United States House of Representatives

"House of Representatives committee" redirects here. For others, seeHouse of Representatives.

For the United States Congress in session, see118th United States Congress.For state-level houses of representatives in the United States, seeList of United States state legislatures.

TheUnited States House of Representativesis thelower chamberof theUnited States Congress,with theSenatebeing theupper chamber.Together, they compose the nationalbicameral legislatureof theUnited States.The House is charged with the passage of federallegislation,known asbills;those that are also passed by the Senate are sent tothe presidentfor signature orveto.The House's exclusive powers include initiating all revenue bills,impeachingfederal officers, andelecting the presidentif no candidate receives a majority of votes in theElectoral College.

United States House of Representatives
118th United States Congress
Seal of the House
Flag of the United States House of Representatives
Type
Type	Lower house of theUnited States Congress
Term limits	None
History
New session started	January 3, 2023(2023-01-03)
Leadership
Speaker	Mike Johnson(R) sinceOctober 25, 2023
Majority Leader	Steve Scalise(R) since January 3, 2023
Minority Leader	Hakeem Jeffries(D) since January 3, 2023
Majority Whip	Tom Emmer(R) since January 3, 2023
Minority Whip	Katherine Clark(D) since January 3, 2023
Structure
Seats	435 voting members 6 non-voting members 218 for a majority
Political groups	Majority (220) Republican(220) Minority (213) Democratic(213) Vacant (2) Vacant (2)
Length of term	2 years
Elections
Voting system	Plurality votingin 46 states Varies in 4 states Alaska&Maine:Instant-runoff voting Georgia&Louisiana:Two-round system
Last election	November 5, 2024
Next election	November 3, 2026
Redistricting	State legislaturesorredistricting commissions,varies by state
Meeting place
House of Representatives Chamber United States Capitol Washington, D.C. United States of America
Website
house.gov
Rules
Rules of the House of Representatives

Members of the House serve afixed termof two years, with each seat up for election before the start of the next Congress.Special electionsalso occur when a seat is vacated early enough. The House's composition was established byArticle One of the United States Constitution.The House is composed of representatives who, pursuant to theUniform Congressional District Act,sit in single membercongressional districtsallocated to eachstateon the basis of population as measured by theUnited States census,with each district having at least a single representative, provided that that state is entitled to them.Since its inception in 1789, all representatives have been directly elected. Although suffrage was initially limited, it gradually widened, particularly after the ratification of theNineteenth Amendmentand thecivil rights movement.Since 1913, thenumber of voting representativeshas been at 435 pursuant to theApportionment Act of 1911.TheReapportionment Act of 1929capped the size of the House at 435. However, the number was temporarily increased from 1959 until 1963 to 437 following the admissions ofAlaskaandHawaiito the Union.

In addition, five non-voting delegates represent theDistrict of Columbiaand the U.S. territories ofGuam,theU.S. Virgin Islands,theCommonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands,andAmerican Samoa.A non-voting Resident Commissioner, serving a four-year term, represents the Commonwealth ofPuerto Rico.As of the2020 census,the largest delegation wasCalifornia,with 52 representatives. Six states haveonly one representative apiece:Alaska,Delaware,North Dakota,South Dakota,Vermont,andWyoming.

The House meets in the south wing of theUnited States Capitol.The rules of the House generally address a two-party system, with a majority party in government, and a minority party in opposition. The presiding officer is theSpeaker of the House,who is elected by the members thereof.Other floor leadersare chosen by theDemocratic Caucusor theRepublican Conference,depending on whicheverpartyhas the most voting members.

History

Main article:History of the United States House of Representatives

Under theArticles of Confederation,theCongress of the Confederationwas aunicameralbody with equal representation for each state, any of which could veto most actions. After eight years of a more limitedconfederalgovernment under the Articles, numerous political leaders such asJames MadisonandAlexander Hamiltoninitiated theConstitutional Conventionin 1787, which received the Confederation Congress's sanction to "amend the Articles of Confederation". All states exceptRhode Islandagreed to send delegates.

Representation of all political parties as percentage in House of Representatives over time

Historical graph of party control of the Senate and House as well as the presidency

Congress's structure was a contentious issue among thefoundersduring the convention.Edmund Randolph'sVirginia Plancalled for abicameralCongress: the lower house would be "of the people", elected directly by the people of the United States and representingpublic opinion,and a more deliberative upper house, elected by the lower house, that would represent the individual states, and would be less susceptible to variations of mass sentiment.

The House is commonly referred to as thelower houseand the Senate theupper house,although theUnited States Constitutiondoes not use that terminology. Both houses' approval is necessary for the passage oflegislation.The Virginia Plan drew the support of delegates from large states such asVirginia,Massachusetts,andPennsylvania,as it called for representation based on population. The smaller states, however, favored theNew Jersey Plan,which called for a unicameral Congress with equal representation for the states.

Eventually, the Convention reached theConnecticut Compromiseor Great Compromise, under which one house of Congress (the House of Representatives) would provide representation proportional to each state's population, whereas the other (the Senate) would provide equal representation amongst the states.The Constitution was ratified by the requisite number of states (nine out of the 13) in 1788, but its implementation was set for March 4, 1789. The House began work on April 1, 1789, when it achieved aquorumfor the first time.

During the first half of the 19th century, the House was frequently in conflict with the Senate over regionally divisive issues, includingslavery.TheNorthwas much more populous than theSouth,and therefore dominated the House of Representatives. However, the North held no such advantage in the Senate, where the equal representation of states prevailed.

Regional conflict was most pronounced over the issue of slavery. One example of a provision repeatedly supported by the House but blocked by the Senate was theWilmot Proviso,which sought to ban slavery in the land gained during theMexican–American War.Conflict over slavery and other issues persisted until theCivil War(1861–1865), which began soon after several southern states attempted tosecedefrom the Union. The war culminated in the South's defeat and in the abolition of slavery. All southern senators exceptAndrew Johnsonresigned their seats at the beginning of the war, and therefore the Senate did not hold the balance of power between North and South during the war.

The years ofReconstructionthat followed witnessed large majorities for theRepublican Party,which many Americans associated with the Union's victory in the Civil War and the ending of slavery. The Reconstruction period ended in about 1877; the ensuing era, known as theGilded Age,was marked by sharp political divisions in the electorate. TheDemocratic Partyand Republican Party each held majorities in the House at various times.

