A ranking member is the most senior member of a congressional committee or subcommittee from the minority party (the party with fewer seats in that chamber). The ranking member serves as the lead spokesperson and coordinator for the minority party on the committee and works opposite the committee chair.

Ranking members help shape the minority party’s legislative strategy, negotiate with the chair, and represent their party’s positions during hearings, markups, and investigations.

The Speaker of the House is generally considered the highest-ranking member of Congress.

The Speaker is the presiding officer of the House of Representatives, elected by the full House membership. The Speaker serves three roles: presiding officer, leader of the majority party, and representative of their own district. The Speaker is second in the presidential line of succession, after the vice president.

While Senate leaders (such as the Senate Majority Leader) are powerful, the Senate does not have a directly comparable single ranking member across the entire chamber; leadership is shared among the Majority and Minority Leaders.