"The Clerk Will Call The Roll"

[siliconefreak]

Whenever a Senator finishes speaking on C-SPAN, we hear, "The clerk will call the roll". What is the purpose of this? Do they have a fear of silence?!

[keithjx]

1. Can't have dead time on the senate floor,

it has the appearance that they aren't working....
KJ

[BR_Parkway]

2. It stops the clock on whichever side was up so they don't use up

their alloted times. Was sorta sad/funny during the fillabuster debate to hear senators asking how much time they had left when it was all done on a rotating hourly basis - they were just so used to certain ways

[siliconefreak]

3. ah

So there's really nothing special or useful in calling the roll. It's just a method of stopping the clock. Correct?

[BR_Parkway]

4. That's it - but it sure makes the first Senator in alphabetical order

look like a major slacker - he's never there....

[SnoopDog]

5. If you asking about the quorum call...

When Senators need time to organize and to decide who is to speak next, the current speaking Senator will say "Mr president, I suggest an absence of a quorum'. Then they ask for a roll call. This gives time for the senators to plan. Then a Senator gets to the podium and says "please stop the quorum count" and proceeds.