Eleanor Finch
The Speaker of the House of Representatives is one of the most important elected officials in Washington. The Speaker is second in the US presidential line of succession, after the vice president, as per the Presidential Succession Act of 1947. The Speaker also plays a role in the 25th Amendment, which deals with presidential disability. The Speaker's role within the House has evolved since 1789, and today, the Speaker serves in several major constitutional roles. The Speaker is the leader of the majority political party in the House, and controls the order of all business on the House floor. The Speaker also votes on business as needed as a representative from a Congressional district.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Speaker of the House's position in presidential line of succession | Second in line after the vice president |
| Speaker of the House's role in the event of presidential disability | Plays a role in the 25th Amendment's process |
| Speaker of the House's membership in the House of Representatives | The Constitution does not explicitly require it, but every speaker thus far has been a member |
| Speaker of the House's term of office | Expires at the end of their term as a member of the House |
| Speaker of the House's role in passing legislation | Controls the order of institutional business on the House floor and votes on business as needed |
| Speaker of the House's role in taxation | Controls "the power of the purse" to tax and spend taxpayer money |
| Speaker of the House's role in impeachment | The House has the "sole Power of Impeachment" |
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What You'll Learn
The Speaker of the House is second in line to the presidency
The Speaker of the United States House of Representatives is second in line to the presidency, after the vice president and ahead of the president pro tempore of the Senate. This is outlined in the Presidential Succession Act of 1947, which assumes that the Speaker is a House member.
The Speaker of the House is one of the most important elected officials in Washington. They are the leader of the majority political party in the House and play a key role in negotiating between the House, the president, and the Senate. The Speaker also 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 Speaker is responsible for maintaining decorum in the House and may order the Sergeant-at-Arms to enforce House rules. They decide which committee a bill will be assigned to and determine whether to allow a member to make a motion to suspend the rules. The Speaker also appoints members to select committees and conference committees.
The Speaker is chosen by the House at the beginning of a new Congress, biennially, after a general election, or when a speaker dies, resigns, or is removed from the position during a congressional term. The House confirms the selection by individual voice votes, with the clerk of the House presiding over the voting process. While the Constitution does not explicitly require the Speaker to be an incumbent member of the House of Representatives, every Speaker thus far has been.
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The Speaker's role has evolved since 1789
The Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, commonly known as the Speaker of the House or House Speaker, was established in 1789 by Article I, Section II of the U.S. Constitution. The first Speaker of the House, Frederick Muhlenberg of Pennsylvania, was elected to office on April 1, 1789.
The Speaker's role has evolved significantly since 1789. Under the guidelines of Jefferson's Manual, which serves as a foundation for the House's rules, the Speaker originally didn't talk on the House floor during debates and only spoke when conducting parliamentary manners. Clay was the first Speaker to occasionally speak on the House floor during debates, but usually, the Speaker only takes part in floor debates when there is a need to highlight or rally support for the majority party's agenda. The Speaker also didn't have a clear right to vote on all House matters until 1850.
The Speaker's role has become more complex as the size of the government has grown. Today, the Speaker serves in several major constitutional roles and is the majority political party leader in the House, one of the most powerful jobs 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. In these positions, the Speaker plays a key role as a negotiator between the House and the President and with the Senate. The Speaker is also second-in-line to the Presidency under the Presidential Succession Act of 1947 after the Vice President and plays a role in the 25th Amendment's process to deal with presidential disability.
The Speaker is usually selected during party meetings before a new Congress meets, and the House confirms the selection by individual voice votes. The House elects its Speaker at the beginning of a new Congress, biennially, after a general election, or when a Speaker dies, resigns, or is removed from the position during a congressional term. The candidate for Speaker does not have to be a member of the House of Representatives, although every Speaker thus far has been.
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The Speaker is elected by the House
The Speaker of the House of Representatives is one of the most important elected officials in Washington. The Speaker is elected by the House at the beginning of a new Congress, after a general election, or when a speaker dies, resigns, or is removed from the position during a congressional term. The Speaker is usually selected during party meetings before a new Congress meets, and the House confirms the selection by individual voice votes. The clerk of the House presides over the voting process.
