Simone Lawson
The United States Congress, established by Article I of the Constitution, consists of the House of Representatives and the Senate. The Constitution grants Congress significant powers, including the sole authority to enact legislation and declare war, the right to confirm or reject Presidential appointments, and substantial investigative powers. The House of Representatives has two main duties: making laws and scrutinizing the work of the government. The Speaker of the House, the majority political party leader in the House, serves in several major constitutional roles, including acting as a negotiator between the House and the President and with the Senate, and playing a key role in originating and passing legislation.
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What You'll Learn
The Speaker of the House
The Speaker is second in line to the presidency under the Presidential Succession Act of 1947 and plays a role in the 25th Amendment's process of dealing with presidential disability. The Speaker is also the national party spokesperson and House institutional leader. The Speaker acts as a negotiator between the House and the president and with the Senate.
The Speaker is elected by the Representatives, and the House confirms the selection by individual voice votes. The Speaker doesn't have to be a member of the House of Representatives, but as of 2023, no person who wasn't a member of the House has been chosen as Speaker. The Speaker is chosen during party meetings before a new Congress meets.
The House has several standing committees with different legislative jurisdictions. Each committee considers bills and issues and recommends measures for consideration by the House. Committees also have oversight responsibilities to monitor agencies, programs, and activities within their jurisdictions.
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House Committees
The House Committees are standing committees with legislative jurisdictions. There are 23 House committees, each with multiple subcommittees, totalling 104 subcommittees. These committees are responsible for reviewing and considering bills, issues, and measures before they are presented to the full House for a vote. They also have oversight responsibilities, monitoring agencies, programs, and activities within their jurisdictions.
One notable committee is the Rules Committee, which decides which bills will proceed to the House Floor for debate and voting. The makeup of this committee typically favours the majority party, with nine members from the majority and four from the minority. Another important committee is the Committee on Ethics, which oversees the rules and statutes governing the conduct of members, officers, and employees during their official duties.
The House Committees reflect the diverse nature of the House's responsibilities, ranging from specific areas like agriculture, appropriations, and education to broader concerns such as foreign affairs, oversight and reform, and ways and means.
Through their work, the House Committees ensure that legislation is thoroughly reviewed and debated before becoming law, contributing to the effective functioning of the House and the implementation of the Constitution.
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House Rules Committee
The House Rules Committee is a powerful committee within the United States Congress, which is made up of the House of Representatives and the Senate. The Rules Committee controls which bills go to the House Floor and the terms of debate. The makeup of the committee is traditionally weighted in favour of the majority party, with 9 members from the majority and 4 from the minority. The committee has an online Parliamentary Bootcamp that educates members on House Floor procedures, processes, and precedents.
The Rules Committee is one of 23 House committees, with 104 subcommittees. Each committee considers bills and issues and recommends measures for consideration by the House. They also have oversight responsibilities to monitor agencies, programs, and activities within their jurisdictions, and sometimes in areas that cut across committee jurisdictions.
The House of Representatives has 435 elected members, divided among the 50 states in proportion to their total population. There are also 6 non-voting members, representing the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and four other US territories.
The Speaker of the House is the leader of the majority political party in the House and combines several institutional and administrative roles. They control the order of business on the House Floor and vote on business as a representative from a Congressional district. The Speaker acts as a negotiator between the House and the President and the Senate, and they play a key role in originating and passing legislation and controlling "the power of the purse" to tax and spend taxpayer money.
The House of Representatives has broad powers under the Constitution, including the sole power of impeachment. The House also has the authority to enact legislation, declare war, confirm or reject Presidential appointments, and investigate.
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House Ethics Committee
The United States Constitution outlines the powers and duties of the House of Representatives, also known as the House. Article 1, Section 2 of the Constitution provides for both the minimum and maximum sizes for the House. The House leadership includes the speaker, majority and minority leaders, assistant leaders, whips, and a party caucus or conference.
The House Committee on Ethics, also known as the Ethics Committee, is a standing committee of the House with specific duties and responsibilities. The committee has jurisdiction over the rules and statutes governing the ethical conduct of members, officers, and employees while performing their official duties. The Ethics Committee has several key functions, including:
- Setting standards and rules: The committee agrees on a set of rules and standards that define ethical behaviour for members. These rules typically cover areas such as gifts, travel, campaign activities, treatment of staff, conflicts of interest, financial disclosures, outside income, and other relevant regulations.
- Conducting investigations: The Ethics Committee is tasked with investigating potential violations of these ethical standards by members of the House. They assess charges and allegations made against representatives, such as misappropriation of campaign funds or improper use of resources.
- Making recommendations: Based on their investigations, the committee makes recommendations to the House on appropriate actions. These can include censure, expulsion, or no further action if no violation is found.
- Advising members: The Ethics Committee provides advice and guidance to members to help them navigate ethical dilemmas and avoid uncertainty regarding ethical culpability.
- Administering regulations: The committee has the authority to administer and enforce travel, gift, financial disclosure, and other relevant regulations for members and staff.
- Issuing opinions: They may also issue advisory opinions on ethical matters, providing clarity and interpretation of the rules.
The Ethics Committee is unique in that its membership is evenly divided between each political party, with five members from each party. The committee's work is conducted by a nonpartisan staff, ensuring impartiality in their proceedings. The chairman of the committee is selected from the majority party, while the ranking member is the most senior member of the minority party.
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House membership
The minimum age to be elected as a representative is 25 years old, and candidates must have been a US citizen for at least seven years and an inhabitant of the state they represent.
The House leadership includes the speaker, majority and minority leaders, assistant leaders, whips and a party caucus or conference. The speaker is the leader of the House and is usually a member of the majority party. They are elected by the Representatives and confirmed by individual voice votes. The speaker combines several institutional and administrative roles, including controlling the order of business on the House floor and acting as a negotiator between the House and the president. The speaker is second in line to the presidency under the Presidential Succession Act of 1947.
The majority and minority leaders represent their respective parties on the House floor, while whips assist leadership in managing their party's legislative programme. A party caucus or conference is a meeting of all party members in the House, where they discuss matters of concern and select their leaders.
The House also has standing committees with legislative jurisdictions. These consider bills and issues and recommend measures for consideration by the House. Committees also have oversight responsibilities to monitor agencies, programmes and activities within their jurisdictions.
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Frequently asked questions
The House of Representatives is one of two chambers that make up the United States Congress, the other being the Senate. The House of Representatives is made up of 435 elected members, divided among the 50 states in proportion to their total population.
The House of Representatives has two main duties: making laws and scrutinising the work of the government. The House of Representatives is responsible for introducing bills and resolutions, offering amendments, and serving on committees.
The Speaker of the House is the majority political party leader in the House and is one of the most important elected officials in Washington. The Speaker controls the order of all institutional business on the House floor and votes on business as needed as a representative from a Congressional district.
The House and the Senate are the two chambers that constitute the United States Congress. The House of Representatives is responsible for introducing bills, which are then considered and may be approved by the Senate. Both chambers must pass the same bill by majority vote for it to be sent to the President for their signature.
