From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Content deleted Content added • *Revision as of 06:04, 1 June 2026 (https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ranking_member&oldid=1357186527)edit (https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ranking_member&action=edit&oldid=1357186527)** Yedaman54 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Yedaman54) (talk (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User_talk:Yedaman54) | contribs (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Contributions/Yedaman54)) Extended confirmed users (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Extended_confirmed_editors) 62,830 edits Tag (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Tags): 2017 wikitext editor (https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Special:MyLanguage/2017_wikitext_editor) ← Previous edit (https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ranking_member&diff=prev&oldid=1357186527)Latest revision as of 15:05, 30 June 2026 (https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ranking_member&oldid=1361864860)edit (https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ranking_member&action=edit)undo (https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ranking_member&action=edit&undoafter=1357186527&undo=1361864860) ~2026-37603-49 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Contributions/~2026-37603-49) (talk (https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=User_talk:~2026-37603-49&action=edit&redlink=1)) 1 edit Line 2:Line 2: {{Use American English|date=June 2026}}{{Use American English|date=June 2026}} {{Use mdy dates|date=June 2026}}{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2026}} In [[Politics of the United States|United States politics]], a '''ranking member''' is the most senior member of a congressional or state legislative committee from the minority party.{{cite news |url=http://projects.washingtonpost.com/politicsglossary/Congressional/ranking-member/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110701083132/http://projects.washingtonpost.com/politicsglossary/Congressional/ranking-member/ |archive-date=July 1, 2011 |title=Politics Glossary: ranking member |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]}} On many committees the ranking minority member, along with the [[Chairperson|Chair]], serve as ''[[ex officio]]'' members of all of the committee's subcommittees.In [[Politics of the United States|United States politics]], a '''ranking member''' is the most [[Seniority in the United States Senate|senior]] member of a congressional or state legislative committee from the minority party.{{cite news |url=http://projects.washingtonpost.com/politicsglossary/Congressional/ranking-member/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110701083132/http://projects.washingtonpost.com/politicsglossary/Congressional/ranking-member/ |archive-date=July 1, 2011 |title=Politics Glossary: ranking member |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]}} On many committees the ranking minority member, along with the [[Chairperson|Chair]], serve as ''[[ex officio]]'' members of all of the committee's subcommittees. Both the [[United States Senate]]{{Cite web|title=U.S. Senate: Glossary Term {{!}} Ranking Minority Member|url=https://www.senate.gov/reference/glossary_term/ranking_minority_member.htm|access-date=2021-01-03|website=www.senate.gov}} and [[United States House of Representatives]]{{Cite web|last=Singman|first=Brooke|date=2020-02-05|title=Who are the House committee chairs?|url=https://www.foxnews.com/politics/who-are-the-house-committee-chairs|access-date=2021-01-03|website=Fox News|language=en-US}} use ranking members as part of their legislative structure. When party control of a legislative chamber changes, a committee's ranking member generally becomes chairman, and vice versa.{{Cite web |title=Chairs in the House of Representatives |url=https://leadershipconnect.io/congress/future-chairs-in-the-house-of-representatives/ |access-date=29 April 2026 |website=Leadership Connect}}Both the [[United States Senate]]{{Cite web|title=U.S. Senate: Glossary Term {{!}} Ranking Minority Member|url=https://www.senate.gov/reference/glossary_term/ranking_minority_member.htm|access-date=2021-01-03|website=www.senate.gov}} and [[United States House of Representatives]]{{Cite web|last=Singman|first=Brooke|date=2020-02-05|title=Who are the House committee chairs?|url=https://www.foxnews.com/politics/who-are-the-house-committee-chairs|access-date=2021-01-03|website=Fox News|language=en-US}} use ranking members as part of their legislative structure. When party control of a legislative chamber changes, a committee's ranking member generally becomes chairman, and vice versa.{{Cite web |title=Chairs in the House of Representatives |url=https://leadershipconnect.io/congress/future-chairs-in-the-house-of-representatives/ |access-date=29 April 2026 |website=Leadership Connect}} • Latest revision as of 15:05, 30 June 2026 In United States politics (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Politics_of_the_United_States), a ranking member is the most senior (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seniority_in_the_United_States_Senate) member of a congressional or state legislative committee from the minority party.