Twice during the 107 th Congress, the Senate had to address fundamental organizational questions. First, the 2000 senatorial elections produced a tied Senate, necessitating the negotiation of a "powersharing agreement" to govern many aspects of committee and floor activities. Then, the decision of Senator James Jeffords of Vermont to change his party affiliation from Republican to Independent gave Senate Democrats numerical control of the body. The shift in party strength caused a second round of negotiations about the organization and operation of the Senate. This report reviews these events and the agreements made by the Senate on organizational and procedural issues. The November 2000 elections caused the Senate to be tied with 50 Republicans and 50 Democrats. Only once before, in 1881, had the two major parties been equally represented in the Senate. Due to significant changes in Senate procedures, 1881 precedents had little relevance to the contemporary Senate. The issue of Senate organization was further complicated by the election of Richard B. Cheney as Vice President. When the 107 th Congress convened on January 3, 2001, the incumbent Vice President, Albert Gore, Jr., presided until Vice President-elect Cheney was sworn in on January 20. Although a titular Democratic majority existed (because Vice President Gore was available to break tie votes) that could have tried to organize the Senate, any such organizational proposals might well have been blocked and, even if adopted, could have been reversed under Republican auspices once Vice President Cheney was in the chair to break ties. The Senate often negotiates formal and informal agreements to govern the legislative agenda and its consideration of individual measures. Similar negotiations about the organization of the Senate began informally in late November between the Democratic leader, Senator Tom Daschle (D-SD), and the Republican leader, Senator Trent Lott (R-MS). Talks continued after the Senate convened, and proposals under consideration by the two leaders were discussed at meetings of the party conferences. When the 107 th Congress first convened, Senator Daschle, recognized as majority leader by Vice President Gore, who was presiding, made no attempt to replace the incumbent Senate administrative officers with Democratic nominees. In an unprecedented step, the Senate agreed to S.Res. 3 , electing Senator Robert C. Byrd (D-WV) President pro tempore upon the adoption of the resolution, and simultaneously electing Senator Strom Thurmond (R-SC) President pro tempore, to be effective at noon on January 20. The Senate designated committee chairmen on opening day. Given that Senate committees are continuing bodies, Senators who had served on panels as of the end of the 106 th Congress retained their positions and roles when the 107 th Congress convened. Several committee chairmen did not return to the 107 th Congress, however, and, for administrative reasons, it was necessary for the Senate, at a minimum, to designate acting committee chairs to replace them, pending election of the full committee slates. The Senate went further in adopting S.Res. 7 , naming Democratic committee chairs on all Senate committees to serve as such through January 20, and naming Republican chairs to assume their posts at noon on that day. Two days later, on the afternoon of January 5, 2001, Senator Daschle presented to the Senate S.Res. 8 , a measure to provide the organizational basis for powersharing in the Senate when the parties were equally divided. The resolution was agreed to later that day. Its provisions applied for the duration of the 107 th Congress, unless Senate party strength changed. The key provisions of the resolution were: Committees All Senate committees had equal numbers of Republicans and Democrats. A full committee chair could discharge a subcommittee from further consideration of a measure or matter, if it was not reported because of a tie vote. Budgets and office space for all committees were equally divided, with overall committee budgets to remain within "historic levels." Equal ratios on committees were to remain for the duration of the 107 th Congress, unless the Senate voting strength of the parties changed, whereupon committee assignments and party ratios were to be renegotiated. Discharging Measures or Matters If a measure or nomination had not been reported because of a tie vote in a committee, the majority or minority leader (after consultation with committee leaders) could move to discharge the committee from further consideration of that measure or nomination. This discharge motion was to be debatable for 4 hours, equally divided and controlled by the majority and minority leaders. After the expiration (or yielding back) of time, the Senate would vote on the discharge motion, without any intervening action, motion, or debate. If the committee were discharged by majority vote, the measure or matter would be placed on the appropriate Senate calendar to await further parliamentary actions. Agenda Control and Cloture The agreement prohibited a cloture motion from being filed on any amendable item of business during the first 12 hours it was debated. The