Allison, William B.

William B. Allison (1829–1908) represented Iowa in both the House of Representatives and the Senate. He was counted among the most influential senators of his day.

Allison entered the House of Representatives in 1863 and continued there until 1871. As a representative, he served on the Ways and Means Committee and championed the interests of the nation's railroads. He served in the Senate from 1873 until 1908.

During his thirty-five years in the Senate, Allison was known more as a power broker than as a legislator. With Nelson W. Aldrich of Rhode Island, Allison was a leader of the conservative Republicans who controlled the Senate around the turn of the twentieth century. Allison's influence and authority originally derived from his position as chair of the Appropriations Committee. In 1897, as the most senior Republican in the Senate, he became chair of the Republican Caucus. He was the first to realize that the position might be a useful tool in building and consolidating power.

[Page 10]He believed that “both in the committees and in the offices, we should use the machinery for our own benefit and not let other men have it.” Acting on that belief, he took control of the Republican Steering Committee. Through the steering committee he took over the scheduling of legislation and the proceedings on the floor of the Senate. His authority over the Committee on Committees allowed him to fill committee vacancies to punish or reward fellow Republicans.

Under the leadership of Allison and Aldrich, conservative Republicans were transformed into a cohesive political force that scored many victories over the more progressive Republican president, Theodore Roosevelt. On occasion Roosevelt was able to split the two senators, but for the most part Allison and Aldrich worked successfully with each other and their supporters to challenge Roosevelt's policies.