What is the role of the Vice President in the Senate?

The role of the Vice President in the Senate is to serve as the President of the Senate, primarily holding the responsibility of casting tie-breaking votes when the Senate is evenly divided. This function is outlined in the U.S. Constitution and highlights the Vice President’s unique position as the only official who can directly intervene in the legislative process to resolve deadlocks in voting.

In addition to this tie-breaking capacity, the Vice President's role is largely ceremonial, as they do not actively participate in Senate debates or engage in the day-to-day legislative discussions. Instead, the President pro tempore, typically the longest-serving member of the majority party, oversees those activities. The Vice President also does not engage in voting on every Senate matter; they only cast a vote in the event of a tie, making their involvement quite specialized and focused primarily on maintaining the order of legislative progression in case of deadlocks.