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Updated March 28, 2023
Senate Sergeant at Arms and Doorkeeper: A Primer

The Sergeant at Arms and Doorkeeper (Sergeant at Arms)
is an elected officer of the Senate and is the chamber's
primary law enforcement and protocol official, responsible
for the protection, security, decorum, and other
administrative aspects of the Senate floor, Senate wing of
the Capitol, Senate office buildings, and adjacent grounds.
The office was initially established during the First
Congress, when the Senate elected James Mathers as Senate
Doorkeeper. The Senate Sergeant at Arms performs duties
according to law, Senate rules, and custom.
Resolved, That the Doorkeeper of the Senate be, and
he is hereby, invested with the authority of Sergeant-
at-Arms, to hold said office during the pleasure of the
Senate, whose duty it shall be to execute the
commands of the senate, from time to time, and all
such process as shall be directed to him by the
President of the Senate.
-Annals of Congress, February 5, 1798, pp. 497-498.
The Senate elects the Sergeant at Arms, who serves until
the Senate chooses a successor. The Senate typically
considers a Senate Resolution (S.Res.) to elect a Sergeant at
Arms. Typically, the Senate agrees to the resolution by
unanimous consent (UC). For example, the current Sergeant
at Arms, Karen Gibson, was elected in the 117th Congress
(S.Res. 127) on March 22, 2021.
Acting Sergeant at Arms Appointment
Should the Sergeant at Arms die, resign, or become
disabled, the Deputy Sergeant at Arms shall act as
Sergeant at Arms in carrying out the duties and
responsibilities of that office in all matters until such time
as a new Sergeant at Arms ... shall have been elected and
qualified or such disability shall have been ended (2
U.S.C. §6593).
1 1 7h Congress
On January 7, 2021, Sergeant at Arms Michael Stenger
resigned following the events of January 6, 2021, at the
U.S. Capitol during the joint session of Congress to certify
and count the 2020 presidential election electoral votes.
Pursuant to 2 U.S.C. §6593, Deputy Sergeant at Arms
Jennifer Hemingway began serving as acting Sergeant at
Arms. On March 22, 2021, the Senate elected Karen Gibson
as the Sergeant at Arms (S.Res. 127). For the 118th
Congress (2023-2024), Ms. Gibson continues to serve as
the Sergeant at Arms.

Immediate Past Sergeants at Arms
Table 1 lists the 12 individuals who have served as
Sergeant at Arms and Doorkeeper since 1991, and the date
they were first elected.
Table 1. Senate Sergeant at Arms and Doorkeeper,
1991-2023
First
Congresses               Name               Elected
102nd (1991-92) to  Martha Pope              1/3/1991
103rd (1993-94)
103rd (1993-94)     Robert Laurent Benoit    4/15/1994
104th (1995-96)     Howard Greene            1/4/1995
104th (1995-96) to  Gregory Casey            9/6/1996
105th (1997-98)
105th (1997-98) to  James Ziglar             11/9/1998
107th (2001-02)
107th (2001-02) to  Alfonso Lenhardt         9/4/2001
108th (2003-04)
l08th (2003-04) to  William Pickle           3/17/2003
10 Q~h (2005-0 6)
1 10th (2007-08) to  Terrance Gainer         1/4/2007
1 13th (2013-14)
1 13th (2013-14)    Andrew Willison          5/5/2014
114th (2015-16) to  Frank Larkin             1/6/2015
1 15th (2017-18)
1 15th (2017-18) to  Michael Stengera        4/16/2018
1 17h (2021-22)
1 17h (2021-22) to  Karen Gibson            3/22/2021
I 18th (2023-24)
Source: U.S. Congress, Senate Historical Office, at
https://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/history/common/briefing/
sergeant atarms.htm.
Note:
a.  Michael Stenger resigned on January 7, 2021. Jennifer
Hemingway, Deputy Sergeant at Arms, served as acting Sergeant
of Arms from January 7, 2021, to March 22, 2021.
Duties and Responsibilities
The duties and responsibilities of the Sergeant at Arms have
developed over time and can be located in law, rules,
custom, and precedent.
Additionally, the Senate Committee on Rules and
Administration and the Senate Committee on
Appropriations define other duties of the Sergeant at Arms.

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