Palin Answers Third Grader: 'The Vice President Is In Charge Of The U.S. Senate'

Sarah Palin, in response to a question sent to a local NBC TV affiliate in Colorado by a third grader at a local elementary school, answered that the Vice President is “in charge of the United States Senate”. Is she right?

The KUSA, an NBC affiliate in Colorado, usually asks presidential and vice-presidential nominees questions posed by elementary school students. Brandon Garcia, a third grader asked Sarah Palin, “What does the Vice President do?” Palin replied:

Aw, that’s something that Piper would ask me, as a second grader, also. That's a great question, Brandon, and a Vice President has a really great job, because no only are they there to support the President agenda, they're like a team member, the team mate to that President. But also, they're in charge of the United States Senate, so if they want to they can really get in there with the Senators and make a lot of good policy changes that will make life better for Brandon and his family and his classroom. And it's a great job and I look forward to having that job.

We all agree with Palin that it is a great question but she gave a wrong answer. Based on the original job description of Vice President, it says the following: The Vice President of the United States shall be President of the Senate, but shall have not vote, unless they be equally divided. Palin goes on and says a VP will make policy changes and persuade senators, but that is not possible in the current U.S. Senate. The Article I of the Constitution establishes only an exceptionally limited role for the Vice President and gives the office holder a vote only when the Senate is “equally divided”. The U.S. Senate website explains that Vice Presidents preside over the Senate only on ceremonial occasions. Peter Robinson, Senior Assistant Parliamentarian, told ThinkProgress.org about this VP role explanation:

In modern practice the Vice President doesn’t really control the Senate. … If anyone has a responsibility to try to govern the Senate, it’s the responsibility of the two leaders.

Jim Manley, spokesman to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) issued the following statement to Think Progress:

This comment is all the more puzzling because this is at least the 2nd time she has said this. Gov Palin needs to re-read or perhaps read for the first time the Constitution. While the Vice President presides over the Senate, he or she is not in charge of it. Article 1 says The Vice President of the United States shall be President of the Senate, but shall have no vote, unless they be equally divided.