WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:03.240 Welcome to another deep dive. We're really glad 00:00:03.240 --> 00:00:04.919 you could join us today. Yeah, thanks for being 00:00:04.919 --> 00:00:07.059 here. If you're preparing for a major policy 00:00:07.059 --> 00:00:09.439 meeting or maybe you're just, you know, trying 00:00:09.439 --> 00:00:11.679 to catch up on the structural dynamics of the 00:00:11.679 --> 00:00:14.199 federal government. Or even just looking to understand 00:00:14.199 --> 00:00:17.120 the specific individuals who are currently pulling 00:00:17.120 --> 00:00:20.140 the levers of American power. Exactly. If that's 00:00:20.140 --> 00:00:23.019 you, you are definitely in the right place. Our 00:00:23.019 --> 00:00:26.239 mission today is to unpack a really comprehensive 00:00:26.239 --> 00:00:29.859 Wikipedia article detailing the list of current 00:00:29.859 --> 00:00:33.079 United States senators for the 119th Congress. 00:00:33.719 --> 00:00:36.520 Which sounds a bit dry at first. Right. At first 00:00:36.520 --> 00:00:38.420 glance, you might assume a directory like this 00:00:38.420 --> 00:00:40.939 is just a boring spreadsheet of names, dates, 00:00:41.119 --> 00:00:43.759 and states. Just raw data. Yeah. But when we 00:00:43.759 --> 00:00:46.439 look closer, it actually serves as a highly detailed 00:00:46.439 --> 00:00:48.799 map of the human terrain of the United States 00:00:48.799 --> 00:00:51.850 Senate. We are going to explore the unexpectedly 00:00:51.850 --> 00:00:54.670 diverse backgrounds of the people wielding this 00:00:54.670 --> 00:00:57.009 power. The hidden mechanical quirks, too. Oh, 00:00:57.170 --> 00:00:59.289 absolutely. The loopholes that determine how 00:00:59.289 --> 00:01:01.570 they actually secure those seats and where they 00:01:01.570 --> 00:01:03.990 officially rank in the grand hierarchy of the 00:01:03.990 --> 00:01:06.069 American government. And just to set the ground 00:01:06.069 --> 00:01:08.909 rules for today's analysis, since we are examining 00:01:08.909 --> 00:01:11.370 current political figures and structural data 00:01:11.370 --> 00:01:13.049 involving both the Democratic and Republican 00:01:13.049 --> 00:01:16.010 parties, we're playing this strictly down the 00:01:16.010 --> 00:01:18.670 middle. Total neutrality. Exactly. We will maintain 00:01:18.670 --> 00:01:20.670 strict neutrality throughout the discussion. 00:01:21.430 --> 00:01:23.540 There are no endorsements here. We're not making 00:01:23.540 --> 00:01:27.640 policy judgments. Our focus is entirely on imparting 00:01:27.640 --> 00:01:30.400 the factual data and the structural mechanics 00:01:30.400 --> 00:01:32.920 detailed in the source material just so you can 00:01:32.920 --> 00:01:35.200 understand how the institution operates right 00:01:35.200 --> 00:01:38.500 now during the 119th Congress. That neutrality 00:01:38.500 --> 00:01:41.280 is so crucial because today we are looking at 00:01:41.280 --> 00:01:43.379 the bare -metal blueprint of the institution 00:01:43.379 --> 00:01:45.159 itself. Okay, let's unpack this. Right, let's 00:01:45.159 --> 00:01:47.260 dive in. Let's start with the raw composition 00:01:47.260 --> 00:01:50.180 of the chamber as it stands in January of 2025. 00:01:50.579 --> 00:01:54.810 We have 100 members total. Two representing each 00:01:54.810 --> 00:01:57.310 of the 50 states. Yep. And the current breakdown 00:01:57.310 --> 00:02:01.849 is 53 Republicans, 45 Democrats, and two independents. 00:02:02.109 --> 00:02:03.650 Though we need to pause on those independents. 00:02:03.989 --> 00:02:07.530 We do. Because regarding those two independents, 00:02:07.730 --> 00:02:10.069 Angus King of Maine and Bernie Sanders of Vermont, 00:02:10.569 --> 00:02:12.889 they vigorously protect their independent branding 00:02:12.889 --> 00:02:15.509 back in their home states. Oh, fiercely. But 00:02:15.509 --> 00:02:18.099 the source material notes that Functionally, 00:02:18.180 --> 00:02:20.819 within the halls of Washington, they officially 00:02:20.819 --> 00:02:23.719 caucus with the Democratic Party. And that procedural 00:02:23.719 --> 00:02:26.699 reality fundamentally changes the math for how 00:02:26.699 --> 00:02:29.759 the Senate operates. How so? Well, caucusing 00:02:29.759 --> 00:02:32.500 with the Democrats means King and Sanders sit 00:02:32.500 --> 00:02:34.659 in on the Senate Democratic caucus meetings. 