ABSTRACT
Tom Daschle served as Democratic leader in the Senate from 1994 to 2004. Disarmingly soft-spoken and modest, Daschle was a skilled legislative strategist and coalition builder. He served during a time of close margins of control and intense electoral competition. As minority leader, his effective use of filibusters and carefully chosen amendments blocked Republican policies, led to the passage of Democratic initiatives, and frequently boosted Democratic prospects in elections. As majority leader in the critical months after 9-11, he helped to shape major pieces of legislation like the 2011 Authorization for the Use of Military Force and PATRIOT Act. Daschle’s effective integration of legislative strategy with public messaging helped to intensify competition on the Senate floor and usher in the era of “Unorthodox Lawmaking” in the Senate by raising the political cost of traditional methods of legislating.
