what does the house minority leader do

The House Minority Leader is the head of the "loyal opposition" and is elected every two years by secret ballot of his or her party caucus. The Minority Leader serves as the floor leader of the opposition party and is the minority counterpart to the Speaker of the House. The Minority Leader also speaks for the party and works to advance the goals of the party. The Minority Leader directs the minority partys strategy on the House floor and lines up members for votes. The Minority Leader has certain roles and responsibilities under the rules of the House, including making floor speeches and closing debate on major issues before the House. Minority leaders also hold joint news conferences and consult with their counterparts in the Senate and with the president if their party controls the White House. The overall objectives are to develop a coordinated communications strategy, to share ideas and information, and to present a united front on issues. However, there are limits on the institutional role of the Minority Leader because the majority party exercises disproportionate influence over the agenda, partisan ratios on committees, staff resources, administrative operations, and the day-to-day schedule and management of floor activities.