United States House of Representatives - Wikipedia

United States House of Representatives - Wikipedia
Jump to content
Coordinates
38°53′20″N
77°0′32″W
 / 
38.88889°N 77.00889°W
 /
38.88889; -77.00889
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Redirected from
U.S. House of Representatives
Lower house of the US Congress
"House of Representatives committee" redirects here. For others, see
House of Representatives
For the United States Congress in session, see
119th United States Congress
. For state-level houses of representatives in the United States, see
List of United States state legislatures
United States House of Representatives
119th United States Congress
Unofficial seal
Flag of the United States House of Representatives
Type
Type
Lower house
of the
United States Congress
Term limits
None
History
New session started
January 3, 2025
2025-01-03
Leadership
Speaker
Mike Johnson
since October 25, 2023
Majority Leader
Steve Scalise
since January 3, 2023
Minority Leader
Hakeem Jeffries
since January 3, 2023
Majority Whip
Tom Emmer
since January 3, 2023
Minority Whip
Katherine Clark
since January 3, 2023
Structure
Seats
435 voting members
6 non-voting members
218 for a majority
Seat display
Map display
Political groups
Majority (218)
Republican
(217)
Independent
Minority (212)
Democratic
(212)
Vacant (5)
Vacant (
Length of term
2 years
Elections
Voting system
Plurality voting
in 46 states
Varies in 4 states
Alaska
Maine
Instant-runoff voting
Georgia
Louisiana
Two-round system
California
Washington
Nonpartisan primary
Last election
November 5, 2024
Next election
November 3, 2026
Redistricting
State legislatures
or
redistricting commissions
varies by state
Meeting place
House of Representatives Chamber
United States Capitol
Washington, D.C.
United States of America
Website
www
.house
.gov
Rules
Rules of the House of Representatives
This article is part of a series on the
Politics of the
United States
Federal government
Constitution of the United States
Laws
Treaties
Legislature
United States Congress
House of Representatives
Speaker
Mike Johnson
(R)
Majority Leader
Steve Scalise
(R)
Minority Leader
Hakeem Jeffries
(D)
Congressional districts
list
Non-voting members
Senate
President
JD Vance
(R)
President Pro Tempore
Chuck Grassley
(R)
Majority Leader
John Thune
(R)
Minority Leader
Chuck Schumer
(D)
Executive
President of the United States
Donald Trump
(R)
Vice President of the United States
JD Vance
(R)
Cabinet
Federal agencies
Executive Office
Judiciary
Supreme Court of the United States
Chief Justice
John Roberts
Thomas
Alito
Sotomayor
Kagan
Gorsuch
Kavanaugh
Barrett
Jackson
Inferior Courts of the United States
Courts of appeals
District courts
list
Court of International Trade
Alien Terrorist Removal Court
Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation
Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court
Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court of Review
Other tribunals
Elections
National elections
Presidential elections
Midterm elections
Off-year elections
Primary elections
Presidential primary
Elections by state and territory
Alabama
Alaska
Arizona
Arkansas
California
Colorado
Connecticut
Delaware
Florida
Georgia
Hawaii
Idaho
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
Mississippi
Missouri
Montana
Nebraska
Nevada
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New Mexico
New York
North Carolina
North Dakota
Ohio
Oklahoma
Oregon
Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
South Carolina
South Dakota
Tennessee
Texas
Utah
Vermont
Virginia
Washington
West Virginia
Wisconsin
Wyoming
American Samoa
Guam
Northern Mariana Islands
Puerto Rico
U.S. Virgin Islands
Elections in the District of Columbia
List of elections
Political parties
Democratic
Republican
Third parties
Constitution
Green
Libertarian
List of political parties
Political ideologies
Centrism
Conservatism
Black
Fiscal
Liberal
Neo-
Paleo-
Social
Traditionalist
Trumpism
Liberalism
Classical
Conservative
Modern
Neo-
Libertarianism
Conservative
Paleo-
Minarchist
Objectivism
Progressivism
Socialism
Abolitionism
Constitutionalism
Environmentalism
Feminism
Anarchism
Capitalist
Individualist
Monarchism
Nationalism
Nativism
Populism
Protectionism
Republicanism
Political culture
Political polarization
Federalism
State
and
territorial
government
Governors
Legislatures
list
Courts
Local government