Republicanspeaker of the HouseThomas Brackett Reed(1895–1899)

The late 19th and early 20th centuries also saw a dramatic increase in the power of thespeaker of the House.The rise of the speaker's influence began in the 1890s, during the tenure of RepublicanThomas Brackett Reed."Czar Reed", as he was nicknamed, attempted to put into effect his view that "The best system is to have one party govern and the other party watch." The leadership structure of the House also developed during approximately the same period, with the positions ofmajority leaderandminority leaderbeing created in 1899. While the minority leader was the head of the minority party, the majority leader remained subordinate to the speaker. The speakership reached its zenith during the term of RepublicanJoseph Gurney Cannon,from 1903 to 1911. The speaker's powers included chairmanship of the influentialRules Committeeand the ability to appoint members of other House committees. However, these powers were curtailed in the "Revolution of 1910" because of the efforts of Democrats and dissatisfied Republicans who opposed Cannon's heavy-handed tactics.

The Democratic Party dominated the House of Representatives during the administration of PresidentFranklin D. Roosevelt(1933–1945), often winning over two-thirds of the seats. Both Democrats and Republicans were in power at various times during the next decade. The Democratic Party maintained control of the House from 1955 until 1995. In the mid-1970s, members passed major reforms that strengthened the power of sub-committees at the expense of committee chairs and allowed party leaders to nominate committee chairs. These actions were taken to undermine theseniority system,and to reduce the ability of a small number of senior members to obstruct legislation they did not favor. There was also a shift from the 1990s to greater control of the legislative program by the majority party; the power of party leaders (especially the speaker) grew considerably. According to historianJulian E. Zelizer,the majority Democrats minimized the number of staff positions available to the minority Republicans, kept them out of decision-making, and gerrymandered their home districts. RepublicanNewt Gingrichargued American democracy was being ruined by the Democrats' tactics and that the GOP had to destroy the system before it could be saved. Cooperation in governance, says Zelizer, would have to be put aside until they deposed Speaker Wright and regained power. Gingrich brought an ethics complaint which led to Wright's resignation in 1989. Gingrich gained support from the media and good government forces in his crusade to persuade Americans that the system was, in Gingrich's words, "morally, intellectually and spiritually corrupt". Gingrich followed Wright's successor, DemocratTom Foley,as speaker after theRepublican Revolutionof 1994 gave his party control of the House.

Gingrich attempted to pass a major legislative program, theContract with Americaand made major reforms of the House, notably reducing the tenure of committee chairs to three two-year terms. Many elements of the Contract did not pass Congress, were vetoed by PresidentBill Clinton,or were substantially altered in negotiations with Clinton. However, after Republicans held control in the1996 election,Clinton and the Gingrich-led House agreed on the first balanced federal budget in decades, along with a substantial tax cut.The Republicans held on to the House until2006,when the Democrats won control andNancy Pelosiwas subsequently elected by the House as the first female speaker. The Republicans retook the House in2011,with the largest shift of power since the 1930s.However, the Democrats retook the house in2019,which became the largest shift of power to the Democrats since the 1970s. In the2022elections, Republicans took back control of the House, winning a slim majority.

In November 2024, House SpeakerMike Johnsonannounced that the House would havewomen-only spacesfollowing the election ofSarah McBride.

Membership, qualifications, and apportionment

Apportionments

Main article:United States congressional apportionment

UnderArticle I, Section 2 of the Constitution,seats in the House of Representatives areapportionedamong the states by population, as determined by thecensusconducted every ten years. Each state is entitled to at least one representative, however small its population.

The only constitutional rule relating to thesize of the Housestates: "The Number of Representatives shall not exceed one for every thirty Thousand, but each State shall have at Least one Representative."Congress regularly increased the size of the House to account for population growth until it fixed the number of voting House members at 435 in 1911.In 1959, upon the admission ofAlaskaandHawaii,the number was temporarily increased to 437 (seating one representative from each of those states without changing existing apportionment), and returned to 435 four years later, after the reapportionment consequent to the1960 census.

The Constitution does not provide for the representation of theDistrict of Columbiaor ofterritories.TheDistrict of Columbiaand the territories ofPuerto Rico,American Samoa,Guam,theNorthern Mariana Islands,and theU.S. Virgin Islandsare each represented by onenon-voting delegate.Puerto Rico elects aresident commissioner,but other than having a four-year term, the resident commissioner's role is identical to the delegates from the other territories. The five delegates and resident commissioner may participate in debates; before 2011,they were also allowed to vote in committees and theCommittee of the Wholewhen their votes would not be decisive.

Redistricting

Main article:Redistricting in the United States

States entitled to more than one representative are divided intosingle-memberdistricts.This has been a federal statutory requirement since 1967 pursuant to the act titledAn Act For the relief of Doctor Ricardo Vallejo Samala and to provide for congressional redistricting.Before that law,general ticketrepresentation was used by some states.

States typically redraw district boundaries after each census, though they may do so at other times, such as the2003 Texas redistricting.Each state determines its own district boundaries, either through legislation or through non-partisan panels.Malapportionmentis unconstitutional and districts must be approximately equal in population (seeWesberry v. Sanders). Additionally, Section 2 of theVoting Rights Act of 1965prohibits redistricting plans that are intended to, or have the effect of, discriminating against racial or language minority voters.Aside from malapportionment and discrimination against racial or language minorities, federal courts have allowed state legislatures to engage ingerrymanderingto benefit political parties or incumbents.In a 1984 case,Davis v. Bandemer,theSupreme Courtheld that gerrymandered districts could be struck down based on theEqual Protection Clause,but the Court did not articulate a standard for when districts are impermissibly gerrymandered. However, the Court overruled Davis in 2004 inVieth v. Jubelirer,and Court precedent holds gerrymandering to be apolitical question.According to calculations made byBurt Neuborneusing criteria set forth by theAmerican Political Science Association,only about 40 seats, less than 10% of the House membership, are chosen through a genuinely contested electoral process, given partisan gerrymandering.

Qualifications

Article I, Section 2 of the Constitution sets three qualifications for representatives. Each representative must: (1) be at least twenty-five (25) years old; (2) have been acitizenof the United States for the past seven years; and (3) be (at the time of the election) an inhabitant of the state they represent. Members are not required to live in the districts they represent, but they traditionally do.The age and citizenship qualifications for representatives are less thanthose for senators.The constitutional requirements of Article I, Section 2 for election to Congress are the maximum requirements that can be imposed on a candidate.Therefore, Article I, Section 5, which permits each House to be the judge of the qualifications of its own members does not permit either House to establish additional qualifications. Likewise a State could not establish additional qualifications.William C. C. Claiborneserved in the House below the minimum age of 25.

Disqualification: under theFourteenth Amendment,a federal or state officer who takes the requisite oath to support the Constitution, but later engages in rebellion or aids the enemies of the United States, is disqualified from becoming a representative. This post–Civil War provision was intended to prevent those who sided with theConfederacyfrom serving. However, disqualified individuals may serve if they gain the consent of two-thirds of both houses of Congress.

