The President of the Senate is the Vice President and he has the special power of being allowed to vote to break a tie. Most of the time, it does not matter who presides over the Senate. There are rules for whose turn it is to speak and nobody in the Senate listens anyway .( Speeches are made for the benefit of the Senate record and for those who watch C-Span.) When a tie vote seems likely, the VP will be there to preside.
The vice-President of the United States is officially the President of the Senate He has the power to break a tie-vote and he shows up to chair if such a vote is likely. Otherwise nobody much cares who chairs the Senate, the Senators take turns . Senators rarely listen to the speeches which are made mostly to have them recorded in the Senate Record. If a vote is to be taken , the duly appointed chair will conduct the formalities of the vote .
the President Pro Tempore of the Senate
By tradition, that is the longest-serving Senator of the majority party. Currently (2012), that is Sen. Daniel Inouye of Hawaii, who has been in office since 1963.
In the absence of the Vice President then the Speaker of the House would next in line for the presidential line of succession. Then it would go to president pro tempore of the senate and then secretary of state.
president-protempore
(In the U.S) The President Pro Tempore usually acts as president of the senate. Currently, this is Daniel Inouye.
The US Vice President performs the duty as the President of the Senate. He or she has no vote except in situations where there is a tie in votes. The Vice President is then allowed to vote to settle the issue at hand.
The President pro tempore (Latin for "president for a time") typically presides in the Vice President's absence. The most senior senator of the majority party is customarily chosen to serve in this position. Like the Vice President, the President pro tempore does not normally preside over the Senate, but typically delegates the responsibility of presiding to junior senators of the majority party.
In the absence of the Vice President then the Speaker of the House would next in line for the presidential line of succession. Then it would go to president pro tempore of the senate and then secretary of state.
president-protempore
The Vice-President of the United States acts as President of the US Senate, to break a tie if the Senate is split 50-50.
president-protempore
(In the U.S) The President Pro Tempore usually acts as president of the senate. Currently, this is Daniel Inouye.
The Vice-President
the President pro tempore of the Senate
president pro tempore
The president Pro-Tempore is the presiding officer in the senate. That individual is in charge of the Senate agenda in the absence of the vice president.
The President Pro-Tem presides over the Senate when the Vice-President is not there. The Vice-President barely attends Senate meetings anymore.
vise president of the senate I think
He acts as the President of the US Senate.