District of Columbia government
District Council
Mayor
Superior Court
Foreign relations
Department of State
Secretary of State
Marco Rubio
Diplomatic missions of
in the United States
Nationality law
Passports
Visa requirements
Visa policy
United States and the United Nations
United States–Gulf Cooperation Council relations
United States portal
Politics portal
The
United States House of Representatives
is a chamber of the
bicameral
United States Congress
; it is the
lower house
, with the
U.S. Senate
being the
upper house
. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under
Article One
of the
U.S. Constitution
in enumerated matters to pass or defeat
federal
legislation
, known as
bills
Those that are also passed by the Senate are sent to the
president
for signature or
veto
. The House's exclusive powers include initiating all revenue bills,
impeaching
federal officers, and
electing the president
if no candidate receives a majority of votes in the
Electoral College
Members of the House serve a
fixed term
of two years, with each seat up for election before the start of the next Congress.
Special elections
may occur in the case of a vacancy. The House's composition was established by
Article One of the United States Constitution
. The House is composed of representatives who, pursuant to the
Uniform Congressional District Act
, sit in single member
congressional districts
allocated to each
state
on the basis of population as measured by the
United States census
, provided that each state gets at least one representative.
Since its inception in 1789, all representatives have been directly elected. Although
suffrage
was initially limited, it gradually widened, particularly after the ratification of the
Nineteenth Amendment
and the
civil rights movement
Since 1913, the
number of voting representatives
has been at 435 – with the exception of 1959 to 1963, when it was temporarily increased to 437 following the admissions of
Alaska
and
Hawaii
to the Union – pursuant to the
Apportionment Act of 1911
The
Reapportionment Act of 1929
capped the number of voting members of the House at 435.
Five non-voting delegates represent the
District of Columbia
and the U.S. territories of
Guam
, the
U.S. Virgin Islands
, the
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands
, and
American Samoa
. A non-voting resident commissioner, serving a four-year term, represents the Commonwealth of
Puerto Rico
. As of the
2020 census
, the largest delegation was
California
, with 52 representatives. Six states have
only one representative apiece
Alaska
Delaware
North Dakota
South Dakota
Vermont
, and
Wyoming
10
The House meets in the south wing of the
United 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 the
speaker of the House
, who is elected by the members thereof.
Other floor leaders
are chosen by the
Democratic Caucus
or the
Republican Conference
, depending on whichever party has the most voting members.
History
18th century
Main article:
History of the United States House of Representatives
The representation of political parties as a percentage of the House of Representatives, 1788 to 2020
A historical graph of party control of the House, the
U.S. Senate
, and
presidency
, 1855 to 2025.
11
Under the
Articles of Confederation
, the
Congress of the Confederation
was a
unicameral
body with equal representation for each state. A simple majority of states was required for ordinary legislative matters. A supermajority of nine states or more was required for special matters listed in the Articles, such as engaging in war, entering treaties and alliances, coining money, appropriating money, borrowing money on credit of the United States, raising armies, and appointing a commander in chief of the military.
12
An amendment to the Articles needed only a simple majority in the Congress but required each state to ratify it to become effective.
13
After eight years of a more limited
confederal
government under the Articles,
James Madison
Alexander Hamilton
, and other
Founding Fathers
initiated the
Constitutional Convention
, which convened in
Philadelphia
from May 25 to September 17, 1787, and received the Confederation Congress's sanction to "amend the Articles of Confederation". All states except
Rhode Island
agreed to send delegates.
citation needed
Congress's structure was a contentious issue among the founders during the convention.