Elections

Population per U.S. representative allocated to each of the 50 states and D.C., ranked by population. Since D.C. (ranked 49th) receives no voting seats in the House, its bar is absent.

U.S. congressional districts for the 115th Congress

Elections for representatives are held in every even-numbered year, onElection Daythe first Tuesday after the first Monday in November. Pursuant to theUniform Congressional District Act,representatives must be elected fromsingle-member districts.After a census is taken (in a year ending in 0), the year ending in 2 is the first year in which elections for U.S. House districts are based on that census (with the Congress based on those districts starting its term on the following January 3). As there is no legislation at the federal level mandating one particular system for elections to the House, systems are set at the state level. As of 2022,first-past-the-postorplurality votingis used in 46 states, electing 412 representatives,ranked-choiceorinstant-runoff votingin two states (Alaska and Maine), electing 3 representatives, andtwo-round systemin two states (Georgia and Louisiana), electing 20 representatives. Elected representatives serve a two-year term, with no term limit.

In most states, major party candidates for each district are nominated in partisanprimary elections,typically held in spring to late summer. In some states, the Republican and Democratic parties choose their candidates for each district in theirpolitical conventionsin spring or early summer, which often use unanimous voice votes to reflect either confidence in the incumbent or the result of bargaining in earlier private discussions. Exceptions can result in so-called floor fights—convention votes by delegates, with outcomes that can be hard to predict. Especially if a convention is closely divided, a losing candidate may contend further by meeting the conditions for a primary election. The courts generally do not considerballot accessrules forindependentandthird partycandidates to be additional qualifications for holding office and no federal statutes regulate ballot access. As a result, the process to gain ballot access varies greatly from state to state, and in the case of athird party in the United Statesmay be affected by results of previous years' elections.

In 1967, Congress passed theUniform Congressional District Act,which requires all representatives to be elected from single-member-districts.Following theWesberry v. Sandersdecision, Congress was motivated by fears that courts would imposeat-large plurality districtson states that did not redistrict to comply with the new mandates for districts roughly equal in population, and Congress also sought to prevent attempts by southern states to use such voting systems to dilute the vote of racial minorities.Several states have used multi-member districts in the past, although only two states (Hawaii and New Mexico) used multi-member districts in 1967.Louisianais unique in that it holds an all-party primary election on the general Election Day with a subsequent runoff election between the top two finishers (regardless of party) if no candidate received a majority in the primary. The states ofWashingtonandCaliforniause a similar (though not identical) system to that used by Louisiana.

Seats vacated during a term are filled throughspecial elections,unless the vacancy occurs closer to the next general election date than a pre-established deadline. The term of a member chosen in a special election usually begins the next day, or as soon as the results are certified.

Non-voting delegates

Main article:Non-voting members of the United States House of Representatives

Historically, manyterritorieshave sentnon-voting delegatesto the House. While their role has fluctuated over the years, today they have many of the same privileges as voting members, have a voice in committees, and can introduce bills on the floor, but cannot vote on the ultimate passage of bills. Presently,the District of Columbiaand the five inhabitedU.S. territorieseach elect a delegate. A seventh delegate, representing theCherokee Nation,has been formally proposed but has not yet been seated.An eighth delegate, representing theChoctaw Nationis guaranteed by treaty but has not yet been proposed. Additionally, some territories may choose to also electshadow representatives,though these are not official members of the House and are separate individuals from their official delegates.

Terms

Representatives and delegates serve for two-year terms, while aresident commissioner(a kind of delegate) serves for four years. A term starts on January 3 following the election in November. The U.S. Constitution requires that vacancies in the House be filled with a special election. The term of the replacement member expires on the date that the original member's would have expired.

The Constitution permits the House toexpela member with a two-thirds vote. In the history of the United States, only six members have been expelled from the House; in 1861, three were removed for supporting the Confederate states' secession: DemocratsJohn Bullock Clarkof Missouri,John William Reidof Missouri, andHenry Cornelius Burnettof Kentucky. DemocratMichael Myersof Pennsylvania was expelled after his criminal conviction for accepting bribes in 1980, DemocratJames Traficantof Ohio was expelled in 2002 following his conviction for corruption, and RepublicanGeorge Santoswas expelled in 2023 after he was implicated in fraud by both a federal indictment and aHouse Ethics Committeeinvestigation.

The House also has the power to formallycensureor reprimand its members; censure or reprimand of a member requires only a simple majority, and does not remove that member from office.

Comparison to the Senate

As a check on the regional, popular, and rapidly changing politics of the House, theSenatehas several distinct powers. For example, the "advice and consent"powers (such as the power to approvetreatiesand confirm members of theCabinet) are a sole Senate privilege.The House, however, has the exclusive power to initiate bills for raising revenue, to impeach officials, and to choose thepresidentif a presidential candidate fails to get a majority of the Electoral College votes.Both House and Senate confirmation is now required to fill a vacancy if the vice presidency is vacant, according to the provisions of theTwenty-fifth Amendment.The Senate and House are further differentiated by term lengths and the number of districts represented: the Senate has longer terms of six years, fewer members (currently one hundred, two for each state), and (in all but seven delegations) larger constituencies per member. The Senate is referred to as the "upper" house, and the House of Representatives as the "lower" house.

Salary and benefits

See also:United States Congress § Privileges

House of Representatives salaries

Salaries

Since December 2014, the annual salary of each representative is $174,000,the same as it is for each member of theSenate.Thespeaker of the Houseand themajorityandminority leadersearn more: $223,500 for the speaker and $193,400 for their party leaders (the same as Senate leaders).Acost-of-living-adjustment(COLA) increase takes effect annually unless Congress votes not to accept it. Congress sets members' salaries; however, theTwenty-seventh Amendment to the United States Constitutionprohibits a change in salary (but not COLA) from taking effect until after the next election of the whole House. Representatives are eligible for retirement benefits after serving for five years.Outside pay is limited to 15% of congressional pay, and certain types of income involving a fiduciary responsibility or personal endorsement are prohibited. Salaries are not for life, only during active term.

Titles

Representatives use the prefix "The Honorable"before their names. A member of the House is referred to as arepresentative,congressman,orcongresswoman.

Representatives are usually identified in the media and other sources by party and state, and sometimes by congressional district, or a major city or community within their district. For example,DemocraticrepresentativeNancy Pelosi,who representsCalifornia's 11th congressional districtwithinSan Francisco,may be identified as "D–California", "D–California–11" or "D–San Francisco".

