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January 14, 2021
Senate Sergeant at Arms and Doorkeeper: A Primer
The Sergeant at Arms and Doorkeeper (Sergeant at Arms)
Table 1. Senate Sergeant at Arms and Doorkeeper,
is an elected officer of the Senate and is the chamber’s
1991-2021
primary law enforcement and protocol official, responsible
for the protection, security, decorum, and other
First
administrative aspects of the Senate floor, Senate wing of
Congresses
Name
Elected
the Capitol, Senate office buildings, and adjacent grounds.
102nd (1991-92) to
Martha Pope
1/3/1991
The office was initially established during the First
103rd (1993-94)
Congress, when the Senate elected James Mathers as Senate
Doorkeeper. The Senate Sergeant at Arms performs duties
103rd (1993-94)
Robert Laurent Benoit
4/15/1994
according to law, Senate rules, and custom.
104th (1995-96)
Howard Greene
1/4/1995
104th (1995-96) to
Gregory Casey
9/6/1996
Resolved, That the Doorkeeper of the Senate be, and
105th (1997-98)
he is hereby, invested with the authority of Sergeant-
105th (1997-98) to
James Ziglar
11/9/1998
at-Arms, to hold said of ice during the pleasure of the
107th (2001-02)
Senate, whose duty it shal be to execute the
commands of the senate, from time to time, and al
107th (2001-02) to
Alfonso Lenhardt
9/4/2001
such process as shal be directed to him by the
108th (2003-04)
President of the Senate.
108th (2003-04) to
Wil iam Pickle
3/17/2003
109th (2005-06)
-Annals of Congress, February 5, 1798, pp. 497-498.
110th (2007-08) to
Terrance Gainer
1/4/2007
113th (2013-14)
Selection Process
113th (2013-14)
Andrew Wil ison
5/5/2014
The Senate elects the Sergeant at Arms, who serves until
the Senate chooses a successor. The Senate typically
114th (2015-16) to
Frank Larkin
1/6/2015
considers a Senate Resolution (S.Res.) to elect a Sergeant at
115th (2017-18)
Arms. Typically, the Senate agrees to the resolution by
unanimous consent (UC). For example, the Senate last
115th (2017-18) to
Michael Stengera
4/16/2018
elected a Sergeant at Arms, Michael Stenger, in the 115th
117th (2021-22)
Congress (S.Res. 465). He resigned on January 7, 2021.
Source: U.S. Congress, Senate Historical Office, at
https://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/history/common/briefing/
Acting Sergeant at Arms Appointment
sergeant_at_arms.htm.
Should the Sergeant at Arms die, resign, or become
Notes:
disabled, the Deputy Sergeant at Arms “shall act” as
a.
Michael Stenger resigned on January 7, 2021. Jennifer
Sergeant at Arms “in carrying out the duties and
Hemingway, Deputy Sergeant at Arms, began serving as acting
responsibilities of that office in all matters until such time
Sergeant of Arms on January 7, 2021.
as a new Sergeant at Arms ... shall have been elected and
qualified or such disability shall have been ended” (2
Duties and Responsibilities
U.S.C. §6593).
The duties and responsibilities of the Sergeant at Arms have
developed over time and can be located in law, rules,
117th Congress
custom, and precedent.
On January 7, 2021, Sergeant at Arms Michael Stenger
resigned following the events of January 6, 2021, at the
Additionally, the Senate Committee on Rules and
U.S. Capitol during the joint session of Congress to certify
Administration and the Senate Committee on
and count the 2020 presidential election electoral votes.
Appropriations define other duties of the Sergeant at Arms.
Pursuant to 2 U.S.C. §6593, Deputy Sergeant at Arms
The Senate Rules and Administration Committee provides
Jennifer Hemingway began serving as acting Sergeant at
oversight to the Sergeant at Arms.
Arms.