00:02:35.080 --> 00:02:37.259 They align with them for all organizational purposes. 00:02:37.360 --> 00:02:39.379 Which is everything in the Senate. Right. It's 00:02:39.379 --> 00:02:41.639 a rigidly structured body. Things like committee 00:02:41.639 --> 00:02:44.580 assignments, floor time, legislative scheduling, 00:02:44.680 --> 00:02:47.659 all of that is distributed based on party blocks. 00:02:48.060 --> 00:02:50.900 So while their ballots say independent, the structural 00:02:50.900 --> 00:02:53.639 reality absorbs them into the Democratic machinery. 00:02:54.099 --> 00:02:56.979 Giving the Democrats a functional 47 seat voting 00:02:56.979 --> 00:02:59.439 block when organizing the chamber. Exactly. And 00:02:59.439 --> 00:03:01.719 on the other side of the aisle, holding 53 seats, 00:03:01.919 --> 00:03:04.300 the Republicans control the majority leadership. 00:03:04.840 --> 00:03:07.340 You have Senator John Thune of South Dakota operating 00:03:07.340 --> 00:03:10.080 as the Senate majority leader. With Senator John 00:03:10.080 --> 00:03:12.979 Barrasso of Wyoming serving as the majority whip. 00:03:13.240 --> 00:03:16.080 Right. For the minority, Senator Chuck Schumer 00:03:16.080 --> 00:03:18.879 of New York is the minority leader, alongside 00:03:18.879 --> 00:03:21.680 Senator Dick Durbin of Illinois as the minority 00:03:21.680 --> 00:03:25.340 whip. But beyond those party wranglers, the constitutional 00:03:25.340 --> 00:03:27.539 leadership of the Senate introduces a completely 00:03:27.539 --> 00:03:30.310 different dynamic. It really does. The Constitution 00:03:30.310 --> 00:03:32.789 designates the vice president of the United States 00:03:32.789 --> 00:03:35.430 as the president of the Senate, which currently 00:03:35.430 --> 00:03:37.870 places Vice President J .D. Vance, a Republican 00:03:37.870 --> 00:03:40.669 from Ohio, in that role. Because Vice President 00:03:40.669 --> 00:03:44.509 Vance holds the tiebreaking vote, it shifts the 00:03:44.509 --> 00:03:47.409 entire strategic landscape for Senator Thune 00:03:47.409 --> 00:03:49.449 and the Republican majority. Because he doesn't 00:03:49.449 --> 00:03:51.629 actually represent a state in a voting capacity, 00:03:51.629 --> 00:03:53.930 right? Right. He only casts a vote in the event 00:03:53.930 --> 00:03:56.520 of a deadlock. But practically speaking, having 00:03:56.520 --> 00:03:59.039 that ultimate tiebreaker in your column means 00:03:59.039 --> 00:04:01.819 the majority party only ever needs 50 reliable 00:04:01.819 --> 00:04:04.680 votes rather than 51 to push through an entirely 00:04:04.680 --> 00:04:07.680 partisan agenda or confirm controversial nominees. 00:04:08.000 --> 00:04:10.879 It makes every single defector crucial. Absolutely. 00:04:11.419 --> 00:04:13.659 But it provides a significant mathematical cushion. 00:04:14.579 --> 00:04:17.240 Now, when the vice president is not presiding 00:04:17.240 --> 00:04:20.459 over the chamber, that duty falls to the president 00:04:20.459 --> 00:04:23.019 pro tempore. Currently, that's Republican Chuck 00:04:23.019 --> 00:04:25.860 Grassley of Iowa. Yes. He holds this title as 00:04:25.860 --> 00:04:28.439 the party dean. since he's the senator with the 00:04:28.439 --> 00:04:30.660 most seniority in the majority party. And that 00:04:30.660 --> 00:04:32.879 seniority translates directly into the day -to 00:04:32.879 --> 00:04:35.040 -day operations of the chamber. If we connect 00:04:35.040 --> 00:04:38.300 this to the bigger picture, this rigid structure 00:04:38.300 --> 00:04:41.899 of majority control and strict seniority dictates 00:04:41.899 --> 00:04:44.199 absolutely everything about who sets the agenda. 00:04:44.360 --> 00:04:46.839 Right, the 53 Republican seats don't just represent. 00:04:47.069 --> 00:04:49.850 a voting advantage. They represent total control 00:04:49.850 --> 00:04:52.029 over the committee chairmanships. The source 00:04:52.029 --> 00:04:53.810 material highlights several of these shifts. 