At the federal level in the United States, the Vice President of the United States serves as the President of the Senate. This means the Vice President presides over Senate sessions and has the authority to cast tie-breaking votes. However, the Vice President is not a senator. In the Vice President's absence, the Senate is presided over by the President pro tempore, who is a senior member of the majority party elected by the Senate. The President pro tempore is the second-highest-ranking official in the Senate and presides over the chamber when the Vice President is not present

. As of 2025, the Vice President of the United States serves as the President of the Senate, and Patty Murray (D) is noted as the current President pro tempore of the Senate

. Chuck Grassley is also mentioned as President pro tempore starting in 2025, indicating some recent changes or updates in the position

. To summarize:

• President of the Senate (U.S. Senate) : The Vice President of the United States
• President pro tempore of the Senate : Senior senator of the majority party, elected by the Senate, who presides in the Vice President's absence (currently Patty Murray or Chuck Grassley as of 2025)