"Member of congress" is occasionally abbreviated as either "MOC" or "MC" (similar toMP).However, the abbreviation "Rep." for Representative is more common, as it avoids confusion as to whether they are a member of the House or theSenate.

Pension

All members of Congress are automatically enrolled in theFederal Employees Retirement System,a pension system also used forfederal civil servants,except the formula for calculating Congress members' pension results in a 70% higher pension than other federal employees based on the first 20 years of service.They become eligible to receive benefits after five years of service (two and one-half terms in the House). The FERS is composed of three elements:

1. Social Security
2. The FERS basic annuity, a monthly pension plan based on the number of years of service and the average of the three highest years of basic pay (70% higher pension than other federal employees based on the first 20 years of service)
3. TheThrift Savings Plan,a401(k)-likedefined contribution planfor retirement account into which participants can deposit up to a maximum of $19,000 in 2019. Their employing agencymatches employee contributionsup to 5% of pay.

Members of Congress may retire with full benefits at age 62 after five years of service, at age 50 after 20 years of service, and at any age after 25 years of service.With an average age of 58, the US House of Representatives is older than comparable chambers in Russia and the other G7 nations.

Tax deductions

Members of Congress are permitted to deduct up to $3,000 of living expenses per year incurred while living away from their district or home state.

Health benefits

Before 2014, members of Congress and their staff had access to essentially the same health benefits as federal civil servants; they could voluntarily enroll in theFederal Employees Health Benefits Program(FEHBP), an employer-sponsored health insurance program, and were eligible to participate in other programs, such as the Federal Flexible Spending Account Program (FSAFEDS).

However, Section 1312(d)(3)(D) of thePatient Protection and Affordable Care Act(ACA) provided that the only health plans that the federal government can make available to members of Congress and certain congressional staff are those created under the ACA or offered through ahealth care exchange.TheOffice of Personnel Managementpromulgated a final rule to comply with Section 1312(d)(3)(D).Under the rule, effective January 1, 2014, members and designated staff are no longer able to purchase FEHBP plans as active employees.However, if members enroll in a health plan offered through a Small Business Health Options Program (SHOP) exchange, they remain eligible for an employer contribution toward coverage, and members and designated staff eligible for retirement may enroll in a FEHBP plan upon retirement.

TheACAand the final rule do not affect members' or staffers' eligibility forMedicarebenefits.The ACA and the final rule also do not affect members' and staffers' eligibility for other health benefits related to federal employment, so members and staff are eligible to participate in FSAFEDS (which has three options within the program), the Federal Employees Dental and Vision Insurance Program, and the Federal Long Term Care Insurance Program.

TheOffice of the Attending Physicianat the U.S. Capitol provides members with health care for an annual fee.The attending physician provides routine exams, consultations, and certain diagnostics, and may write prescriptions (although the office does not dispense them).The office does not provide vision or dental care.

Members (but not their dependents, and not former members) may also receive medical and emergency dental care at military treatment facilities.There is no charge for outpatient care if it is provided in theNational Capital Region,but members are billed at full reimbursement rates (set by the Department of Defense) for inpatient care.(Outside the National Capital Region, charges are at full reimbursement rates for both inpatient and outpatient care).

Personnel, mail and office expenses

House members are eligible for a Member's Representational Allowance (MRA) to support them in their official and representational duties to their district.The MRA is calculated based on three components: one for personnel, one for official office expenses and one for official or franked mail. The personnel allowance is the same for all members; the office and mail allowances vary based on the members' district's distance from Washington, D.C., the cost of office space in the member's district, and the number of non-business addresses in their district. These three components are used to calculate a single MRA that can fund any expense—even though each component is calculated individually, the franking allowance can be used to pay for personnel expenses if the member so chooses. In 2011 this allowance averaged $1.4 million per member, and ranged from $1.35 to $1.67 million.

The Personnel allowance was $944,671 per member in 2010. Each member may employ no more than 18 permanent employees. Members' employees' salary is capped at $168,411 as of 2009.

Travel allowance

Before being sworn into office each member-elect and one staffer can be paid for one round trip between their home in their congressional district and Washington, D.C. for organization caucuses.Members are allowed "a sum for travel based on the following formula: 64 times the rate per mile... multiplied by the mileage between Washington, DC, and the furthest point in a Member's district, plus 10%."As of January 2012the rate ranges from $0.41 to $1.32 per mile ($0.25 to $0.82/km) based on distance ranges between D.C. and the member's district.

Officers

Member officials

Thepartywith a majority of seats in the House is known as themajority party.The next-largest party is the minority party. Thespeaker,committee chairs, and some other officials are generally from the majority party; they have counterparts (for instance, the "ranking members" of committees) in the minority party.

The Constitution provides that the House may choose its own speaker.Although not explicitly required by the Constitution, every speaker has been a member of the House. The Constitution does not specify the duties and powers of the speaker, which are instead regulated by the rules and customs of the House. Speakers have a role both as a leader of the House and the leader of their party (which need not be the majority party; theoretically, a member of theminority partycould be elected as speaker with the support of a fraction of members of the majority party). Under thePresidential Succession Act(1947), the speaker is second in the line ofpresidential successionafter the vice president.

The speaker is the presiding officer of the House but does not preside over every debate. Instead, they delegate the responsibility of presiding to other members in most cases. The presiding officer sits in a chair in the front of the House chamber. The powers of the presiding officer are extensive; one important power is that of controlling the order in which members of the House speak. No member may make a speech or a motion unless they have first been recognized by the presiding officer. Moreover, the presiding officer may rule on a "point of order"(a member's objection that a rule has been breached); the decision is subject to appeal to the whole House.

Speakers serve as chairs of their party's steering committee, which is responsible for assigning party members to other House committees. The speaker chooses the chairs of standing committees, appoints most of the members of theRules Committee,appoints all members of conference committees, and determines which committees consider bills.

Each party elects afloor leader,who is known as themajority leaderorminority leader.The minority leader heads their party in the House, and the majority leader is their party's second-highest-ranking official, behind the speaker. Party leaders decide what legislation members of their party should either support or oppose.

Each party also elects aWhip,who works to ensure that the party's members vote as the party leadership desires. Themajority whipin the House of Representatives isTom Emmer,who is a member of theRepublican Party.Theminority whipisKatherine Clark,who is a member of theDemocratic Party.The whip is supported bychief deputy whips

After the whips, the next ranking official in the House party's leadership is theparty conference chair(styled as the Republican conference chair and Democratic caucus chair).

After the conference chair, there are differences between each party's subsequent leadership ranks. After the Democratic caucus chair is the campaign committee chair (Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee), then the co-chairs of the Steering Committee. For the Republicans it is thechair of the House Republican Policy Committee,followed by the campaign committee chairman (styled as theNational Republican Congressional Committee).