Edmund Randolph
's
Virginia Plan
called for
bicameral
legislature with proportional representation
in the House and equal state representation in the Senate.
14
The Virginia Plan drew the support of delegates from several large states, including
Massachusetts
Pennsylvania
, and
Virginia
, and called for representation based on population. The smaller states favored the
New Jersey Plan
, which called for a unicameral Congress with equal representation for the states.
14
The Convention ultimately reached the
Connecticut Compromise
or Great Compromise, under which the House of Representatives would provide representation proportional to each state's population, and the Senate would provide equal representation amongst the states.
14
In 1788, the Constitution was ratified, and it was implemented on March 4, 1789.
15
Less than a month later, on April 1, 1789, the U.S. House convened for the first time in
New York City
, which was then the nation's capital. In 1790, the capital was moved back to Philadelphia, and the House met there from 1790 until 1800 when construction of the new national capitol in
Washington, D.C.
was completed.
16
19th century
Thomas Brackett Reed
Republican
House Speaker
from 1895 to 1899.
17
During the first half of the 19th century, the House was frequently in conflict with the
U.S. Senate
over regionally divisive issues, including
slavery
. The
North
was much more populous than the
South
, and therefore dominated the House of Representatives; the North held no such advantage in the Senate, however, where the equal representation of states prevailed.
18
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 the
Wilmot Proviso
, which sought to ban slavery in the land gained during the
Mexican–American War
. Conflict over slavery and other issues persisted until the
Civil War
(1861–1865), which began soon after several southern states attempted to
secede
from the
Union
. The Civil War culminated in the South's defeat and in the abolition of slavery. Since all southern senators except
Andrew Johnson
resigned their seats at the beginning of the war, the Senate did not hold the balance of power between North and South during the war.
citation needed
During the
Reconstruction
that followed, the
Republican Party
held large majorities, 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 the
Gilded Age
, was marked by sharp political divisions in the electorate. The
Democratic Party
and Republican Party each held majorities in the House at various times.
19
The late 19th and early 20th centuries also saw a dramatic increase in the power of the
speaker of the House
. The rise of the speaker's influence began in the 1890s, during the tenure of Republican
Thomas Brackett Reed
citation needed
"Czar Reed", as he was nicknamed, attempted to put into effect his view that "[t]he best system is to have one party govern and the other party watch."
20
The leadership structure of the House also developed during approximately the same period, with the positions of
majority leader
and
minority leader
being created in 1899. While the minority leader was the head of the minority party, the majority leader remained subordinate to the speaker.
21
22
20th century
The speakership reached its zenith during the term of Republican
Joseph Gurney Cannon
, from 1903 to 1911. The speaker's powers included chairmanship of the influential
Rules Committee
and the ability to appoint members of other House committees. This influence was curtailed in the "Revolution of 1910",
citation needed
a set of reforms enacted by Democrats and dissatisfied Republicans who opposed Speaker Cannon's heavy-handed tactics. This influence was restored to an extent in the 1970s to take power away from committees.
23
The Democratic Party dominated the House of Representatives during the
Franklin D. Roosevelt administration
between 1933 and 1945, often winning over two-thirds of the seats. Both Democrats and Republicans were in power at 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 subcommittees at the expense of committee chairs, and allowed party leaders to nominate committee chairs.
23
These actions were taken to undermine the
seniority system
, and to reduce the ability of a small number of senior members to obstruct legislation they did not favor. There was 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.
citation needed
According to historian
Julian 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. Republican
Newt Gingrich
argued that 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.
24
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, Democrat
Tom Foley
, as speaker after the
Republican Revolution
of 1994 gave his party control of the House.
25
Gingrich attempted to pass a major legislative program, the
Contract with America
and 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 President
Bill Clinton
, or were substantially altered in negotiations with Clinton. After Republicans held control in the
1996 election
, however, Clinton and the Gingrich-led House agreed on the first balanced federal budget in decades, along with a substantial tax cut.