00:04:53.829 --> 00:04:56.670 You have Republicans like Tom Cotton of Arkansas 00:04:56.670 --> 00:04:58.370 chairing the select committee on intelligence 00:04:58.370 --> 00:05:01.050 and Tim Scott of South Carolina chairing the 00:05:01.050 --> 00:05:03.029 Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee. 00:05:03.410 --> 00:05:06.209 And those committee chairs wield immense, often 00:05:06.209 --> 00:05:09.290 unseen power. They decide which bills get hearings. 00:05:09.509 --> 00:05:11.490 They control the scheduling and they have the 00:05:11.490 --> 00:05:14.129 authority to just bury legislation before it 00:05:14.129 --> 00:05:16.350 ever reaches the Senate floor for a broader debate. 00:05:16.410 --> 00:05:18.649 Here's where it gets really interesting. Let's 00:05:18.649 --> 00:05:20.810 look at the actual individuals sitting in those 00:05:20.810 --> 00:05:23.209 hundred chairs and wielding that committee power. 00:05:23.569 --> 00:05:26.290 The resumes. Yes, the resumes. There is this 00:05:26.290 --> 00:05:30.050 persistent stereotype that the Senate is exclusively 00:05:30.050 --> 00:05:33.089 populated by lifelong politicians who followed 00:05:33.089 --> 00:05:36.329 a very specific pipeline. You know, Ivy League 00:05:36.329 --> 00:05:40.079 law school. a stint as a prosecutor or corporate 00:05:40.079 --> 00:05:42.639 attorney, and then a campaign for office. Which, 00:05:42.759 --> 00:05:44.879 to be fair, is true for a lot of them. Oh, sure. 00:05:45.180 --> 00:05:47.500 The occupations column in our source document 00:05:47.500 --> 00:05:49.540 definitely features its fair share of lawyers. 00:05:49.939 --> 00:05:52.439 But the resumes of the powerful are significantly 00:05:52.439 --> 00:05:55.240 more diverse than that stereotype suggests. It's 00:05:55.240 --> 00:05:57.579 not just a quirk of the data either. It actually 00:05:57.579 --> 00:06:00.060 reflects the framers' original design. Exactly. 00:06:00.420 --> 00:06:02.660 They wanted the Senate to represent the specific 00:06:02.660 --> 00:06:05.360 economic engines and localized cultures of the 00:06:05.360 --> 00:06:08.339 states themselves. And the occupational variety 00:06:08.339 --> 00:06:11.579 becomes striking when you analyze the specific 00:06:11.579 --> 00:06:13.920 professional backgrounds these senators bring 00:06:13.920 --> 00:06:16.759 to the table. The contrast is immediately apparent 00:06:16.759 --> 00:06:18.779 when we look at the athletes and coaches. You 00:06:18.779 --> 00:06:21.399 have Senator Tommy Tuberville, a Republican from 00:06:21.399 --> 00:06:24.259 Alabama, whose listed occupation is college football 00:06:24.259 --> 00:06:26.540 coach. Right. Then there's Senator Mark Wayne 00:06:26.540 --> 00:06:29.399 Mullen, a Republican from Oklahoma. Alongside 00:06:29.399 --> 00:06:31.860 being a businessman and radio host, his resume 00:06:31.860 --> 00:06:35.420 explicitly lists mixed martial artist. That is 00:06:35.420 --> 00:06:37.480 a very different kind of professional background 00:06:37.480 --> 00:06:39.920 than navigating a corporate boardroom. It really 00:06:39.920 --> 00:06:42.759 speaks to a completely different style of constituent 00:06:42.759 --> 00:06:45.180 connection and local localized representation. 00:06:46.019 --> 00:06:48.420 But the variety becomes even more consequential 00:06:48.420 --> 00:06:51.620 when we examine the STEM and medical fields represented 00:06:51.620 --> 00:06:53.879 in the chamber. The technical expertise is actually 00:06:53.879 --> 00:06:56.439 quite substantial. You have Mark Kelly, a Democrat 00:06:56.439 --> 00:06:59.180 from Arizona, whose occupation includes U .S. 00:06:59.339 --> 00:07:02.220 Navy officer and NASA astronaut. Pretty unique 00:07:02.220 --> 00:07:05.019 resume there. Unbelievably unique. Or consider 00:07:05.019 --> 00:07:07.920 Jackie Rosen, a Democrat from Nevada, whose background 00:07:07.920 --> 00:07:10.199 is in software development and computer programming. 00:07:10.459 --> 00:07:13.379 And John Hickenlooper, a Democrat from Colorado, 00:07:13.920 --> 00:07:16.019 worked as a geologist before entering business 00:07:16.019 --> 00:07:19.199 and politics. We also see a very strong, highly 00:07:19.199 --> 00:07:21.180 specialized presence from the medical field. 00:07:21.860 --> 00:07:24.259 Republican Rand Paul of Kentucky is a physician 00:07:24.259 --> 00:07:26.699 specializing in ophthalmology. And Republican 00:07:26.699 --> 00:07:28.879 Bill Cassidy of Louisiana is also a physician. 