Speaker of the House (United States)
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| Speaker of the House (United States) | |
|---|---|
| Post | Speaker of the House |
| Body | United States House of Representatives |
| Incumbent | Mike Johnson |
| Incumbentsince | October 25, 2023 |
| Style | The Honorable |
| Status | Presiding officer |
| Seat | United States Capitol |
| Appointer | House of Representatives |
| Termlength | Two years, elected at start of each new Congress |
| Formation | April 1, 1789 |
| First | Frederick Muhlenberg |
Speaker of the House (United States) is the presiding officer of the United States House of Representatives and third in the United States presidential line of succession after the President of the United States and the Vice President of the United States. The office combines parliamentary functions with partisan leadership for the majority party and serves as an institutional representative of the House to the United States Senate, the United States Supreme Court, and the President of the United States. The Speaker's powers derive from the United States Constitution and the House's chambers rules, shaped by precedents involving figures such as Henry Clay, Sam Rayburn, and Nancy Pelosi.
Role and Powers
The Speaker presides over floor proceedings of the United States House of Representatives and enforces the chamber's rules, recognizing members such as John Boehner, Tip O'Neill, and Newt Gingrich to speak, referring legislation to committees including the House Committee on Ways and Means and the House Committee on Appropriations. As institutional leader, the Speaker controls committee assignments through party steering committees like the House Republican Conference and the Democratic Caucus (House of Representatives), influences the federal budget process involving the Congressional Budget Office and the Office of Management and Budget, and negotiates with the United States Senate and the White House on major measures such as Affordable Care Act debates or Congressional Budget Act disputes. The Speaker also signs enrolled bills before they are sent to the President of the United States and represents the House in official communications with the Supreme Court of the United States and foreign heads of state such as representatives from United Kingdom, Canada, and China.
Election and Succession
The Speaker is elected by a roll-call vote of the United States House of Representatives membership at the start of each new Congress; contenders have included figures from the Republican Party (United States), Democratic Party (United States), and occasional third-party or independent nominees. House precedents allow a Speaker to be elected from outside current House membership though historical practice favors sitting members like Frederick Muhlenberg and James K. Polk. Under the Presidential Succession Act of 1947 and clauses of the United States Constitution, the Speaker is third in line to the Presidency of the United States, after the Vice President of the United States and before the President pro tempore of the United States Senate; succession scenarios have been discussed in contexts involving crises such as the Cold War and post-9/11 continuity planning by entities like the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the National Security Council.
History and Notable Speakers
From the first Speaker, Frederick Muhlenberg, through 19th-century leaders such as Henry Clay and James G. Blaine, to 20th-century powerbrokers like Joseph G. Cannon, Sam Rayburn, and Tip O'Neill, the Speakership has evolved amid debates over centralization exemplified by clashes with committees such as the House Committee on Rules and personalities like Newt Gingrich and Dennis Hastert. Landmark episodes include the 1910 revolt against Joseph G. Cannon that empowered the House Rules Committee, the leadership of Sam Rayburn during World War II and the Marshall Plan era, and the partisanship surge under Newt Gingrich and the Contract with America. Recent Speakers—Nancy Pelosi, John Boehner, Paul Ryan, Kevin McCarthy, and Mike Johnson—navigated crises involving the Great Recession, debates over the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, government shutdowns with the Office of Management and Budget, and ethics inquiries by the House Ethics Committee.
Duties and Responsibilities
The Speaker schedules floor business and sets legislative priorities in coordination with majority leaders such as the House Majority Leader (United States) and minority leaders like the House Minority Leader (United States), oversees proceedings during roll calls and voting, and ensures compliance with precedents from the House Parliamentarian. The Speaker appoints members to select panels including the Joint Committee on Taxation and influences impeachment procedures involving the House Judiciary Committee and trials in the United States Senate. Administrative responsibilities include supervising officers like the Clerk of the House, coordinating with the Sergeant at Arms of the House of Representatives for security matters tied to the United States Capitol Police, and representing the House's position in interbranch negotiations with the Supreme Court of the United States and the President of the United States.
Office and Staffing
The Speaker maintains offices in the United States Capitol and the Capitol Hill complex, supported by a professional staff handling legislative, communications, and policy portfolios including liaisons to the White House and the Senate. Staff units work with committees such as the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability and agencies like the Congressional Research Service and the Government Accountability Office to draft bills, prepare floor speeches, and conduct oversight. The Speaker's staff also manages relations with external entities such as the Democratic National Committee, Republican National Committee, and nongovernmental organizations during high-profile negotiations or public statements.
Controversies and Reforms
The Speakership has been the focus of reforms and controversies over centralization of power, ethics, and procedural control, highlighted by reform efforts after the Cannon Revolt of 1910, the Watergate scandal's congressional aftermath, and the Role of the Speaker in the 21st century debates following government shutdowns and impeachment proceedings like those involving Richard Nixon's aftermath and Donald Trump. Controversies have involved allegations reviewed by the House Ethics Committee, internal coups such as removal motions against Kevin McCarthy and John Boehner's resignation, and calls for procedural changes by members associated with movements like the Tea Party movement and the Progressive Caucus (House of Representatives). Reforms have included rule changes by the House Rules Committee and proposals for term limits, decentralization, and enhanced transparency championed by reformers from groups like the Sunlight Foundation.