Rep. Tom DeLay

Rep. David Bonior

The use of the term “whip,” comes from the British House of Commons. In the British practice, the “whipper-in” plays an important role in the sport of fox hunting. He whips the dogs to keep them running after the fox as a pack, preventing them from running off on their own. Similarly, the “whipper-in” of both the government and opposition parties in Parliament is tasked with encouraging Members to vote with their party, and not stray off on their own.

Today each Whip has a staff of employees [20 for DeLay; 8 for Bonior], and supervises numerous colleagues who serve as assistant whips: chief deputy whips, deputy whips, at-large whips, zone or regional whips. As the size of the House grew, so did the need for party leaders to keep close tabs on the inclinations of each Member, a role performed by the Members serving as assistant whips. Knowing each Member well helps the Whips to know how best to negotiate, persuade, or plead with them for loyalty to party positions.

In this day and age of relative political and financial independence, it is difficult to truly discipline Members. However, the few perks still left to the party leaders -- nomination for vacant committee assignments, a seat at the conference table on an important bill, campaign contributions from leadership PACs, or selection for foreign travel -- are all influenced by recommendations from the Whip and his organization.

The Whips have as their chief task calculating “head counts” prior to important votes. They track the number of yeas, nays, and undecideds building on a particular issue. Their counts help the Speaker in making important decisions, such as when a measure is ready for the floor, or the Minority Leader in planning opposition to a bill. The undecided Members are important when close votes are expected, and become prime targets for the persuasive talents of the Whips. Whips also try to “whip up” support for a measure by building temporary voting coalitions from disparate groups of Members. They attempt to persuade each group to stay focused on the common goal despite their differences, or they may propose language changes to the leaders to draw in additional support.

The Whips are also expected to get out the vote. They predict when attendance of key Members will be at its best for scheduling purposes. They help round up absentees. Assistant whips will man all the doors to the House chamber and hand each Member arriving to vote a written message, give thumb signals, or whisper quick words of advice from the leadership. Whips also gather intelligence for their party leader -- they listen and report back the complaints and concerns Members might have on specific measures. By assessing the personal knowledge their assistant whips have about the personalities of each Member, the Whips can make recommendations on how best to win over a recalcitrant stray.

The Whips also serve an important communications role, passing on the intentions and wishes of the Speaker or Minority Leader, and issuing both daily and weekly “Whip Notices,” announcing changes to the floor schedule to help Members plan their travel.

For more information on the Whips, visit their websites: House Majority Whip or House Minority Whip