Generally, the duties and responsibilities of Sergeant at
Immediate Past Sergeants at Arms
Arms and Doorkeeper can be divided into three broad
Table 1 lists the 11 individuals who have served as
categories: law enforcement and security, protocol, and
Sergeant at Arms and Doorkeeper since 1991, and the date
administration. Each category reflects the basic
they were first elected.
https://crsreports.congress.gov
Senate Sergeant at Arms and Doorkeeper: A Primer
responsibility to ensure safe and effective operation of the
The Sergeant at Arms is also responsible for protocol
Senate.
following the death of a Senator. These responsibilities
include, among other responsibilities, the enforcement of a
Law Enforcement and Security
provision in the Standing Orders of the Senate, which
As the Senate’s chief law enforcement officer, the Sergeant
prohibits flowers in the Senate except on the day reserved
at Arms is responsible for security and law enforcement in
for eulogies to a deceased Senator (Standing Orders of the
the Senate wing of the Capitol and the Senate Office
Senate, §64).
Buildings (2 U.S.C. §6617; Rules for the Regulation of the
Senate Wing of the U.S. Capitol and Senate Office
Administrative
Buildings, Rule I). Further, during a “live” quorum call, the
As an executive officer of the Senate, the Sergeant at Arms
Sergeant at Arms also has the authority to compel the
is responsible for specified administrative services both to
attendance of absent Senators (Standing Rules of the
the Senate as a whole and to Senators individually. These
Senate, Rule VI).
include functions such as the operation of the Senate
appointment desk; Senate parking services; and acquiring
The Sergeant at Arms works in concert with the House
home state office space for Senators (2 U.S.C. §6317).
Sergeant at Arms and the Architect of the Capitol. In
addition to their other duties, these three officials comprise
Organization
the Capitol Police Board, with the U.S. Capitol Police Chief
As described in the Senate Appropriations Committee
serving as an ex-officio member (2 U.S.C. §1901 note). The
majority print, the Sergeant at Arms has four principal
Senate Sergeant at Arms also serves with the Secretary of
organizational units. They are as follows:
the Senate, the Clerk of the House, the House Sergeant at
Arms, and the Architect of the Capitol on the Congressional
Office of Security and Emergency Preparedness. This office
Accessibility Services Board (2 U.S.C. §2172). This board
“prepares the Senate to respond to a full spectrum of
oversees the Office of Congressional Accessibility
emergencies that may disrupt normal business operations.”
Services, which provides and coordinates accessibility
The office includes life safety programs, intelligence,
services for individuals with disabilities in the U.S. Capitol
security, and continuity of operations policies and
complex.
programs.
Together with the Secretary of the Senate, the Sergeant at
Capitol Operations. This office “is responsible for many of
Arms develops and maintains a continuity-of-operations
the services provided within the Capitol building that
plan that enables the Senate to conduct business and access
support the day-to-day operation of the Senate,” including
data at offsite locations, and oversees the office of security
chamber operations, official business visitor processing,
and emergency preparedness, which serves as the Senate’s
credentialing news media, and operating the Senate
emergency planning and response team.
Recording Studio.
Protocol
Operations Division. This office furnishes and maintains
The Sergeant at Arms serves as the Senate’s chief of
the Senate side of the Capitol Building and “provides an
protocol. In this role, the Sergeant at Arms performs
array of services to the Senate community to include
ceremonial functions that generally have developed through
identification, transportation, parking, and photographic
custom and precedent. For example, the Sergeant at Arms
services; printing, publishing, graphic design, and framing
services; and USPS mail screening, and mailing and
greets and escorts the U.S. President, heads of state, and package delivery services.”
other official Senate guests while attending functions in
the Capitol;
Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO). This office
“builds, operates, and supports the Senate’s information
leads Senators from the Senate side of the Capitol to the
infrastructure,” including information security,
House chamber for joint sessions of Congress, to their
telecommunications, helpdesks, data networks, web
places on the inaugural platform, and to any other place
services and hosting, system development, and office
the Senate travels as a body; and
equipment.
assists in arrangements for inaugurations and the
Jacob R. Straus, Specialist on the Congress
planning of funerals of Senators who die while in office.
IF11728
By custom, the Sergeant at Arms is custodian of the Senate
gavel.
https://crsreports.congress.gov
Senate Sergeant at Arms and Doorkeeper: A Primer
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