00:07:29.279 --> 00:07:31.660 Beyond the technical fields, there is a prominent 00:07:31.660 --> 00:07:34.540 block of senators whose occupations represent 00:07:34.540 --> 00:07:37.680 the everyday foundational industries of the country. 00:07:38.240 --> 00:07:40.279 Democratic Senator Raphael Warnock of Georgia 00:07:40.279 --> 00:07:42.720 is a pastor. A very community -focused role. 00:07:42.819 --> 00:07:45.120 Very much so. And then we have a group of senators 00:07:45.120 --> 00:07:48.100 whose professional lives are deeply tied to agriculture, 00:07:48.360 --> 00:07:50.540 the very lifeblood of their state's economies. 00:07:51.199 --> 00:07:54.379 Chuck Grassley of Iowa, Joni Ernst of Iowa, and 00:07:54.379 --> 00:07:56.620 Cindy Hyde -Smith of Mississippi. All Republicans. 00:07:56.759 --> 00:07:59.160 Yes, all Republicans, and they explicitly list 00:07:59.160 --> 00:08:01.720 farmer or rancher on their resume. Understanding 00:08:01.720 --> 00:08:04.100 these diverse professional backgrounds is vital 00:08:04.100 --> 00:08:06.220 for analyzing how the Senate actually functions. 00:08:06.879 --> 00:08:09.120 The chamber is constantly tasked with debating 00:08:09.120 --> 00:08:12.180 and passing laws on incredibly complex highly 00:08:12.180 --> 00:08:15.160 specialized issues. Right like technology regulations. 00:08:15.699 --> 00:08:18.339 Exactly. When the Senate attempts to regulate 00:08:18.339 --> 00:08:20.680 emerging technologies artificial intelligence 00:08:20.680 --> 00:08:23.959 or national data privacy standards having a former 00:08:23.959 --> 00:08:26.160 software developer and computer programmer like 00:08:26.160 --> 00:08:29.100 Jackie Rosen in the room. fundamentally alters 00:08:29.100 --> 00:08:31.420 the baseline of the conversation. Which means 00:08:31.420 --> 00:08:34.440 the legislative body isn't relying entirely on... 00:08:34.440 --> 00:08:36.960 External lobbyists. Exactly. External lobbyists 00:08:36.960 --> 00:08:39.940 are policy staffers who explain the basic mechanics 00:08:39.940 --> 00:08:42.799 of an algorithm. The same logic applies to health 00:08:42.799 --> 00:08:45.759 care reform. When complex bills regarding Medicare 00:08:45.759 --> 00:08:48.120 reimbursement rates, hospital administrative 00:08:48.120 --> 00:08:50.299 regulations, or pharmaceutical pricing hit the 00:08:50.299 --> 00:08:53.080 floor, having practicing physicians like Rand 00:08:53.080 --> 00:08:56.340 Paul or Bill Cassidy involved introduces a real 00:08:56.340 --> 00:08:59.159 world clinical framework. Into what is otherwise 00:08:59.159 --> 00:09:01.720 a highly bureaucratic environment. Precisely. 00:09:02.080 --> 00:09:05.000 And we see this dynamic most clearly with agriculture. 00:09:05.639 --> 00:09:08.009 When the Senate negotiates the farm bill, which 00:09:08.009 --> 00:09:10.409 is a massive piece of legislation that dictates 00:09:10.409 --> 00:09:13.110 the food supply, conservation efforts, and the 00:09:13.110 --> 00:09:15.110 agricultural economy for the entire country. 00:09:15.730 --> 00:09:18.129 Having farmers and ranchers like Chuck Grassley 00:09:18.129 --> 00:09:20.789 and Joni Ernst directly involved ensures the 00:09:20.789 --> 00:09:22.789 policy is shaped by individuals who understand 00:09:22.789 --> 00:09:26.399 the localized reality of crop yields. and agricultural 00:09:26.399 --> 00:09:29.379 economics. It anchors the legislative process 00:09:29.379 --> 00:09:32.080 in the actual economic engines of their respective 00:09:32.080 --> 00:09:34.620 states. It prevents the Senate from operating 00:09:34.620 --> 00:09:37.500 purely on abstract legal theory. Exactly. It 00:09:37.500 --> 00:09:39.620 really changes how you view the institution. 00:09:40.019 --> 00:09:42.879 Instead of a monolithic group of identical politicians, 00:09:43.279 --> 00:09:45.919 it's a geologist, an astronaut, a pastor, and 00:09:45.919 --> 00:09:48.460 a mixed martial artist all trying to negotiate 00:09:48.460 --> 00:09:51.200 federal policy. It's quite the visual. It is. 00:09:51.279 --> 00:09:53.860 But navigating the path into those specific Senate 00:09:53.860 --> 00:09:56.019 seats is not always as straightforward as winning 00:09:56.019 --> 00:09:58.080 a general election on a Tuesday in November. 