The chairs ofHouse committees,particularly influential standing committees such asAppropriations,Ways and Means,andRules,are powerful but not officially part of the House leadership hierarchy. Until the post of majority leader was created, the chair of Ways and Means was thede factomajority leader.

Leadership and partisanship

When the presidency and Senate are controlled by a different party from the one controlling the House, the speaker can become thede facto"leader of the opposition". Some notable examples includeTip O'Neillin the 1980s,Newt Gingrichin the 1990s,John Boehnerin the early 2010s, andNancy Pelosiin the late 2000s and again in the late 2010s and early 2020s. Since the speaker is a partisan officer with substantial power to control the business of the House, the position is often used for partisan advantage.

In the instance when the presidency and both Houses of Congress are controlled by one party, the speaker normally takes a low profile and defers to the president. For that situation the House minority leader can play the role of ade facto"leader of the opposition", often more so than the Senate minority leader, due to the more partisan nature of the House and the greater role of leadership.

Non-member officials

The House is also served by several officials who are not members. The House's chief such officer is theclerk,who maintains public records, prepares documents, and oversees junior officials, includingpagesuntil the discontinuation of House pages in 2011. The clerk also presides over the House at the beginning of each new Congress pending the election of a speaker. Another officer is thechief administrative officer,responsible for the day-to-day administrative support to the House of Representatives. This includes everything from payroll tofoodservice.

The position ofchief administrative officer(CAO) was created by the104th Congressfollowing the1994 mid-term elections,replacing the positions ofdoorkeeperand director of non-legislative and financial services (created by the previous congress to administer the non-partisan functions of the House). The CAO also assumed some of the responsibilities of the House Information Services, which previously had been controlled directly by theCommittee on House Administration,then headed by RepresentativeCharlie Roseof North Carolina, along with the House "Folding Room".

Thechaplainleads the House inprayerat the opening of the day. Thesergeant at armsis the House's chief law enforcement officer and maintains order and security on House premises. Finally, routine police work is handled by theUnited States Capitol Police,which is supervised by theCapitol Police Board,a body to which the sergeant at arms belongs, and chairs in even-numbered years.

Procedure

Main article:Procedures of the United States House of Representatives

Daily procedures

Like the Senate, the House of Representatives meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C. At one end of the chamber of the House is arostrumfrom which thespeaker,Speaker pro tempore, or (when in Committee of the Whole House) the chair presides.The lower tiers of the rostrum are used by clerks and other officials. A table in front of the rostrum is used by the official reporters. Members' seats are arranged in the chamber in a semicircular pattern facing the rostrum and are divided by a wide central aisle.By tradition, Democrats sit on the left of the center aisle, while Republicans sit on the right, facing the presiding officer's chair.Sittings are normally held on weekdays; meetings on Saturdays and Sundays are rare. Sittings of the House are generally open to the public; visitors must obtain a House Gallery pass from a congressional office.Sittings are broadcast live on television and have been streamed live onC-SPANsince March 19, 1979,and onHouseLive,the official streaming service operated by the Clerk, since the early 2010s.

The procedure of the House depends not only on the rules, but also on a variety of customs, precedents, and traditions. In many cases, the House waives some of its stricter rules (including time limits on debates) byunanimous consent.A member may block a unanimous consent agreement, but objections are rare. The presiding officer, thespeaker of the Houseenforces the rules of the House, and may warn members who deviate from them. The speaker uses agavelto maintain order.Legislation to be considered by the House is placed in a box called the hopper.

In one of its first resolutions, the U.S. House of Representatives established theOffice of the Sergeant at Arms.In an American tradition adopted from English custom in 1789 by the first speaker of the House,Frederick MuhlenbergofPennsylvania,theMace of the United States House of Representativesis used to open all sessions of the House. It is also used during the inaugural ceremonies for all presidents of the United States. For daily sessions of the House, the sergeant at arms carries the mace ahead of the speaker in procession to therostrum.It is placed on a green marble pedestal to the speaker's right. When the House is in committee, the mace is moved to a pedestal next to the desk of the Sergeant at Arms.

The Constitution provides that a majority of the House constitutes aquorumto do business.Under the rules and customs of the House, a quorum is always assumed present unless aquorum callexplicitly demonstrates otherwise. House rules prevent a member from making a point of order that a quorum is not present unless a question is being voted on. The presiding officer does not accept a point of order of no quorum during general debate, or when a question is not before the House.

During debates, a member may speak only if called upon by the presiding officer. The presiding officer decides which members to recognize, and can therefore control the course of debate.All speeches must be addressed to the presiding officer, using the words "Mr. Speaker" or "Madam Speaker". Only the presiding officer may be directly addressed in speeches; other members must be referred to in the third person. In most cases, members do not refer to each other only by name, but also by state, using forms such as "the gentleman from Virginia", "the distinguished gentlewoman from California", or "my distinguished friend from Alabama".

There are 448 permanent seats on the House Floor and four tables, two on each side. These tables are occupied by members of the committee that have brought a bill to the floor for consideration and by the party leadership. Members address the House from microphones at any table or "the well", the area immediately in front of the rostrum.

Passage of legislation

Per the Constitution, the House of Representatives determines the rules according to which it passes legislation. Any of the rules can be changed with each new Congress, but in practice each new session amends a standing set of rules built up over the history of the body in an early resolution published for public inspection.Before legislation reaches the floor of the House, theRules Committeenormally passes a rule to govern debate on that measure (which then must be passed by the full House before it becomes effective). For instance, the committee determines if amendments to the bill are permitted. An "open rule" permits all germane amendments, but a "closed rule" restricts or even prohibits amendment. Debate on a bill is generally restricted to one hour, equally divided between the majority and minority parties. Each side is led during the debate by a "floor manager", who allocates debate time to members who wish to speak. On contentious matters, many members may wish to speak; thus, a member may receive as little as one minute, or even thirty seconds, to make their point.

When debate concludes, the motion is put to a vote.In many cases, the House votes by voice vote; the presiding officer puts the question, and members respond either "yea!" or "aye!" (in favor of the motion) or "nay!" or "no!" (against the motion). The presiding officer then announces the result of the voice vote. A member may, however, challenge the presiding officer's assessment and "request the yeas and nays" or "request a recorded vote". The request may be granted only if it is seconded by one-fifth of the members present. Traditionally, however, members of Congress second requests for recorded votes as a matter of courtesy. Some votes are always recorded, such as those on the annual budget.