26
21st century
Republicans controlled the House of Representatives until the
2006 elections
, when the Democrats won control and
Nancy Pelosi
was elected by the House as the first female speaker.
27
28
Republicans regained control of the House of Representatives in
2010 elections
with the largest shift of political power between the parties since the
1938 elections
29
Republicans held the House until Democrats retook it in the
2018 elections
, which became the best midterm performance for the Democrats since 1974.
30
31
In the
2022 elections
, Republicans took back control of the House, winning a slim majority.
32
Following the election of transgender representative
Sarah McBride
in November 2024, House speaker
Mike Johnson
announced that
restrooms in the House would be restricted
based on "biological sex", i.e.
sex assignment
at birth. The announcement was criticized as transphobic bullying.
33
McBride announced she would comply with the rule but called it an "effort to distract from the real issues facing this country".
34
Membership, qualifications, and apportionment
This article is part of
a series
on the
United States House
of Representatives
Great Seal of the United States House of Representatives
History of the House
Members
Current members
by seniority
non-voting
Former members
Hill committees
DCCC
NRCC
Women in the House
Speaker of the House
list of speakers
list of elections
Party leaders
Democratic Caucus
Republican Conference
Congressional districts
Apportionment
Huntington–Hill method
Redistricting
Gerrymandering
General ticket
Plural district
Politics and procedure
Committee of the Whole
Closed session
list
Saxbe fix
Committees
list
Procedures
Origination Clause
Quorum call
Unanimous consent
Salaries
Articles of impeachment
Self-executing rule
Rules suspension
Places
United States Capitol
House office buildings
Cannon
Ford
Longworth
O'Neill
Rayburn
United States portal
Apportionments
Main article:
United States congressional apportionment
Under
Article I, Section 2 of the Constitution
, seats in the House of Representatives are
apportioned
among the states by population, as determined by the
census
conducted every ten years. Each state is entitled to at least one representative, however small its population.
The only constitutional rule relating to the
size of the House
states: "The Number of Representatives shall not exceed one for every thirty Thousand, but each State shall have at Least one Representative."
35
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 of
Alaska
and
Hawaii
, the number was temporarily increased to 437, as one representative from each of those states was seated with no change in existing apportionment. In 1963, the number returned to 435, after the reapportionment consequent to the
1960 census
citation needed
As of
the reapportionment based on the 2020 United States census
[update]
, each district represents an average of 761,169 people.
36
The Constitution does not provide for the representation of the
District of Columbia
or of
territories
. The
District of Columbia
and the territories of
Puerto Rico
American Samoa
Guam
, the
Northern Mariana Islands
, and the
U.S. Virgin Islands
are each represented by one
non-voting delegate
. Puerto Rico elects a
resident 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,
37
they were also allowed to vote in committees and the
Committee of the Whole
when their votes would not be decisive.
38
Redistricting
Main article:
Redistricting in the United States
States entitled to more than one representative are divided into
single-member
districts
. This has been a federal statutory requirement since 1967 pursuant to the
Uniform Congressional District Act
39
Before that law,
general ticket
representation was used by some states.
citation needed
States typically redraw district boundaries after each census, though they may do so at other times, such as the
2003 Texas redistricting
. Each state determines its own district boundaries, either through legislation or through non-partisan panels.
Malapportionment
is unconstitutional and districts must be approximately equal in population (see
Wesberry v. Sanders
). Section 2 of the
Voting Rights Act of 1965
prohibits redistricting plans that are intended to, or have the effect of, discriminating against racial or language minority voters.
40
While malapportionment and discrimination against racial- or language minorities are illegal, federal courts have allowed state legislatures to engage in
gerrymandering
to benefit political parties or incumbents.
