Jonah Patel
The United States Constitution outlines the composition of the House of Representatives in Article One, with each state receiving at least one representative based on its population. The House elects a Speaker, who acts as its leader and is second in line to succeed the President. The Speaker combines several roles, including the institutional role of presiding officer and administrative head of the House, the role of leader of the majority party in the House, and the representative role of an elected member of the House. The Speaker is chosen by the House and is usually from the majority party, with the minority party having a counterpart position. The Speaker's position is often used for partisan advantage, and they are paid an annual salary of $223,500.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Leadership positions | Speaker of the House, Majority Whip, Republican Conference Chairman, Republican Policy Committee Chairman, Democratic Leader, Democratic Whip, Democratic Caucus Chairman, Democratic Caucus Vice Chair, Assistant Democratic Leader, Minority Leader |
| Selection | Elected by the whole of the House of Representatives |
| Roles | Presiding officer, administrative head of the House, leader of the majority party in the House, representative role of an elected member of the House |
| Powers | Control the business of the House, second in line to succeed the President |
| Salary | $223,500 for the Speaker, $193,400 for party leaders |
| Term | Two years |
| Disqualification | Federal or state officers who engage in rebellion or aid enemies of the US are disqualified unless they gain the consent of two-thirds of both houses of Congress |
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What You'll Learn
The Speaker of the House
The process of electing a speaker involves each party's caucus or conference selecting a candidate from among its senior leaders. The candidate must receive a majority of votes from the members present and voting. If no candidate secures a majority, the voting process is repeated until a speaker is elected. Representatives can vote for someone outside of their party's nominee, but this rarely happens. The current Speaker of the House is Mike Johnson, a Republican from Louisiana.
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The Speaker's role as leader of the majority party
The Speaker of the House of Representatives is the leader of the majority party in the House. The Speaker is elected by the whole of the House of Representatives and combines several roles, including the institutional role of presiding officer and administrative head of the House, the role of leader of the majority party in the House, and the representative role of an elected member of the House.
The Speaker's role as the leader of the majority party is to ensure that the House passes legislation supported by the majority party. The Speaker may use their influence over the Rules Committee, which is in charge of the business of the House, to achieve this goal. The Speaker is also responsible for controlling the order of all institutional business on the House floor.
While the Speaker is entitled to participate in debates and vote on any matter that comes before the House, they usually do not participate in debates and only vote on the most significant bills or when their vote would be decisive. The Speaker's role in voting has evolved over time, and they did not have a clear right to vote on all House matters until 1850.
The Speaker's role as the leader of the majority party has been shaped by rules and customs that have evolved over time. The speakership was transformed into a position with power over the legislative process under Henry Clay, who served as Speaker from 1811 to 1814, 1815 to 1820, and 1823 to 1825. Clay participated in several debates and used his influence to pass measures he supported, such as the declaration of the War of 1812 and laws related to his "American System" economic plan.
Today, the Speaker of the House serves in several major constitutional roles and is second in line to succeed the President, after the Vice President. The Speaker also plays a role in the 25th Amendment's process of dealing with presidential disability.
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The Speaker as representative of the House
The Speaker of the House is a leadership position that is in the US Constitution. The Speaker acts as the leader of the House and combines several roles: the institutional role of presiding officer and administrative head of the House, the role of leader of the majority party in the House, and the representative role of an elected member of the House. The Speaker is elected by the whole of the House of Representatives.
Since 1839, the House has elected speakers by roll call vote. In practice, each party's caucus or conference selects a candidate for the speakership from among its senior leaders before the roll call. To be elected Speaker, a candidate must receive a majority of votes from the members present and voting. If no candidate wins a majority, the roll call is repeated until a speaker is elected. Representatives are free to vote for someone other than the candidate nominated by their party but generally do not. This is because the outcome of the election demonstrates which party has the majority and will consequently organize the House.
While every Speaker of the House has been a sitting House member, Article I, Section II, Clause 5, of the US Constitution, concerning the choosing of a speaker, does not explicitly require House membership. As noted by the Congressional Research Service, non-members have, on multiple occasions since 1997, received votes in speaker elections. However, permitting a non-member to serve as Speaker would effectively exempt Speakers from the eligibility requirements of the Ineligibility Clause of Article I, Section VI, which states that "No... Representative shall, during the Time for which he was elected, be appointed to any civil Office under the Authority of the United States... and no Person holding any Office under the United States, shall be a Member of [the] House during his Continuance in Office."
The Speaker of the House is second in the US presidential line of succession, after the vice president. The current Speaker of the House is Mike Johnson, a Republican from Louisiana.
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The Speaker as second in line to the President
The Speaker of the House of Representatives is second in the United States presidential line of succession, after the vice president and ahead of the president pro tempore of the Senate. The Speaker is elected by the whole of the House of Representatives and acts as its leader, combining several roles: the institutional role of presiding officer and administrative head of the House, the role of leader of the majority party in the House, and the representative role of an elected member of the House.
The Speaker's position as second-in-line to the President is based on the Presidential Succession Act of 1947, which outlines the presidential order of succession. The Act was passed at the suggestion of President Harry Truman, who argued that the President should not be able to choose his successor by naming a Secretary of State. Instead, he felt that the Speaker of the House and the Senate President pro tempore were more logical successors as they were "elected by all voters of the nation".
The Speaker's potential role as acting president is not just theoretical. In 1973, at the height of the Watergate scandal, Vice President Spiro Agnew resigned. With President Richard Nixon's own presidency under threat, Speaker Carl Albert was suddenly first in line to become acting president. This situation arose again when Nixon resigned in 1974, and Albert remained next in line until Gerald Ford was sworn in as vice president, and subsequently as president.
It is worth noting that while every speaker of the House has been a sitting House member, the U.S. Constitution does not explicitly require the speaker to be an incumbent member of the House of Representatives.
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The role of the minority leader
The roles of minority and majority leaders in the US House of Representatives evolved during the late 19th and early 20th centuries to advance party policy positions on the House floor and build unity among party members. The minority leader serves as the floor leader of the "loyal opposition" and is the minority counterpart to the Speaker. The Speaker of the House is elected by the whole of the House of Representatives and acts as the leader of the House.
The minority leader is the spokesperson for the minority party and its policies and works to protect the minority's rights. They direct the minority party's strategy on the house or assembly floor and line up members for votes. The minority leader is often assisted in their role by whips, who enforce party discipline on crucial votes and ensure that members vote in line with the party's wishes.
The minority leader is elected by the minority party conference or caucus at the beginning of each legislative session or Congress. At the federal level, the minority leader is elected at the beginning of each Congress, while at the state level, they are elected by the minority members of the chamber at the start of each legislative session.
The basic leadership responsibilities of the minority and majority leaders are similar, but the minority leader's role is to represent the minority party's interests. They are elected every two years in secret balloting of the party caucus or conference.
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Frequently asked questions
The Speaker of the House is the highest-paid leadership position in the House of Representatives, earning an annual salary of $223,500.
The Speaker of the House is second in line to succeed the President, after the Vice President.
The Speaker of the House combines several roles: the institutional role of presiding officer and administrative head of the House, the role of leader of the majority party in the House, and the representative role of an elected member of the House.
The House of Representatives determines its leadership positions at the beginning of each two-year Congressional term. The majority and minority party members meet separately to select their leaders. The Speaker of the House is elected by the whole House.
