative clerk reads the bills and resolutions, and calls the roll of the senators for voting and quorum calls. The others receive and process materials relating to legislation, nominations, and treaties, for publication in official journals. In addition, reporters of debates can be seen recording everything spoken on the Senate floor to be transcribed and published in the next day’s Congressional Record. Seats near the rostrum are also reserved for the Secretary and Assistant Secretary of the Senate and the Sergeant at Arms. Similarly, the majority and minority party secretaries will be on the floor, along with staff members of the senator’s participating in the debate. The young people sitting on either side of the presiding officer’s desk are the pages, high school students who run errands for the senators and staff. The Senate rules specify who has floor privileges. Doorkeepers enforce those rules.

10. Why are the admission lines so long?

Seating in the public gallery is limited. The Senate galleries were not designed to accommodate the large crowds that visit the Capitol, particularly during the summer months; but visitors may wait in a designated space inside the Capitol until seating is available. To insure the safety of senators and others in the chamber, visitors to the Senate galleries must first pass through security. This process may cause further delays.

11. Why are passes required?

The Senate did not require passes for visitors to the public galleries until 1868, when passes were first issued to control the large crowds that attended the impeachment trial of President Andrew Johnson. Today, the pass system helps to regulate the flow of visitors to the galleries and serves to introduce the public to their senators’ offices where passes are available upon request. Foreign visitors may receive gallery passes from the appointment desk on the ground floor of the Capitol. Passes are only necessary for the galleries; and while there are some restricted areas, visitors are welcome to tour other public rooms in the Capitol and Senate office buildings.

12. What do the bells and lights mean?

The lights above the doors in the north side of the chamber and throughout the Senate complex correspond to a system of bells that alert senators to such legislative activities as voting and quorum calls. One long ring announces the opening of each day’s session; four short rings signal the end of a daily session. Senators cast their- votes in person in the Senate chamber: one short ring notifies them to return to the chamber for a yea or nay vote, and five short rings warn that only seven and a half minutes remain for the vote. A red light remains lit while the Senate is in session. A bright lamp is also lit on the top of the Capitol dome to indicate when the Senate or House is meeting.