Both major political parties in the Senate—Democratic and Republican—elect a party secretary. The Senate established the position of party secretary in 1929. Party secretaries aid senators in many ways, including serving as principal staff members at party conferences. Spending most of their time in the Senate Chamber, party secretaries assist leadership in scheduling floor activities, advise senators on the progress of a bill, and oversee staff in the cloakrooms, which are spaces adjacent to the Senate Chamber where members gather to discuss Chamber business in private.