[[1]](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ranking_member&diff=1361864860&oldid=1357186527#cite_note-1) On many committees the ranking minority member, along with the Chair (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chairperson), serve as _ex officio (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ex\officio) members of all of the committee's subcommittees. Both the United States Senate (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Senate)[[2]](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ranking_member&diff=1361864860&oldid=1357186527#cite_note-2) and United States House of Representatives (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_House_of_Representatives)[[3]](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ranking_member&diff=1361864860&oldid=1357186527#cite_note-3) use ranking members as part of their legislative structure. When party control of a legislative chamber changes, a committee's ranking member generally becomes chairman, and vice versa.[[4]](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ranking_member&diff=1361864860&oldid=1357186527#cite_note-4) Congressional usage [edit (https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ranking_member&action=edit&section=1)] Four Senate committees refer to the ranking minority member as vice chairman (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vice_chairman). The following committees follow the chairman/vice chairman structure for the majority and minority parties. • Senate Committee on Appropriations (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Senate_Committee_on_Appropriations) • Senate Committee on Indian Affairs (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Senate_Committee_on_Indian_Affairs) • Senate Select Committee on Ethics (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Senate_Select_Committee_on_Ethics) • Senate Select Committee on Intelligence (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Senate_Select_Committee_on_Intelligence) Other Senate committees refer to the ranking minority members as ranking member.[[5]](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ranking_member&diff=1361864860&oldid=1357186527#cite_note-5) The House of Representatives normally does not use the term vice chairman for the ranking minority member, though some committees do have a vice-chairman position, usually assigned to a senior member of the majority party other than the chairman. House committees that follow this structure are: • House Committee on Agriculture (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_House_Committee_on_Agriculture) • House Committee on Appropriations (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_House_Committee_on_Appropriations) • House Committee on the Budget (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_House_Committee_on_the_Budget) • House Committee on Education and the Workforce (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_House_Committee_on_Education_and_the_Workforce) • House Committee on Energy and Commerce (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_House_Committee_on_Energy_and_Commerce) • House Committee on Financial Services (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_House_Committee_on_Financial_Services) • House Committee on Government Reform (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_House_Committee_on_Government_Reform) • House Committee on Foreign Affairs (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_House_Committee_on_Foreign_Affairs) • House Committee on Resources (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_House_Committee_on_Resources) • House Committee on Veterans' Affairs (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_House_Committee_on_Veterans'_Affairs) • House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_House_Permanent_Select_Committee_on_Intelligence) (subcommittees only) The position of vice chair as the designation for the ranking minority member has been used for the House January 6 Committee (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_House_Select_Committee_on_the_January_6_Attack). Joint committees of the House and Senate operate in much the same way, with a chairman and vice-chairman from the majority party, alternating between a member of the House and a member of the Senate, and often two ranking members from both bodies. 1. ↑ (https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ranking_member&diff=1361864860&oldid=1357186527#cite_ref-1)"Politics Glossary: ranking member" (https://web.archive.org/web/20110701083132/http://projects.washingtonpost.com/politicsglossary/Congressional/ranking-member/). _The Washington Post (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Washington\Post). Archived from the original (http://projects.washingtonpost.com/politicsglossary/Congressional/ranking-member/) on July 1, 2011. 2. ↑ (https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ranking_member&diff=1361864860&oldid=1357186527#cite_ref-2)"U.S. Senate: Glossary Term | Ranking Minority Member" (https://www.senate.gov/reference/glossary_term/ranking_minority_member.htm). www.senate.gov. Retrieved January 3, 2021. 3. ↑ (https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ranking_member&diff=1361864860&oldid=1357186527#cite_ref-3)Singman, Brooke (February 5, 2020). "Who are the House committee chairs?" (https://www.foxnews.com/politics/who-are-the-house-committee-chairs). Fox News. Retrieved January 3, 2021. 4. ↑ (https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ranking_member&diff=1361864860&oldid=1357186527#cite_ref-4)"Chairs in the House of Representatives" (https://leadershipconnect.io/congress/future-chairs-in-the-house-of-representatives/). Leadership Connect. Retrieved April 29, 2026. 5. ↑ (https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ranking_member&diff=1361864860&oldid=1357186527#cite_ref-5)"United States Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs: Home" (http://banking.senate.gov/public/). Banking.senate.gov. Retrieved October 18, 2013.