10 Facts About Alan Frumin

Alan Scott Frumin is a former parliamentarian of the United States Senate.

Alan Frumin began his career in 1974 by participating in the editing of Deschler's Precedents of the House of Representatives before joining the Senate Parliamentarian's Office in 1977.

Alan Frumin is the editor of Riddick's Senate Procedure, the official authoritative compilation of Senate precedents.

Alan Frumin was promoted to the position of chief parliamentarian in 1987, when the Democratic party obtained a majority and control of the Senate, and the incumbent parliamentarian, Robert Dove, was dismissed.

In 1995, when the Republican party regained control of the Senate, Dove was reinstated as parliamentarian, and Alan Frumin was returned to his previous position as top assistant.

In 1997, while serving as the senior assistant parliamentarian, the Senate honored Alan Frumin by granting him the status of parliamentarian emeritus.

In May 2001, Dove was again dismissed, this time by the Republican majority leader, Trent Lott of Mississippi, and Alan Frumin was again promoted to chief parliamentarian, thus becoming the first person to become chief parliamentarian under both parties.

Alan Frumin was retained as chief parliamentarian at each successive change in party control of the Senate: in June 2001; January 2003; and January 2007.

Alan Frumin began receiving significant media coverage and notice in his usually quiet role during the 2010 healthcare reform debate for the critical role he played in determining the validity of the reconciliation procedure being employed to apply changes desired by the House to portions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act passed by both houses.

In November 2011, Alan Frumin was included on The New Republic list of Washington's most powerful, least famous people.