00:09:58.720 --> 00:10:01.399 There are complex mechanical quirks and logistical 00:10:01.399 --> 00:10:04.240 hurdles detailed in this document. What's fascinating 00:10:04.240 --> 00:10:07.480 here is the fine print. When you analyze the 00:10:07.480 --> 00:10:10.279 footnotes of this Wikipedia page, you uncover 00:10:10.279 --> 00:10:13.899 a constant churn of transition. It reveals that 00:10:13.899 --> 00:10:17.059 the transfer of power in the Senate often involves 00:10:17.059 --> 00:10:19.450 significant logistical maneuvering. The delayed 00:10:19.450 --> 00:10:21.629 inaugurations are a perfect example of this. 00:10:22.190 --> 00:10:24.590 The new Congress officially begins its term in 00:10:24.590 --> 00:10:27.470 early January. However, the footnotes reveal 00:10:27.470 --> 00:10:29.570 that Republican Senator Rick Scott of Florida 00:10:29.570 --> 00:10:32.029 had his Senate inauguration delayed when he was 00:10:32.029 --> 00:10:34.870 first elected. The delay was required so he could 00:10:34.870 --> 00:10:36.990 finish out his term as the governor of Florida. 00:10:37.190 --> 00:10:39.809 And we saw the exact same mechanical delay occur 00:10:39.809 --> 00:10:42.549 with Republican Senator Jim Justice of West Virginia. 00:10:42.730 --> 00:10:45.210 Right. His inauguration was delayed in January 00:10:45.210 --> 00:10:48.450 2025, specifically so he could wrap up his executive 00:10:48.450 --> 00:10:50.789 duties as governor. So the Senate essentially 00:10:50.789 --> 00:10:53.049 has to hold their seats open while they finish 00:10:53.049 --> 00:10:56.200 their previous state level obligations. It perfectly 00:10:56.200 --> 00:10:58.700 illustrates how tightly interwoven state and 00:10:58.700 --> 00:11:02.019 federal governance can be. But even more impactful 00:11:02.019 --> 00:11:04.700 than delayed inaugurations is the frequency of 00:11:04.700 --> 00:11:06.720 Senate appointments. Oh, this is a huge factor. 00:11:06.960 --> 00:11:09.600 It really is. While the public generally views 00:11:09.600 --> 00:11:12.580 senators as strictly elected officials, the source 00:11:12.580 --> 00:11:15.600 material documents how often these powerful seats 00:11:15.600 --> 00:11:18.700 change hands entirely outside of the normal election 00:11:18.700 --> 00:11:22.259 cycles. Due to resignations or members transitioning 00:11:22.259 --> 00:11:24.980 to other government roles? Right. The history 00:11:24.980 --> 00:11:27.399 of Lisa Murkowski's seat is a prime example of 00:11:27.399 --> 00:11:30.019 this mechanism. The Republican from Alaska was 00:11:30.019 --> 00:11:32.460 originally appointed to her Senate seat in December 00:11:32.460 --> 00:11:36.019 of 2002. She filled a vacancy left by the resignation 00:11:36.019 --> 00:11:38.399 of Senator Frank Murkowski, who happens to be 00:11:38.399 --> 00:11:41.039 her father. Yeah, quite the connection. He resigned 00:11:41.039 --> 00:11:43.220 from the Senate upon being elected governor of 00:11:43.220 --> 00:11:46.240 Alaska and utilized his new executive power to 00:11:46.240 --> 00:11:48.639 appoint his daughter to his vacant federal seat. 00:11:48.860 --> 00:11:51.620 While she has subsequently won multiple elections 00:11:51.620 --> 00:11:54.039 to retain the position, her initial entry was 00:11:54.039 --> 00:11:56.019 secured through a direct family appointment. 00:11:56.159 --> 00:11:58.159 We observe a similar mechanism with Republican 00:11:58.159 --> 00:12:00.600 Pete Ricketts of Nebraska. He was appointed to 00:12:00.600 --> 00:12:03.740 his seat in January 2023 following the resignation 00:12:03.740 --> 00:12:07.100 of Senator Ben Sasse. But this process is particularly 00:12:07.100 --> 00:12:10.419 relevant right now in 2025, as the new presidential 00:12:10.419 --> 00:12:12.580 administration has triggered a massive shift 00:12:12.580 --> 00:12:14.970 in the Senate map. Because J .D. Vance was elected 00:12:14.970 --> 00:12:17.669 vice president, he was required to resign his 00:12:17.669 --> 00:12:20.350 Senate seat representing Ohio. Consequently, 00:12:20.629 --> 00:12:22.909 the governor of Ohio appointed Republican Bernie 00:12:22.909 --> 00:12:25.690 Moreno to fill that vacancy. And simultaneously 00:12:25.690 --> 00:12:29.169 in Florida, Marco Rubio was confirmed as secretary 00:12:29.169 --> 00:12:31.169 of state, opening up his seat, which the governor 00:12:31.169 --> 00:12:33.389 filled by appointing Republican Ashley Moody. 