<P> The Vice President of the United States is assigned the responsibility of presiding over the Senate and designated as its president by the United States Constitution . The vice president, as President of the Senate, has the authority (ex officio, for he or she is not an elected member of the Senate) to cast a tie - breaking vote . Other than this, the rules of the Senate grant its president very little power (in contrast to the powerful office of Speaker of the House of Representatives). </P> <P> While vice presidents used to regularly preside over the Senate, modern vice presidents have done so only rarely, usually only when swearing in new senators, during joint sessions, announcing the result of a vote on a significant bill or confirmation, or when casting a tie - breaking vote . The Senate chooses a president pro tempore to preside in the vice president's absence . Modern presidents pro tempore, too, rarely preside over the Senate . In practice, the junior senators of the majority party typically preside in order to learn Senate procedure . </P> <P> Vice presidents have cast 261 tie - breaking votes since the U.S. federal government was established in 1789 . The vice president with the most tie breaking votes is John Adams (served 1789--1797) with 29 . The current Vice President Mike Pence, in office since January 2017, has made six tie - breaking votes . </P> <P> In state governments of the United States, the presiding officer of the state senate (the upper house) is a matter decided by the state's constitution . Some states designate the lieutenant governor as president of the senate, while in other states, the Senate elects its own president . The Tennessee Senate elects a senator Speaker of the Senate, who is given the title of Lieutenant Governor . </P>

Who was the first president of the senate