The Speaker is the majority political party leader in the House, which is one of the most powerful jobs in Washington. The Speaker also votes on business as needed as a representative from a Congressional district. In these positions, the Speaker plays a key role as a negotiator between the House and president and with the Senate. The Speaker also acts as the point person for the House’s fundamental role in originating and passing legislation and controlling “the power of the purse” to tax and spend taxpayer money.
The Speaker is the only House officer who is traditionally chosen from the sitting membership of the House. However, the Constitution does not explicitly require the Speaker to be an incumbent member of the House of Representatives. The Speaker's term of office thus expires at the end of his term of office as a Member, whereas the other House officers continue in office until their successors are chosen and qualified.
The Speaker also has a role in the 25th Amendment’s process of dealing with the event of a presidential disability. The Speaker is second in line (after the vice president) to the presidency under the Presidential Succession Act of 1947.
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The Speaker's responsibilities include maintaining decorum in the House
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, also known as the Speaker of the House or House Speaker, is the presiding officer of the United States House of Representatives. The Speaker is responsible for maintaining decorum in the House and may order the Sergeant-at-Arms to enforce House rules.
The Speaker's responsibilities include ensuring that the House passes legislation supported by the majority party. The Speaker chairs the majority party's House steering committee, which selects the majority members of each House standing committee. The Speaker also 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 Speaker is the majority political party leader in the House, making them one of the most powerful people in Washington. They are second in the US presidential line of succession after the vice president. The Speaker also plays a role in the 25th Amendment's process of dealing with presidential disability.
The Speaker's role within the House has evolved since 1789. While the Speaker originally only spoke when conducting parliamentary manners, they now occasionally speak on the House floor during debates. The Speaker's role has also become more complex as the size of the government has grown.
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The Speaker is the House's spokesperson and institutional leader
The Speaker of the House of Representatives is one of the most important elected officials in Washington. The Speaker is the House's spokesperson and institutional leader, and their role has become more complex as the size of the government has grown.
The Speaker is the majority political party leader in the House, which is one of the most powerful jobs in Washington. They control the order of all institutional business on the House floor and vote on business as needed as a representative from a Congressional district. The Speaker plays a key role as a negotiator between the House and the president, the Senate, and as the point person for the House's fundamental role in originating and passing legislation. They also have the power to tax and spend taxpayer money.
The Speaker is second in line to the presidency after the vice president under the Presidential Succession Act of 1947. They also play a role in the 25th Amendment's process of dealing with presidential disability. The Speaker's role within the House has seen significant changes since 1789. Under the guidelines of Jefferson's Manual, which serves as a foundation for the House's rules, the Speaker originally didn't talk on the House floor during debates and only spoke when conducting parliamentary matters.
The Speaker is chosen by the House at the beginning of a new Congress, biennially, or when a Speaker dies, resigns, or is removed from their position. The Constitution does not explicitly require the Speaker to be an incumbent member of the House of Representatives, although every Speaker thus far has been. The Speaker is the only House officer traditionally chosen from the sitting membership of the House.
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Frequently asked questions
The Speaker of the House is mentioned in Article 1, Section 2 of the Constitution, which states: "The House of Representatives shall choose their Speaker and other Officers; and shall have the sole Power of Impeachment."
The Speaker of the House is second in line to the presidency, after the Vice President, according to the Presidential Succession Act of 1947. However, the Speaker does not automatically become President; they would only assume the presidency if both the President and Vice President were unable to serve.
In the event of the removal, death, or resignation of the President, the Vice President becomes President. If there is a vacancy in the office of the Vice President, the President nominates a new Vice President, who takes office upon confirmation by a majority vote of both Houses of Congress. If the President is unable to discharge their duties but does not resign, the Vice President can become Acting President if they and a majority of the principal officers of the executive department transmit a written declaration of the President's inability to the Speaker of the House and the President pro tempore of the Senate.