00:12:33.529 --> 00:12:36.129 It's critical to understand that these gubernatorial 00:12:36.129 --> 00:12:39.070 appointments are not permanent passes for a full 00:12:39.070 --> 00:12:42.250 six -year term. The footnotes explicitly clarify 00:12:42.250 --> 00:12:44.870 that because of these specific vacancies, both 00:12:44.870 --> 00:12:47.409 Ohio and Florida are mandated to hold special 00:12:47.409 --> 00:12:50.470 elections in 2026. Right. The voters must go 00:12:50.470 --> 00:12:52.570 to the polls to elect representatives strictly 00:12:52.570 --> 00:12:54.389 to complete the remainder of the original class 00:12:54.389 --> 00:12:56.730 three terms. And just to clarify the mechanics 00:12:56.730 --> 00:12:59.269 of those classes for a moment, the framers designed 00:12:59.269 --> 00:13:01.789 the Senate to be staggered. They divided the 00:13:01.789 --> 00:13:04.360 hundred seats into three separate classes. This 00:13:04.360 --> 00:13:06.460 ensures that only one third of the Senate is 00:13:06.460 --> 00:13:08.980 up for election every two years. Preventing the 00:13:08.980 --> 00:13:11.179 entire chamber from being turned over in a single 00:13:11.179 --> 00:13:14.539 election cycle. Exactly. So for Ohio and Florida, 00:13:14.860 --> 00:13:17.299 these specific class three seats do not naturally 00:13:17.299 --> 00:13:20.860 expire until 2028. The special elections in twenty 00:13:20.860 --> 00:13:23.360 twenty six are high stakes off cycle battles 00:13:23.360 --> 00:13:25.519 merely to determine who gets to serve out the 00:13:25.519 --> 00:13:28.399 final two years of Vance and Rubio's original 00:13:28.399 --> 00:13:30.559 mandates. It guarantees that the political map 00:13:30.559 --> 00:13:33.860 is in a constant state of flux. Millions of dollars 00:13:33.860 --> 00:13:36.799 and immense political capital will be spent defending 00:13:36.799 --> 00:13:39.759 these appointed seats. So we have this constant 00:13:39.759 --> 00:13:42.399 relentless churn of power. Political parties 00:13:42.399 --> 00:13:44.299 and individual candidates are fighting tooth 00:13:44.299 --> 00:13:47.139 and nail utilizing every appointment loophole 00:13:47.139 --> 00:13:49.340 and special election possible to secure these 00:13:49.340 --> 00:13:52.200 100 seats? It's highly competitive. It is. But 00:13:52.200 --> 00:13:54.440 despite the incredible lengths people go to secure 00:13:54.440 --> 00:13:56.519 a place in the United States Senate, there is 00:13:56.519 --> 00:13:59.120 an official document that puts their actual status 00:13:59.120 --> 00:14:01.600 into a rather surprising perspective. At the 00:14:01.600 --> 00:14:03.360 very bottom of our source document, there is 00:14:03.360 --> 00:14:05.860 an official list called the Order of Precedence. 00:14:06.080 --> 00:14:09.000 It literally dictates the ceremonial and diplomatic 00:14:09.000 --> 00:14:11.500 hierarchy of the United States government. Given 00:14:11.500 --> 00:14:13.779 their immense constitutional power to confirm 00:14:13.779 --> 00:14:16.639 Supreme Court justices, ratify international 00:14:16.639 --> 00:14:18.830 treaties, and authorize trillions of dollars 00:14:18.830 --> 00:14:21.509 in federal budgets, one might assume a sitting 00:14:21.509 --> 00:14:23.929 U .S. senator would be ranked near the very apex 00:14:23.929 --> 00:14:26.429 of this list. Like, just below the president. 00:14:26.990 --> 00:14:30.250 Exactly. However, the reality of the order of 00:14:30.250 --> 00:14:33.110 precedents places them remarkably far down the 00:14:33.110 --> 00:14:35.919 chain. It's a fascinating measure of institutional 00:14:35.919 --> 00:14:38.779 status. Unsurprisingly, President Donald Trump 00:14:38.779 --> 00:14:41.480 holds the top position. He is followed by Vice 00:14:41.480 --> 00:14:44.440 President J .D. Vance. Then the governor of whatever 00:14:44.440 --> 00:14:46.879 state the event is being held in takes precedence. 