41
42
In a 1984 case,
Davis v. Bandemer
, the
Supreme Court
held that districts gerrymandered for partisan ends could be struck down based on the
Equal Protection Clause
, but the Court did not articulate a standard for impermissible partisan gerrymandering.
43
44
In 2004, the Court ruled in
Vieth v. Jubelirer
that due to the lack of standards for adjudicating claims of partisan gerrymandering, such claims were
nonjusticiable
, effectively overruling
Davis
. In 2019, the Court held in
Rucho v. Common Cause
that partisan gerrymandering claims are
per se
nonjusticiable and present
political questions
rather than legal ones.
In 2015, according to calculations made by
Burt Neuborne
using criteria set forth by the
American Political Science Association
, about 40 seats (about 9% of the total) were chosen through a genuinely contested electoral process, fewer than how many would be without partisan gerrymandering.
45
46
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 a
citizen
of 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.
47
The age and citizenship qualifications for representatives are less than
those 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.
48
Therefore, Article I, Section 5, which permits each house of Congress to be the judge of the qualifications of its own members, does not permit additional qualifications.
citation needed
Likewise, a state could not establish additional qualifications.
William C. C. Claiborne
served in the House below the minimum age of 25.
49
Under
section 3 of the Fourteenth 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, unless two-thirds of each house of Congress votes to remove this disqualification. This post–Civil War provision was intended to prevent those who sided with the
Confederacy
from serving, but a blanket amnesty was granted in 1872 to most Confederates, followed by a total amnesty in 1898.
50
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, 2017-2019
Elections for representatives are held in every even-numbered year, on
Election Day
, the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November. Pursuant to the
Uniform Congressional District Act
, representatives must be elected from
single-member districts
. After a census is taken (in a year ending in 0), the first year ending in 2 is the first year in which elections for U.S. House districts are based on that census. The Congress based on those districts starts its term on the following January 3.
citation needed
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-post
or
plurality voting
is used in 46 states, electing 412 representatives.
Ranked-choice
or
instant-runoff voting
is in two states, Alaska and Maine, electing 3 representatives.
Two-round system
are in two states, Georgia and Louisiana, electing 20 representatives. Elected representatives serve a two-year term, with no term limit.
citation needed
In most states, major party candidates for each district are nominated in partisan
primary elections
, typically held in spring to late summer. In some states, the Republican and Democratic parties choose their candidates for each district in their
political conventions
in 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.
citation needed
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 consider
ballot access
rules for
independent
and
third party
candidates 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 may depend on a party's performance in previous years' elections; this typically only affects
third parties
citation needed
In 1967, Congress passed the
Uniform Congressional District Act
, which requires all representatives to be elected from single-member-districts.
51
52
Following the
Wesberry v. Sanders
decision, Congress was motivated by fears that courts would impose
at-large plurality districts
on states that did not redistrict to comply with the new mandates for districts roughly equal in population. Congress also sought to prevent attempts by southern states to use such voting systems to dilute the vote of racial minorities.
53
Several states have used multi-member districts in the past, although only two states (Hawaii and New Mexico) used multi-member districts in 1967.
52
Louisiana
is 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 of
Washington
and
California
use a similar, though not identical system to that used by Louisiana.
citation needed
Seats vacated during a term are filled through
special elections
, unless the vacancy occurs closer to the next general election date than a pre-established deadline. Article I, Section 2 of the Constitution states that when vacancies occur, the executive—the governor of the state with the vacancy—can issue a
writ of election
to fill the vacancy.
54
55
Non-voting delegates
Main article:
Non-voting members of the United States House of Representatives
Historically, many
territories
have sent
non-voting delegates
to 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.
The District of Columbia
and the five inhabited
U.S. territories
each elect a delegate. A seventh delegate, representing the
Cherokee Nation
, has been formally proposed but has not yet been seated.
56
An eighth delegate, representing the
Choctaw Nation
, is guaranteed by treaty but has not yet been proposed.
