The Senate Parliamentarian serves at the pleasure of the Senate Majority Leader, and functions under the direction of the Secretary of the Senate as a non-partisan employee of the Senate. The House Parliamentarian serves with the consent of the Speaker of the House, also in a non-partisan capacity, advising Members of both parties. The complexity of the job requires years of apprenticeship, and the leaders of both chambers have respected the institutional experience necessary to perform the job well. Sitting Parliamentarians hire their own assistants, and for decades, those assistants have advanced to the position of Parliamentarian when a vacancy has occurred.

The Parliamentarians in both chambers have as their key responsibility advising the Member of Congress presiding over the floor throughout a day's session. The Parliamentarian guides the Chair in formulating his responses to parliamentary inquiries and his rulings on points of order. In the House, the Parliamentarian on duty stands to the right of the Chair or sits very close by on the rostrum. In the Senate, the Parliamentarian sits on the lower tier of the rostrum just below the presiding officer. He is frequently seen swiveling around in his chair, which faces the Senate floor, to address the Senator presiding behind him. While the Member of Congress presiding is free to take or ignore the advice of the Parliamentarian, most abide by his guidance. Few Members have the independent body of knowledge regarding the chamber's procedures necessary to preside on their own. In the Senate, the Parliamentarian, and in the House, the Parliamentarian's Clerk, also keep track of the time when Members are allotted a specific number of minutes to speak.

The Parliamentarians also answer questions from individual Members and congressional staff on a wide variety of subjects, and on a confidential basis. For example, the Parliamentarians are asked to review drafts of bills prior to their introduction and drafts of amendments to ascertain they conform to the rules of the body. They help formulate points of order for Members wishing to mount a floor challenge. Perhaps the most time-consuming element of the job is to review all proposed bills and, based on their content, refer them to the appropriate committee of jurisdiction for legislative consideration. The parliamentarians also assist committees in preparing for and conducting hearings and mark-ups of legislation.

The Office of the Parliamentarian is also responsible for compiling and publishing at the start of each new Congress any changes to the rules of the chamber. They also compile and maintain the parliamentary precedents of the chamber.

Parliamentarians both apprentice for and serve in their positions for long periods. Developing the expertise required for the job is an extensive effort, requiring a law degree and years of watching parliamentary maneuvers play out on the House or Senate floors.

The House Parliamentarian, Charles W. Johnson, has served in the Office of the Parliamentarian for 33 years, and in the position itself since 1994. His predecessor, William Holmes Brown, served as Parliamentarian for 20 years, and Brown's predecessor, Lewis Deschler, held the position for 46 years! Mr. Johnson currently has a staff of six to assist him: two deputy parliamentarians, two assistant parliamentarians, and two clerks.

The Senate Parliamentarian, Robert Dove, has served as Parliamentarian since 1994, and also served in the position from 1981-1987, along with 14 prior years of service as an assistant parliamentarian. Mr. Dove has a staff of three. His immediate predecessor, Alan Frumin, served as Parliamentarian of the Senate for seven years, and now serves as Senior Assistant Parliamentarian. His earlier predecessor, Murray Zweben, was Parliamentarian for five years. Zweben's predecessor, Floyd Riddick served as parliamentarian for ten years, and authored the volume of significant Senate precedents still known as "Riddick's Senate Procedure."