Floor Services Chief
Encyclopedia
The Floor Services Chief is the title of the staff member in the Speaker
's or Majority Leader
's office who runs the Majority cloakroom in the United States House of Representatives
. The current Floor Services Chief is Timothy J. Harroun, appointed by Republican
Speaker John Boehner
. His predecessor is Barry K. Sullivan, who was appointed by Democratic
Speaker Nancy Pelosi
. Sullivan's predecessor was Harroun, who was appointed by Republican Speaker Dennis Hastert
. When Harroun is Floor Services Chief, Sullivan is Minority Cloakroom Manager. Similarly, when Sullivan was Floor Services Chief, Harroun was Minority Cloakroom Manager.
The position is informally known as the "cloakroom manager", as it has traditionally included responsibility for overseeing the operations of the majority party's cloakroom, such as the snack bar, telephones, and clothing storage.
through the 2010 State of the Union Address
(i.e. the 110th
and 111th
Congresses), the Floor Services Chief announced the entry of the:
at each Joint Session of Congress that the President addressed (i.e., excluding the Joint Session for the counting of electoral votes).
When the President spoke at a Joint Session, the Floor Services Chief and the House Sergeant at Arms together announced his presence, with the Floor Services Chief loudly stating the phrase: "Madame Speaker" (this responsibility existed only under Speaker Nancy Pelosi
), to which the Sergeant at Arms rejoined: "The President of the United States." (The announcement of the President has been solely the role of the House Sergeant at Arms since 2011, as it was before 2007, when Floor Services Chief Barry K. Sullivan was accorded the responsibility of uttering the first part by Speaker Pelosi.)
During the six Joint Meetings of Congress (bicameral gatherings at which the President did not speak, but at which a foreign head of state
or head of government
did) in the 110th and 111th Congresses, the Floor Services Chief likewise announced all of the other persons listed above. Then, unlike in a Joint Session, the Floor Services Chief alone performed the complete announcement of the foreign head of government, while the House Sergeant at Arms simply physically escorted the visiting dignitary to the Speaker's rostrum.
Speaker of the United States House of Representatives
The Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, or Speaker of the House, is the presiding officer of the United States House of Representatives...
's or Majority Leader
Party leaders of the United States House of Representatives
Party leaders of the United States House of Representatives are elected by their respective parties in a closed-door caucus by secret ballot and are also known as floor leaders. The U.S. House of Representatives does not officially use the term "Minority Leader", although the media frequently does...
's office who runs the Majority cloakroom in the United States House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
. The current Floor Services Chief is Timothy J. Harroun, appointed by Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
Speaker John Boehner
John Boehner
John Andrew Boehner is the 61st and current Speaker of the United States House of Representatives. A member of the Republican Party, he is the U.S. Representative from , serving since 1991...
. His predecessor is Barry K. Sullivan, who was appointed by Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
Speaker Nancy Pelosi
Nancy Pelosi
Nancy Patricia D'Alesandro Pelosi is the Minority Leader of the United States House of Representatives and served as the 60th Speaker of the United States House of Representatives from 2007 to 2011...
. Sullivan's predecessor was Harroun, who was appointed by Republican Speaker Dennis Hastert
Dennis Hastert
John Dennis "Denny" Hastert was the 59th Speaker of the House serving from 1999 to 2007. He represented as a Republican for twenty years, 1987 to 2007.He is the longest-serving Republican Speaker in history...
. When Harroun is Floor Services Chief, Sullivan is Minority Cloakroom Manager. Similarly, when Sullivan was Floor Services Chief, Harroun was Minority Cloakroom Manager.
The position is informally known as the "cloakroom manager", as it has traditionally included responsibility for overseeing the operations of the majority party's cloakroom, such as the snack bar, telephones, and clothing storage.
Added responsibilities, 2007–2010
From the 2007 State of the Union Address2007 State of the Union Address
The 2007 State of the Union address was a speech given by United States President George W. Bush on Tuesday, January 23, 2007, at 9:13 P.M. EST. The speech was given in front of a joint session of Congress, presided over by Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi and Vice President...
through the 2010 State of the Union Address
2010 State of the Union Address
The 2010 State of the Union Address was given by United States President Barack Obama on January 27, 2010, to a joint session of Congress. It was aired on all the major networks starting at 9 p.m. ET...
(i.e. the 110th
110th United States Congress
The One Hundred Tenth United States Congress was the meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, between January 3, 2007, and January 3, 2009, during the last two years of the second term of President George W. Bush. It was composed of the Senate and the House of...
and 111th
111th United States Congress
The One Hundred Eleventh United States Congress was the meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government from January 3, 2009 until January 3, 2011. It began during the last two weeks of the George W. Bush administration, with the remainder spanning the first two years of...
Congresses), the Floor Services Chief announced the entry of the:
- Vice PresidentVice President of the United StatesThe Vice President of the United States is the holder of a public office created by the United States Constitution. The Vice President, together with the President of the United States, is indirectly elected by the people, through the Electoral College, to a four-year term...
and SenateUnited States SenateThe United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each... - Dean of the Diplomatic Corps (or Acting Dean)
- Chief Justice of the United StatesChief Justice of the United StatesThe Chief Justice of the United States is the head of the United States federal court system and the chief judge of the Supreme Court of the United States. The Chief Justice is one of nine Supreme Court justices; the other eight are the Associate Justices of the Supreme Court of the United States...
and the Associate JusticeAssociate JusticeAssociate Justice or Associate Judge is the title for a member of a judicial panel who is not the Chief Justice in some jurisdictions. The title "Associate Justice" is used for members of the United States Supreme Court and some state supreme courts, and for some other courts in Commonwealth...
s - the CabinetUnited States CabinetThe Cabinet of the United States is composed of the most senior appointed officers of the executive branch of the federal government of the United States, which are generally the heads of the federal executive departments...
at each Joint Session of Congress that the President addressed (i.e., excluding the Joint Session for the counting of electoral votes).
When the President spoke at a Joint Session, the Floor Services Chief and the House Sergeant at Arms together announced his presence, with the Floor Services Chief loudly stating the phrase: "Madame Speaker" (this responsibility existed only under Speaker Nancy Pelosi
Nancy Pelosi
Nancy Patricia D'Alesandro Pelosi is the Minority Leader of the United States House of Representatives and served as the 60th Speaker of the United States House of Representatives from 2007 to 2011...
), to which the Sergeant at Arms rejoined: "The President of the United States." (The announcement of the President has been solely the role of the House Sergeant at Arms since 2011, as it was before 2007, when Floor Services Chief Barry K. Sullivan was accorded the responsibility of uttering the first part by Speaker Pelosi.)
During the six Joint Meetings of Congress (bicameral gatherings at which the President did not speak, but at which a foreign head of state
Head of State
A head of state is the individual that serves as the chief public representative of a monarchy, republic, federation, commonwealth or other kind of state. His or her role generally includes legitimizing the state and exercising the political powers, functions, and duties granted to the head of...
or head of government
Head of government
Head of government is the chief officer of the executive branch of a government, often presiding over a cabinet. In a parliamentary system, the head of government is often styled prime minister, chief minister, premier, etc...
did) in the 110th and 111th Congresses, the Floor Services Chief likewise announced all of the other persons listed above. Then, unlike in a Joint Session, the Floor Services Chief alone performed the complete announcement of the foreign head of government, while the House Sergeant at Arms simply physically escorted the visiting dignitary to the Speaker's rostrum.