00:14:47.159 --> 00:14:49.000 Following them are House Speaker Mike Johnson 00:14:49.000 --> 00:14:51.460 and Chief Justice John Roberts. That initial 00:14:51.460 --> 00:14:54.220 tier completely aligns with general expectations 00:14:54.220 --> 00:14:57.379 of executive and judicial power. But from there, 00:14:57.580 --> 00:15:00.240 the current sitting senators get pushed significantly 00:15:00.240 --> 00:15:02.679 further down the line. They fall behind an extensive 00:15:02.679 --> 00:15:05.600 list of former officials. Every living former 00:15:05.600 --> 00:15:08.340 president outranks a sitting senator. That includes 00:15:08.340 --> 00:15:11.500 Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama, and 00:15:11.500 --> 00:15:14.200 Joe Biden. Furthermore, the former vice presidents 00:15:14.200 --> 00:15:17.860 Dan Quayle, Al Gore, Mike Pence, and Kamala Harris 00:15:17.860 --> 00:15:21.320 all outrank a current sitting U .S. senator in 00:15:21.320 --> 00:15:24.289 this official diplomatic order. The list just 00:15:24.289 --> 00:15:27.029 continues to prioritize executive and diplomatic 00:15:27.029 --> 00:15:29.970 roles over current legislative power. United 00:15:29.970 --> 00:15:32.289 States ambassadors outrank sitting senators. 00:15:32.870 --> 00:15:35.710 The Secretary of State Marco Rubio outranks them. 00:15:35.990 --> 00:15:37.909 The sitting associate justices of the Supreme 00:15:37.909 --> 00:15:41.210 Court outrank them. Even retired associate justices 00:15:41.210 --> 00:15:43.490 such as Anthony Kennedy and Stephen Breyer take 00:15:43.490 --> 00:15:46.669 precedence. And crucially, all the members of 00:15:46.669 --> 00:15:49.570 the president's cabinet outrank a sitting U .S. 00:15:49.769 --> 00:15:51.649 senator. The structural irony there is remarkable. 00:15:51.850 --> 00:15:53.870 The secretary of agriculture outranks the very 00:15:53.870 --> 00:15:56.169 senators like Grassley and Ernst to actually 00:15:56.169 --> 00:15:58.570 write and pass the agricultural laws that the 00:15:58.570 --> 00:16:00.850 secretary is tasked with enforcing. There is 00:16:00.850 --> 00:16:03.309 exactly one structural exception for the Senate 00:16:03.309 --> 00:16:06.129 within this hierarchy. The Senate president pro 00:16:06.129 --> 00:16:08.570 tempore, currently Chuck Grassley, is granted 00:16:08.570 --> 00:16:10.909 a special exemption due to his specific constitutional 00:16:10.909 --> 00:16:13.690 role. He gets to jump the line. He does. He's 00:16:13.690 --> 00:16:15.590 placed immediately after the cabinet members. 00:16:16.190 --> 00:16:18.389 This positions him ahead of the rest of the regular 00:16:18.389 --> 00:16:20.529 senators who finally take their place in the 00:16:20.529 --> 00:16:22.850 order, just ahead of the state governors and 00:16:22.850 --> 00:16:24.210 the members of the House of Representatives. 00:16:24.330 --> 00:16:26.889 It offers a very revealing glimpse into how the 00:16:26.889 --> 00:16:29.450 federal government prioritizes institutional 00:16:29.450 --> 00:16:34.190 memory, executive authority, and diplomatic representation 00:16:34.190 --> 00:16:37.169 over raw legislative power, at least in matters 00:16:37.169 --> 00:16:40.049 of official protocol. Definitely. So taking a 00:16:40.049 --> 00:16:43.019 step back, Why should you care about all these 00:16:43.019 --> 00:16:45.120 procedural mechanics? Why does it matter that 00:16:45.120 --> 00:16:47.399 the Senate operates on these staggered classes, 00:16:47.940 --> 00:16:50.519 relies on a constant rotation of special appointments, 00:16:50.860 --> 00:16:53.559 and is populated by everyone from astronauts 00:16:53.559 --> 00:16:55.840 and mixed martial artists to farmers and software 00:16:55.840 --> 00:16:58.539 developers? Fair question. It matters because 00:16:58.539 --> 00:17:01.379 every single federal law, every comprehensive 00:17:01.379 --> 00:17:04.119 budget, every confirmation of a federal judge 00:17:04.119 --> 00:17:07.019 who will rule on constitutional rights, and every 00:17:07.019 --> 00:17:09.779 major diplomatic treaty that shapes the country's 00:17:09.779 --> 00:17:13.240 trajectory passes through this incredibly specific 00:17:13.240 --> 00:17:17.200 filter, a filter comprised of exactly 100 human 00:17:17.200 --> 00:17:20.119 beings. When you understand the varied