Senate Presiding Officer

authoritative procedural impartial neutral

The Senate Presiding Officer controls floor proceedings during a high-stakes nighttime session at the Capitol. Their voice-over issues a two-minute warning for quorum call, then declares time expired and orders yeas and nays, shutting down debate as White House aides like Josh and Donna press senators in final pleas. This role enforces strict timelines, channeling lobbying frenzy into voting order and determining legislative fate amid administration priorities.

3 appearances

Also known as: PRESIDING OFFICER

Senate Presiding …'s Journey

A timeline through the narrative

3 moments

S4E12 · Guns Not Butter

Two Minutes Till Quorum — Countdown at the Capitol

Measured procedural urgency — detached authority conveying the seriousness of the deadline without rhetorical flourish.

From offscreen within the chamber, the Presiding Officer issues a formal, authoritative voice‑over warning that two minutes remain until a quorum call, enacting Senate procedure and forcing immediate action among …

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S4E12 · Guns Not Butter

Clock Runs Out — Donna's Final Plea to Hardin

Impassive and administrative; carries institutional finality without drama.

Announces from offstage as the Presiding Officer voice-over that all time has expired and the yeas and nays have been ordered, abruptly terminating the window for any physical or communicative …

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S4E12 · Guns Not Butter

Donna's Quiet Exit — The Silent Fracture

Neutral institutional authority: indifferent to individual pleas, focused on process and timing.

The Presiding Officer's off-screen voice cuts debate short with the formal declaration that all time has expired and the yeas and nays are ordered, mechanically sealing the legislative moment and …

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