A recorded vote may be taken in one of three different ways. One is electronically. Members use a personal identification card to record their votes at 46 voting stations in the chamber. Votes are usually held in this way. A second mode of recorded vote is by teller. Members hand in colored cards to indicate their votes: green for "yea", red for "nay", and orange for "present" (i.e., to abstain). Teller votes are normally held only when electronic voting breaks down. Finally, the House may conduct aroll call vote.The Clerk reads the list of members of the House, each of whom announces their vote when their name is called. This procedure is only used rarely (and usually for ceremonial occasions, such as for the election of a speaker) because of the time consumed by calling over four hundred names.

Voting traditionally lasts for, at most, fifteen minutes, but it may be extended if the leadership needs to "whip" more members into alignment.The 2003 vote on the prescription drug benefit was open for three hours, from 3:00 to 6:00 a.m., to receive four additional votes, three of which were necessary to pass the legislation.The 2005 vote on theCentral American Free Trade Agreementwas open for one hour, from 11:00 p.m. to midnight.An October 2005 vote on facilitating refinery construction was kept open for forty minutes.

Presiding officers may vote like other members. They may not, however, vote twice in the event of a tie; rather, a tie vote defeats the motion.

Committees and caucuses

Further information:United States congressional committeeandList of United States House of Representatives committees

Democratic Party(212)

Congressional Progressive Caucus:73 seats

NDCandCPC:23 seats

New Democrat Coalition:70 seats

BDCandNDC:5 seats

Blue Dog Coalition:5 seats

Other Democrats: 36 seats

Vacant (3)

Vacant (3)

Republican Party(220)

Other Republicans: 14 seats

Republican Study Committee:162 seats

RSCandFreedom Caucus:17 seats

Freedom Caucus:24 seats

The House uses committees and their subcommittees for a variety of purposes, including the review of bills and the oversight of the executive branch. The appointment of committee members is formally made by the whole House, but the choice of members is actually made by the political parties. Generally, each party honors the preferences of individual members, giving priority on the basis of seniority. Historically, membership on committees has been in rough proportion to the party's strength in the House, with two exceptions: on the Rules Committee, the majority party fills nine of the thirteen seats;and on the Ethics Committee, each party has an equal number of seats.However, when party control in the House is closely divided, extra seats on committees are sometimes allocated to the majority party. In the 109th Congress, for example, the Republicans controlled about 53% of the House, but had 54% of the Appropriations Committee members, 55% of the members on the Energy and Commerce Committee, and 58% of the members on the Judiciary Committee.

The largest committee of the House is theCommittee of the Whole,which, as its name suggests, consists of all members of the House. The Committee meets in the House chamber; it may consider and amend bills, but may not grant them final passage. Generally, the debate procedures of the Committee of the Whole are more flexible than those of the House itself. One advantage of the Committee of the Whole is its ability to include otherwise non-voting members ofCongress.

Most committee work is performed by twenty standing committees, each of which has jurisdiction over a specific set of issues, such as Agriculture or Foreign Affairs. Each standing committee considers, amends, and reports bills that fall under its jurisdiction. Committees have extensive powers with regard to bills; they may block legislation from reaching the floor of the House. Standing committees also oversee the departments and agencies of the executive branch. In discharging their duties, standing committees have the power to hold hearings and tosubpoenawitnesses and evidence.

The House also has one permanent committee that is not a standing committee, thePermanent Select Committee on Intelligence,and occasionally may establish temporary or advisory committees, such as theSelect Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming.This latter committee, created in the 110th Congress and reauthorized for the 111th, has no jurisdiction over legislation and must be chartered anew at the start of every Congress. The House also appoints members to serve on joint committees, which include members of the Senate and House. Some joint committees oversee independent government bodies; for instance, the Joint Committee on the Library oversees theLibrary of Congress.Other joint committees serve to make advisory reports; for example, there exists aJoint Committee on Taxation.Bills and nominees are not referred to joint committees. Hence, the power of joint committees is considerably lower than those of standing committees.

Each House committee and subcommittee is led by a chairman (always a member of the majority party). From 1910 to the 1970s, committee chairs were powerful.Woodrow Wilsonin his classic study,suggested:

Power is nowhere concentrated; it is rather deliberately and of set policy scattered amongst many small chiefs. It is divided up, as it were, into forty-seven seigniories, in each of which a Standing Committee is the court-baron and its chairman lord-proprietor. These petty barons, some of them not a little powerful, but none of them within the reach of the full powers of rule, may at will exercise almost despotic sway within their own shires, and may sometimes threaten to convulse even the realm itself.

From 1910 to 1975 committee and subcommittee chairmanship was determined purely by seniority; members of Congress sometimes had to wait 30 years to get one, but their chairship was independent of party leadership. The rules were changed in 1975 to permit partycaucusesto elect chairs, shifting power upward to the party leaders. In 1995, Republicans underNewt Gingrichset a limit of three two-year terms for committee chairs. The chairman's powers are extensive; he controls the committee/subcommittee agenda, and may prevent the committee from dealing with a bill. The senior member of the minority party is known as the Ranking Member. In some committees like Appropriations, partisan disputes are few.

Legislative functions

Most bills may be introduced in either House of Congress. However, the Constitution states, "All Bills for raising Revenue shall originate in the House of Representatives." Because of theOrigination Clause,the Senate cannot initiate bills imposing taxes. This provision barring the Senate from introducing revenue bills is based on the practice of theBritish Parliament,in which only theHouse of Commonsmay originate such measures. Furthermore, congressional tradition holds that the House of Representatives originatesappropriation bills.

Although it cannot originate revenue bills, the Senate retains the power to amend or reject them.Woodrow Wilsonwrote the following about appropriations bills:

[T]he constitutional prerogative of the House has been held to apply to all the general appropriations bills, and the Senate's right to amend these has been allowed the widest possible scope. The upper house may add to them what it pleases; may go altogether outside of their original provisions and tack to them entirely new features of legislation, altering not only the amounts but even the objects of expenditure, and making out of the materials sent them by the popular chamber measures of an almost totally new character.

The approval of the Senate and the House of Representatives is required for a bill to become law. Both Houses must pass the same version of the bill; if there are differences, they may be resolved by aconference committee,which includes members of both bodies. For the stages through which bills pass in the Senate, seeAct of Congress.

The president mayvetoa bill passed by the House and Senate. If they do, the bill does not become law unless each House, by a two-thirds vote, votes to override the veto.

Checks and balances

The Constitution provides that the Senate's "advice and consent"is necessary for the president to make appointments and to ratify treaties.Thus, with its potential to frustrate presidential appointments, the Senate is more powerful than the House.

