President of the Senate U.S. federal government was established in 1789. The vice president with the most tie breaking votes is John Adams (served 1789–1797) with 29. The current Vice President Mike Pence, in office since January 2017, has cast seven tie-breaking votes. In state governments of the United States, the presiding officer of the state senate (the upper house) is a matter decided by the state's constitution. Some states designate the lieutenant governor as president of the senate, while in other states, the Senate elects its own president. The Tennessee Senate elects a senator Speaker of the Senate, who is given the title
President of the Senate as President until a new president is elected). The Senate of South Africa was the upper house of Parliament between 1910 and 1981, and between 1994 and 1997. During both periods, the Senate was led by a President. The Senate of Ceylon was the upper house of Parliament between 1947 and 1971. During this periods, the Senate was led by a President. The President of the Senate of Trinidad and Tobago, who is generally elected from the government benches, chairs debates in the chamber and stands in for the country's president during periods of absence or illness (Constitution, section 27).