Ranking member
Definition
The ranking member is the most senior member of the minority party on a congressional committee or subcommittee, serving as that party's lead voice on the panel. The equivalent majority-party position is the chair.
Why it matters
The ranking member controls minority-party staff resources, gets guaranteed speaking time and questioning rounds during hearings, and often negotiates directly with the chair over markup amendments and hearing witnesses, giving the minority party real influence even without the votes to win on its own.
Seen in the wild
When control of a chamber flips after an election, the prior chair of a committee typically becomes its ranking member, and the prior ranking member typically becomes chair, without either lawmaker's committee assignment itself changing.