57
Some territories choose to also hold elections for
shadow representatives
. Elected shadow representatives are not members of the House and are separate individuals from their polities' official non-voting delegates.
58
Representatives and delegates serve for two-year terms. A
resident 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.
citation needed
The Constitution permits the House to
expel
a 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: Democrats
John Bullock Clark
of Missouri,
John William Reid
of Missouri, and
Henry Cornelius Burnett
of Kentucky. In 1980, Democrat
Michael Myers
of Pennsylvania was expelled after his criminal conviction for accepting bribes. In 2002, Democrat
James Traficant
of Ohio was expelled following his conviction for corruption. In 2023, Republican
George Santos
was expelled after he was implicated in fraud by both a federal indictment and a
House Ethics Committee
investigation.
59
60
61
The House also has the power to formally
censure
or reprimand its members. Censure or reprimand of a member requires only a simple majority, and does not remove that member from office. As of November 2021
[update]
, 24 members have been censured.
62
Comparison to the Senate
As a check on the regional, popular, and rapidly changing politics of the House, the
Senate
has several distinct powers. For example, the "
advice and consent
" powers, such as the power to approve
treaties
and confirm members of the
Cabinet
, are a sole Senate privilege.
63
The House has the exclusive power to initiate bills for raising revenue, to impeach officials, and to choose the
president
if a presidential candidate
fails to get a majority of the Electoral College votes
64
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, with two for each state), and larger constituencies per member in all but six delegations (the states with only one representative).
65
66
Salary and benefits
See also:
United States Congress § Privileges
House of Representatives salaries, 1983 to 2022
Salaries
Since December 2014, the annual salary of each representative is $174,000,
67
68
the same as it is for each member of the
Senate
69
The
speaker of the House
and the
majority
and
minority leaders
earn more: $223,500 for the speaker and $193,400 for their party leaders, the same as Senate leaders.
68
cost-of-living-adjustment
(COLA) increase takes effect annually unless Congress votes not to accept it.
70
Congress sets members' salaries, but the
Twenty-seventh Amendment to the United States Constitution
prohibits changes in salary (excluding COLA)
71
from taking effect until after the next election of the whole House. Representatives are eligible for retirement benefits after serving for five years.
72
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.
68
Titles
Representatives use the prefix "
The Honorable
" before their names. A member of the House is referred to as a
representative
congressman
, or
congresswoman
73
74
Congressman can refer to a person in the Senate or House of Representatives, and Congresswoman is an informal title.
74
According to
Daniel Wirlis
, a professor at the
University of California, Santa Cruz
, Representative is the official title for someone in the House of Representatives.
73
"Member of congress" can be abbreviated as "MC".
75
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.
76
77
For example,
Democratic
representative
Nancy Pelosi
, who represents
California's 11th congressional district
within
San Francisco
, may be identified as "D–California", "D–California–11" or "D–San Francisco".
citation needed
Pension
All members of Congress are automatically enrolled in the
Federal Employees Retirement System
, a pension system also used for
federal 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.
78
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:
Social Security
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)
The
Thrift Savings Plan
, a
401(k)
-like
defined contribution plan
for retirement account into which participants can deposit up to a maximum of $19,000 in 2019. Their employing agency
matches employee contributions
up 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.
78
With an average age of 58 as of 2023
[update]
, the US House of Representatives is older than comparable chambers in the other G7 nations.
79
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.
80
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 the
Federal 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).
81
Effective January 1, 2014, Section 1312(d)(3)(D) of the
Patient 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 a
health care exchange
. The
Office of Personnel Management
promulgated a final rule to comply with Section 1312(d)(3)(D).
81
Under the rule, members and designated staff are generally no longer able to purchase FEHBP plans as active employees;
81
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.
81
The
ACA
and the final rule do not affect members' or staffers' eligibility for
Medicare
benefits.
81
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.
81
The
Office of the Attending Physician
at the U.S. Capitol provides members with health care for an annual fee of $650.
