Did I miss something here?
Why is Al Franken, a Junior (Freshman—at that) Senator presiding over the Senate?
It’s not out of the ordinary to have a freshman senator preside over the Senate. They are there just to move things along and rarely have to make a serious decision or ruling on anything.
I’ve been on the Senate floor during debate as well as up in the galleries. Most senators who are presiding over the Senate usually look extremely bored or are signing birthday cards for their constituents.