The Constitution empowers the House of Representatives toimpeachfederal officials for "Treason,Bribery,or other highCrimesandMisdemeanors"and empowers the Senate to try such impeachments.The House may approve "articles of impeachment" by a simple majority vote; however, a two-thirds vote is required for conviction in the Senate.A convicted official is automatically removed from office and may be disqualified from holding future office under the United States.No further punishment is permitted during the impeachment proceedings; however, the party may face criminal penalties in a normal court of law.

In the history of the United States, the House of Representativeshas impeached seventeen officials,of whom seven were convicted. (Another,Richard Nixon,resigned after theHouse Judiciary Committeepassedarticles of impeachmentbut before a formal impeachment vote by the full House.) Only three presidents of the United States have ever been impeached:Andrew Johnsonin 1868,Bill Clintonin 1998, andDonald Trumpin 2019 and in 2021.The trials of Johnson, Clinton and Trump all ended in acquittal; in Johnson's case, the Senate fell one vote short of the two-thirds majority required for conviction.

Under theTwelfth Amendment,the House has the power to elect the president if no presidential candidate receives a majority of votes in theElectoral College.The Twelfth Amendment requires the House to choose from the three candidates with the highest numbers of electoral votes. The Constitution provides that "the votes shall be taken by states, the representation from each state having one vote".It is rare for no presidential candidate to receive a majority of electoral votes. In the history of the United States, the House has only had to choose a president twice. In 1800, which was before the adoption of theTwelfth Amendment,it electedThomas JeffersonoverAaron Burr.In 1824, it electedJohn Quincy AdamsoverAndrew JacksonandWilliam H. Crawford.(If no vice-presidential candidate receives a majority of the electoral votes, the Senate elects the vice president from the two candidates with the highest numbers of electoral votes.)

Latest election results and party standings

See also:2022 United States House of Representatives electionsand118th United States Congress

As of July 10, 2024

↓

220	213
Republican	Democratic

Affiliation		Members	Delegates/resident commissioner (non-voting)	State majorities
	Republican	220	3	26
	Democratic	213	3	22
	Vacant	2
Total		435	6	50
Majority		3

See also

• 2022 United States House of Representatives elections
• List of current members of the United States House of Representatives
• Seniority in the United States House of Representatives
• Third-party members of the United States House of Representatives
• U.S. representative bibliography (congressional memoirs)
• Women in the United States House of Representatives
• List of portraits in the United States House of Representatives collection (A-J)