agreement required both party leaders "to seek to attain an equal balance of the interests of the two parties" in scheduling and considering Senate legislative and executive business. The agreement also noted that the motion to proceed to any calendar item "shall continue to be considered the prerogative of the Majority Leader," although the resolution qualified this statement with the observation that "Senate Rules do not prohibit the right of the Democratic Leader, or any other Senator, to move to proceed to any item." On January 8, 2001, the agreement was further clarified and other new procedures were announced. Senator Harry Reid (D-NV), the assistant Democratic floor leader, received unanimous consent to enter a printed colloquy between Senators Daschle and Lott into the Congressional Record , and to direct that "the permanent [ Congressional ] Record be corrected to provide for its inclusion with the resolution when it passed the Senate last Friday." In addition to summarizing the provisions of S.Res. 8 , the colloquy covered several more issues. In perhaps the most significant announcement, the two leaders pledged to refrain from using their preferential rights of recognition to "fill the amendment tree" in an effort to block consideration of controversial issues. Senator Lott, on behalf of both leaders, declared the policy in the written colloquy: ... [I]t is our intention that the Senate have full and vigorous debates in this 107 th Congress, and that the right of all Senators to have their amendments considered will be honored. We have therefore jointly agreed that neither leader, nor their designees in the absence of the leader, will offer consecutive amendments to fill the amendment tree so as to deprive either side of the right to offer an amendment. We both agree that nothing in this resolution or colloquy limits the majority leader's right to amend a non-relevant amendment, nor does it limit the sponsor of that nonrelevant amendment from responding with a further amendment after the majority leader's amendment or amendments are disposed of. The party leaders agreed that minority party Senators would be permitted to serve as presiding officers of the Senate. This ended, during the powersharing period, the Senate practice of the past 2 decades under which only majority party Senators served as temporary presiding officers. The colloquy further specified that both parties would "have equal access" to common space in the Capitol complex to hold meetings, press conferences, and other events. This supplemented the provisions in S.Res. 8 guaranteeing the minority equal committee office space. On May 24, 2001, Senator James Jeffords announced his intention to leave the Republican party, to become an Independent, and to caucus with the Senate Democrats. With Senator Jeffords' announcement, the Democrats held a numerical edge in the Senate. On June 5, 2001, Senator Jeffords met with Senate Democrats at their weekly conference meeting. On June 6, the Senate convened with the Democrats as the acknowledged Senate majority party. When Senator Jeffords announced his intention to vote with the Democrats on organizational questions, the two parties began talks about arrangements to be made under the new party division. Senator Lott named Senators Pete Domenici (R-NM), Phil Gramm (R-TX), Orrin Hatch (R-UT), Mitch McConnell (R-KY), and Arlen Specter (R-PA) to take a lead role in negotiating with Democratic leaders about the steps to be taken in the partisan transition. The Democrats named no comparable negotiating team, and Senator Daschle met with the Republican team for the first time on the evening of June 5. Discussions continued throughout the month of June. As these negotiations were taking place, the Senate took (or prepared to take) some actions not directly connected to the inter-party discussions. Election of a new President Pro Tempore. On June 6, the Senate approved by voice vote, S.Res. 100 , electing Senator Robert C. Byrd as President pro tempore. Senator Harry Reid (D-NV), the acting president pro tempore, immediately thereafter administered the required oath to Senator Byrd. The Senate subsequently agreed by voice vote to S.Res. 101 and S.Res. 102 , formally notifying the House and the President of the United States, respectively, of this action. The Senate also agreed by voice vote to S.Res. 103 , expressing its thanks to Senator Thurmond for his service as President pro tempore, and designating him President pro tempore emeritus, a new position in the Senate. Election of Party Secretaries. The majority and minority party secretaries are elected by the Senate. They serve as strategy consultants and communications links for senators in their party. On June 6, by voice vote, the Senate agreed to S.Res. 104 , electing Martin P. Paone as secretary for the majority, and S.Res. 105 , electing Elizabeth Letchworth as secretary for the minority. Paone and Letchworth held the opposite titles during the earlier period of Republican control of the Senate. Subsequently, Elizabeth Letchworth announced her intention to retire from the post, effective July 31, 2001. On August 3, 2001, the Senate agreed to S.Res.