professional 00:17:20.119 --> 00:17:22.079 backgrounds they bring from their home states 00:17:22.079 --> 00:17:24.720 and the fierce logistical battles fought just 00:17:24.720 --> 00:17:27.329 to get them into those seats, you see Stop viewing 00:17:27.329 --> 00:17:30.130 the United States Senate as a faceless, monolithic 00:17:30.130 --> 00:17:33.509 institution. You recognize it as a dynamic collection 00:17:33.509 --> 00:17:37.069 of unique life experiences shaped by local state 00:17:37.069 --> 00:17:40.170 economies all colliding in Washington to negotiate 00:17:40.170 --> 00:17:42.390 the future of the country. So what does this 00:17:42.390 --> 00:17:45.089 all mean? I believe it points us toward a fundamental 00:17:45.089 --> 00:17:47.049 tension at the heart of the Senate's design. 00:17:47.410 --> 00:17:49.210 And I want to leave you with a final thought 00:17:49.210 --> 00:17:52.049 to mull over, drawing on one last historical 00:17:52.049 --> 00:17:54.589 footnote from our source material regarding the 00:17:54.589 --> 00:17:57.880 strict rules of seniority. We analyzed how vital 00:17:57.880 --> 00:18:00.740 seniority is for securing those incredibly powerful 00:18:00.740 --> 00:18:03.279 committee chairmanships, dictating who sets the 00:18:03.279 --> 00:18:05.759 legislative agenda. Well, the document notes 00:18:05.759 --> 00:18:08.619 a fascinating maneuver from 2002. Republican 00:18:08.619 --> 00:18:11.200 Senator Phil Gramm of Texas intentionally resigned 00:18:11.200 --> 00:18:13.559 his seat a few weeks before his term was scheduled 00:18:13.559 --> 00:18:16.400 to expire. Why would he do that? His calculated 00:18:16.400 --> 00:18:19.019 goal was to give his newly elected successor, 00:18:19.599 --> 00:18:22.460 fellow Republican John Cornyn, a mechanical head 00:18:22.460 --> 00:18:26.150 start. Graham wanted Cornyn to be sworn in early 00:18:26.150 --> 00:18:28.930 so he could accrue precious days of seniority 00:18:28.930 --> 00:18:31.390 over all the other incoming freshman senators 00:18:31.390 --> 00:18:34.109 in his class. Thereby giving him an edge in future 00:18:34.109 --> 00:18:37.230 committee assignments. Exactly. Ultimately, this 00:18:37.230 --> 00:18:39.789 specific maneuver was blocked by a 1980 rules 00:18:39.789 --> 00:18:42.750 committee policy, neutralizing the intended advantage. 00:18:43.490 --> 00:18:45.829 But it raises a vital question about the institution 00:18:45.829 --> 00:18:48.480 itself. We've spent this deep dive exploring 00:18:48.480 --> 00:18:51.019 the diverse real world resumes of these senators. 00:18:51.759 --> 00:18:54.380 The innovative localized problem solving perspectives 00:18:54.380 --> 00:18:56.640 brought in by the tech developers, the physicians, 00:18:56.839 --> 00:18:58.819 the military officers, and the agricultural leaders. 00:18:59.369 --> 00:19:01.950 But in an institutional system where actual legislative 00:19:01.950 --> 00:19:03.930 power, committee -influenced agenda setting, 00:19:04.269 --> 00:19:06.529 are so heavily dictated by relentless rules of 00:19:06.529 --> 00:19:08.910 seniority and procedural maneuvering, does the 00:19:08.910 --> 00:19:11.250 Senate truly reward those fresh, specialized 00:19:11.250 --> 00:19:13.990 perspectives? Or does the rigid structure of 00:19:13.990 --> 00:19:16.529 the institution inherently favor those who simply 00:19:16.529 --> 00:19:18.390 possess the political endurance to remain there 00:19:18.390 --> 00:19:21.430 the longest? It's a profound structural question. 00:19:21.789 --> 00:19:24.670 Does the system elevate the best localized ideas, 00:19:24.670 --> 00:19:27.109 or does it simply empower the individuals who 00:19:27.109 --> 00:19:29.069 refuse to leave? It is a dynamic question. to 00:19:29.069 --> 00:19:31.269 watch closely the next time a major piece of 00:19:31.269 --> 00:19:33.230 legislation is being negotiated in committee. 00:19:34.089 --> 00:19:36.109 Thank you so much for joining us on this exploration 00:19:36.109 --> 00:19:38.269 of the human terrain of the United States Senate. 00:19:38.670 --> 00:19:40.710 Keep analyzing the structures of power around 00:19:40.710 --> 00:19:43.410 you, always read the footnotes, and we will catch 00:19:43.410 --> 00:19:44.849 you on the next deep dive.