References

Sources and further reading

• Abramowitz, Alan I.; Saunders, Kyle L. (1998).Ideological Realignment in the US Electorate.Vol. 60. Journal of Politics. pp. 634–652.
• Adler, E. Scott (2002).Why Congressional Reforms Fail: Reelection and the House Committee System..Univ. of Chicago Press.
• Albert, Carl; Goble, Danney (1990).Little Giant: The Life and Times of Speaker Carl Albert.Univ. of Oklahoma Press.,Speaker in the 1970s
• Barone, Michael; Ujifusa, Grant (2005).The Almanac of American Politics 2006: The Senators, the Representatives and the Governors: Their Records and Election Results, Their States and Districts.,Published every two years since 1975; enormous detail on every state and district and member.
• Barry, John M. (1989).The Ambition and the Power: The Fall of Jim Wright. A True Story of Washington.Viking.ISBN978-0-670-81924-9.,Speaker in the 1980s
• Berard, Stanley P. (2001).Southern Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives.Univ. of Oklahoma Press.
• Berman, Daniel M. (1964).In Congress Assembled: The Legislative Process in the National Government.London: The Macmillan Company.,
• Biographical Directory of the United States Congress, 1774–2005.Washington: Government Printing Office. 2005.,Prepared by the Office of the Clerk, Office of History and Preservation, United States House of Representatives. Contains biographical entries for every Member of Congress. Also online atBiographical DirectoryArchivedNovember 10, 2009, at theWayback Machine.
• Brady, David W. (1973).Congressional Voting in a Partisan Era: A Study of the McKinley Houses and a Comparison to the Modern House of Representatives.Univ. Press of Kansas.
• Brady, David W.; McCubbins, Mathew D. (2002).Party, Process, and Political Change in Congress: New Perspectives on the History of Congress.
• Congressional Quarterly,massive, highly detailed summary of Congressional activity, and major executive and judicial decisions; based onCongressional Quarterly Weekly Reportand the annual CQ almanac.
  • Congressional Quarterly,Congress and the Nation: 1945–1964(1965)
  • Congressional Quarterly,Congress and the Nation: 1965–1968(1969)
  • Congressional Quarterly,Congress and the Nation: 1969–1972(1973)
  • Congressional Quarterly,Congress and the Nation: 1973–1976(1977)
  • Congressional Quarterly,Congress and the Nation: 1977–1980(1981)
  • Congressional Quarterly,Congress and the Nation: 1981–1984(1985)
  • Congressional Quarterly,Congress and the Nation: 1985–1988(1989)
  • Congressional Quarterly,Congress and the Nation: 1989–1992(1993)
  • Congressional Quarterly,Congress and the Nation: 1993–1996(1998)
  • Congressional Quarterly,Congress and the Nation: 1997–2001(2002)
  • Congressional Quarterly,Congress and the Nation: 2001–2004: A Review of Government and Politics: 107th and 108th Congresses(2005)
• Congressional Quarterly's Guide to Congress(5th ed.). Washington, D.C.: Congressional Quarterly Press. 2000.,
• Cooper, Joseph (1970).The Origins of the Standing Committees and the Development of the Modern House.Rice Univ. Press.
• Cox, Gary W.; McCubbins, Mathew D. (1993).Legislative Leviathan: Party Government in the House.Univ. of California Press.
• DeGregorio, Christine A. (1997).Networks of Champions: Leadership, Access, and Advocacy in the U.S. House of Representatives.Univ. of Michigan Press.
• Dierenfield, Bruce J. (1987).Keeper of the Rules: Congressman Howard W. Smith of Virginia.Univ. Press of Virginia.ISBN978-0-8139-1068-0.,leader ofConservative coalition1940–66
• Farrell, John A. (2001).Tip O'Neill and the Democratic Century.Little, Brown.ISBN978-0-316-26049-7.,Democratic Speaker in the 1980s
• Gertzog, Irwin J. (1984).Congressional Women: Their Recruitment, Treatment, and Behavior.Praeger.
• Hardeman, D. B.; Bacon, Donald C. (1987).Rayburn: A Biography.Texas Monthly Press.
• Hatzenbuehler, Ronald L. (1972). "Party Unity and the Decision for War in the House of Representatives in 1812".William and Mary Quarterly.29(3): 367–90.doi:10.2307/1923870.ISSN0043-5597.JSTOR1923870.
• Hechler, Ken (1980).Toward the Endless Frontier: History of the Committee on Science and Technology, 1959–79.Washington: Government Printing Office.
• Henig, Gerald S. (1973).Henry Winter Davis: Antebellum and Civil War Congressman from Maryland.,Radical leader in Civil War era
• Hibbing, John R. (1991).Congressional Careers: Contours of Life in the U.S. House of Representatives.Univ. of North Carolina Press.
• Jacobs, John (1995).A Rage for Justice: The Passion and Politics of Phillip Burton.Univ. of California Press.,leader of liberal Democrats in the 1970s
• Jacobson, Gary C. (1990).The Electoral Origins of Divided Government: Competition in U.S. House Elections, 1946–1988.Westview.
• Kiewiet, D. Roderick; McCubbins, Mathew D. (1991).The Logic of Delegation: Congressional Parties and the Appropriations Process.Univ. of Chicago Press.
• Klingman, Peter D. (1976).Josiah Walls: Florida's Black Congressman of Reconstruction.Univ. Press of Florida.
• Grant de Pauw, Linda;Bickford, Charlene Bangs; Bowling, Kenneth R., eds. (1992–2006).Documentary History of the First Federal Congress of the United States of America, March 4, 1789 – March 3, 1791.,14 volumes of primary documents
• Lowitt, Richard (1963).George W. Norris: The Making of a Progressive, 1861–1912.Vol. 1. Syracuse Univ. Press.,leader of Republican insurgents in 1910
• Margulies, Herbert F. (1996).Reconciliation and Revival: James R. Mann and the House Republicans in the Wilson Era..Greenwood.
• Merriner, James L. (1999).Mr. Chairman: Power in Dan Rostenkowski's America.Southern Illinois Univ. Press.
• Patterson, James (1967).Congressional Conservatism and the New Deal: The Growth of the Conservative Coalition in Congress, 1933–39.
• Price, David E. (1992).The Congressional Experience: A View from the Hill.Westview.,Political scientist who served in House.
• Remini, Robert V.(1992).Henry Clay: Statesman for the Union..Speaker for most of 1811–1825
• Rohde, David W. (1991).Parties and Leaders in the Postreform House.Univ. of Chicago Press.
• Rohde, David W.; Shepsle, Kenneth A. (1987). "Leaders and Followers in the House of Representatives: Reflections on Woodrow Wilson's Congressional Government".Congress & the Presidency.14(2): 111–133.doi:10.1080/07343468709507958.
• Schickler, Eric (2001).Disjointed Pluralism: Institutional Innovation and the Development of the U.S. Congress.
• Schooley, C. Herschel (1977).Missouri's Cannon in the House.Marceline, Missouri:Walsworth.,Chaired Appropriations in the 1960s
• Shelley II, Mack C. (1983).The Permanent Majority: The Conservative Coalition in the United States Congress.
• Sinclair, Barbara (1982).Congressional Realignment, 1925–1978.Univ. of Texas Press.
• Sinclair, Barbara (1995).Legislators, Leaders, and Lawmaking: The U.S. House of Representatives in the Postreform Era.Johns Hopkins Univ. Press.ISBN978-0-8018-4955-8.
• Steinberg, Alfred (1975).Sam Rayburn: A Biography.Hawthorn.ISBN978-0-8015-5210-6.,popular biography
• Stewart, Charles H. III (1989).Budget Reform Politics: The Design of the Appropriations Process in the House of Representatives, 1865–1921.Cambridge Univ. Press.
• Story, Joseph(1891).Commentaries on the Constitution of the United States (2 vol.).Boston: Brown & Little.
• Strahan, Randall; Moscardelli, Vincent G. (2000). "The Clay Speakership Revisited".Polity.32(4): 561–593.doi:10.2307/3235293.JSTOR3235293.S2CID155152645.,uses roll call analysis
• Strahan, Randall (1990).New Ways and Means: Reform and Change in a Congressional Committee.Univ. of North Carolina Press.
• Trefousse, Hans L. (1997).Thaddeus Stevens: Nineteenth-Century Egalitarian.,majority leader in the 1860s
• Valelly, Richard M., "The Reed Rules and Republican Party Building A New Look",Studies in American Political Development,23 (Oct. 2009), 115–42.online
• VanBeek, Stephen D. (1995).Post-Passage Politics: Bicameral Resolution in Congress.Univ. of Pittsburgh Press.
• Waller, Robert A. (1977).Rainey of Illinois: A Political Biography, 1903–34.Univ. of Illinois Press.,Democratic Speaker 1932–1934
• Wilson, Woodrow(1885).Congressional Government.New York: Houghton Mifflin.,
• Zelizer, Julian E. (2006).On Capitol Hill: The Struggle to Reform Congress and its Consequences, 1948–2000.

Surveys

• Currie, James T.The United States House of Representatives.Krieger, 1988.
• MacNeil, Neil (1963).Forge of Democracy: The House of Representatives.New York: D. McKay.
• Peters, Ronald M. Jr (1997).The American Speakership: The Office in Historical Perspective(2nd ed.). Baltimore:Johns Hopkins University Press.ISBN978-0-8018-5758-4.
• Polsby, Nelson W.(2004).How Congress Evolves: Social Bases of Institutional Change.New York:Oxford University Press.ISBN978-0-19-516195-3.
• Poole, Keith T.; Rosenthal, Howard (1997).Congress: A Political-Economic History of Roll Call Voting.New York: Oxford University Press.ISBN978-0-19-514242-6.
• Remini, Robert V.(2006).The House: The History of the House of Representatives.New York:HarperCollins.ISBN978-0-06-088434-5.
• Sinclair, Barbara (1983).Majority Leadership in the U.S. House.Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press.ISBN978-0-8018-2933-8.
• Julian E. Zelizer, ed. (2004).The American Congress: The Building of Democracy.New York:Houghton Mifflin.ISBN978-0-618-17906-0.
• Zelizer, Julian E.Burning Down the House: Newt Gingrich, the Fall of a Speaker, and the Rise of the New Republican Party(Penguin, 2020), focus on Jim Wright and Newt Gingrich in 1990s.

External links

• Official website
  • Clerk of the House of Representatives
  • Chief Administrative Office of the House
  • Office of the majority leader
  • Office of the speaker of the House
  • Official list of current members
  • Rules of the House
• Legislative information and archives for US House and Senate,viaCongress.gov
• Biographical Directory of the United States Congress, 1774 to Present
• A New Nation Votes: American Election Returns 1787–1825ArchivedJuly 25, 2008, at theWayback Machine
• Complete Downloadable List of U.S. Representative Contact Information,via AggData LLC
• Information about U.S. Congressional Bills and Resolutions