Speaker of the House
The Speaker of the House is the chief officer of the U.S. House of Representatives, which is the lower house of Congress. This position, established in the U.S. Constitution, has its roots in the British parliamentary system, particularly the Speaker of the House of Commons. The Speaker's primary responsibilities include calling the House to order, determining the legislative agenda, recognizing members who wish to speak, and maintaining decorum within the chamber. Elected by House members, the Speaker typically represents the majority party, serving simultaneously as the party leader, chief officer, and an individual member of Congress.
Throughout history, the role of the Speaker has evolved significantly; early Speakers were not particularly prominent political figures, but over time, individuals like Henry Clay and Thomas Brackett Reed transformed the position into one of considerable influence within Congress. The Speaker also plays a critical role in the legislative process, often deciding which bills are debated and voted upon, while traditionally refraining from participating in debates except in specific situations. Additionally, the Speaker is second in the presidential line of succession, meaning they could assume the presidency if both the President and Vice President are unable to serve. Notably, the position has seen significant political shifts, as illustrated by recent events where Speaker Kevin McCarthy was ousted in 2023, marking a historic moment in U.S. political dynamics.
Speaker of the House
In US politics, the Speaker of the House is the chief officer of the US House of Representatives, the lower house of the bicameral US Congress. Speakers call the House to order, determine what legislation will appear before the House for voting, recognize House members who wish to speak, preserve protocol and etiquette in the House chambers, and execute administrative duties of the House.
The US Constitution created the position of Speaker of the House, but the post and its responsibilities grew out of the British political tradition with which the framers of the Constitution were familiar. The House of Commons in the British Parliament has elected Speakers since the fourteenth century. The duties of US Speakers closely resemble those of British Speakers.
Speakers of the House are selected by the members of the House of Representatives, who usually elect candidates from their own political parties. One candidate must then gain an absolute majority of votes to become Speaker. From the late eighteenth century to the 2020s, every Speaker of the House has been an elected member of Congress, although the Constitution does not require this.
Background
The framers of the US Constitution derived the position of Speaker of the House from the similar British position of Speaker of the House of Commons, established during the fourteenth century. House of Commons Speakers originally acted as liaisons between the members of the House of Commons and the English (later British) monarchs. Speakers took members' concerns to the kings and queens and then relayed the monarchs' wishes to the Commons. Commons Speakers retained these duties over the centuries. In the twenty-first century, Speakers of the House of Commons serve as chief officers of the body and call members to debate on the House floor, all while remaining politically objective.
The US Constitution draws from British parliamentary custom in naming a Speaker of the House, but the document mentions the position only briefly. Article 1, section 2 of the Constitution declares that the House of Representatives is empowered to select its Speaker and various other officers. The first Speaker of the House was a US representative for Pennsylvania, Frederick Augustus Conrad Muhlenberg, elected to the role in 1789.
In these early years of the United States and for the next several decades, Speakers of the House were not particularly visible political leaders in Congress. They acted simply as the formal presiding officers of the House and oversaw debate on proposed legislation. In the early nineteenth century, however, Speakers such as Henry Clay of Kentucky distinguished the role as one of greater importance. As Speaker, Clay called for House members to consider the politics of the entire United States rather than only the concerns of their own regions of the country. He also ensured that he remained levelheaded enough to lead House debate rather than become influenced by the fleeting minor concerns of House members. In this way, Clay raised the prestige of the Speaker of the House position.
US Representative Thomas Brackett Reed of Maine politicized the role of Speaker in the late nineteenth century by forcefully promoting the policies of his own Republican Party. He was able to do this because Republicans held a majority in the House, thus allowing Reed to filter Republican programs through the House more easily. Speakers of the House retained this partisan disposition into the twenty-first century.
Overview
Speakers of the House are traditionally selected from among members of Congress on the first day of each new Congress, which occurs every two years in early January. Each party in the House elects one candidate for the speakership. Ordinarily, the House is composed predominantly of members from the two major US political parties, the Democratic Party and Republican Party. Third parties that become legitimate forces in the House could also select their own candidates for Speaker. All representatives in the House then vote for their preferred candidate, who must receive an absolute majority of votes, or more than half, to be declared Speaker. Because House members generally vote for the candidate from their own party, Speakers of the House usually come from the majority party in the House.
This means Speakers of the House simultaneously serve in three distinct roles once elected: as chief officer of the House, as leader of their party in the House, and as a traditional member of Congress. The speakership itself has many duties. Speakers administer the oath of office to newly elected members of Congress and call meetings of the House to begin. They also maintain civility and propriety in the House by formally recognizing US representatives who wish to speak in the House chamber and by detailing protocols for activity in the House.
Speakers wield actual political power in their authority to appoint House members to committees, delegate tasks to these committees, and—perhaps most importantly—decide which proposed legislation will be debated and voted on in the House chamber. Speakers typically abstain from debating and voting themselves, although their membership in the House entitles them to participate if they wish. Normally, Speakers vote only if their decision would break a tie or if the legislation in question is especially vital. In all regards, however, modern-day Speakers facilitate the passing of laws favored by their own party. This exemplifies the dedication to party interests that Speakers are expected to exhibit.
The final major role of Speakers of the House is to act as traditional members of Congress by listening to and serving the citizens of the congressional districts that initially elected them. They do this by occasionally visiting the district and holding public meetings where voters can express their concerns. Speakers then bring these concerns before the House and vote on bills that ideally will address their constituents' problems.
Since 1947, Speakers of the House have also fulfilled the additional role of being second in the presidential order of succession, after the vice president. Should both the US president and vice president die or become otherwise incapacitated, the Speaker of the House becomes president of the United States.
Representative Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) was the first woman to be Speaker of the House. She served as Speaker from 2007 to 2011 and from 2019 to 2023.
In both 1910 and 2015, discontented party members wanted to replace a Speaker of their own caucus for failing to push reforms or secure legislation they desired. No Speaker had ever been removed from the post, however, until October 2023, when far-right House Republicans and Democrats together ousted Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) through a motion to vacate. A far-right faction, led by Matt Gaetz (R-FL), was dissatisfied with McCarthy's bipartisan negotiations on the federal budget, while Democrats distrusted him for his continued support of President Donald Trump after the January 6, 2021, US Capitol attack.
Debate quickly ensued over the legal powers and limitations of the Speaker pro tempore—namely, whether they could run the House fully as acting Speaker or work only to secure a permanent Speaker. Congress had established the rules governing temporary speakership following the September 11, 2001, terror attacks and had envisioned such a vacancy arising in the context of an emergency; thus, Speakers pro tempore could either be designated by the outgoing Speaker or elected by House members. The rules implied, but did not clearly state, that the extent of the temporary powers would depend on how the person gained office. Most but not all Republicans viewed the sole responsibility of McCarthy's designee, Patrick McHenry (R-NC), to be finding a replacement Speaker, whereas most Democrats backed the idea of expanding McHenry's powers until January 2024. Ultimately, all legislative action was suspended while McHenry oversaw the speakership election, with a government shutdown looming.
After two weeks, Democrats nominated House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) for the speakership. Republicans advanced four successive nominees before defeating Jeffries and electing Mike Johnson (R-LA) on a party-line vote on October 25. This marked the fifth time in history that the House had had no official leader for weeks or more. In 2025, Johnson was reelected as Speaker of the House in the second round of voting. However, many political watchdogs noted that under Trump, Johnson appeared to be shrinking the role of the Speaker of the House.
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