81
82
The attending physician provides routine exams, consultations, and certain diagnostics, and may write prescriptions, although the office does not dispense them.
81
The office does not provide vision or dental care.
81
Members, but not their dependents, and not former members, may receive medical and emergency dental care at military treatment facilities.
81
There is no charge for outpatient care if it is provided in the
National Capital Region
, but members are billed at full reimbursement rates, set by the Department of Defense, for inpatient care.
81
Outside the National Capital Region, charges are at full reimbursement rates for both inpatient and outpatient care.
81
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.
83
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.
84
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.
clarification needed
In 2011 this allowance averaged $1.4 million per member, and ranged from $1.35 to $1.67 million.
84
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
[update]
84
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.
84
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%."
84
As of January 2012
[update]
, the 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.
84
Officers
This section
needs additional citations for
verification
Please help
improve this article
by
adding citations to reliable sources
in this section. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
Find sources:
"United States House of Representatives"
news
newspapers
books
scholar
JSTOR
May 2025
Learn how and when to remove this message
Member officials
The
party
with a majority of seats in the House is known as the
majority party
. The next-largest party is the minority party. The
speaker
, 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.
citation needed
The Constitution provides that the House may choose its own speaker.
85
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 the
minority party
could be elected as speaker with the support of a fraction of members of the majority party). Under the
Presidential Succession Act
(1947), the speaker is second in the line of
presidential succession
after the vice president.
86
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. Also, the presiding officer rules on
points of order
– a member's objection that a rule has been breached – but these decisions are subject to appeal to the whole House.
citation needed
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 the
Rules Committee
, appoints all members of conference committees, and determines which committees consider bills.
citation needed
Each party elects a
floor leader
, who is known as the
majority leader
or
minority leader
. The minority leader heads their party in the House, and the majority leader is their party's second-highest-ranking official in the House of Representatives, behind the speaker.
87
88
After the floor leaders, the next ranking official in the House party's leadership is the
whip
, who works to ensure that the party's members vote as the party leadership desires.
89
After the whips, the next ranking official in the House party's leadership is the
party caucus chair
, styled as the "Republican conference chair" for the Republican Party and the "Democratic caucus chair" for the Democratic Party.
citation needed
After the party conference chair, there are differences between each party's subsequent leadership ranks. After the Democratic caucus chair is the chair of the
Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee
, then the co-chairs of the Steering Committee. After the Republican conference chair is the
chair of the House Republican Policy Committee
, followed by the chair of the
National Republican Congressional Committee
, the House campaign committee for the Republican Party.
citation needed
The chairs of
House committees
, particularly influential standing committees such as
Appropriations
Ways and Means
, and
Rules
, 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 the
de facto
majority leader.
citation needed
Leadership and partisanship
When the presidency and Senate are controlled by a different party from the one controlling the House, the speaker can become the
de facto
"leader of the opposition". Some notable examples include
Tip O'Neill
in the 1980s,
Newt Gingrich
in the 1990s,
John Boehner
in the early 2010s, and
Nancy Pelosi
in 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.
citation needed
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 a
de 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.
citation needed
Non-member officials
The House is also served by several officials who are not members. The House's chief such officer is the
clerk
, who maintains public records and prepares documents. The clerk also presides over the House at the beginning of each new Congress pending the election of a speaker.
90
91
The clerk oversaw
pages
until the discontinuation of the program in 2011.
92
Another officer is the
chief administrative officer
, responsible for the day-to-day administrative support to the House of Representatives. This includes everything from payroll to
food service
93
94
The position of
chief administrative officer
(CAO) was created by the
104th Congress
following the
1994 midterm elections
, replacing the positions of
doorkeeper
and director of non-legislative and financial services.
95
The CAO also assumed some of the responsibilities of the House Information Services, which previously had been controlled directly by the
Committee on House Administration
, then headed by Representative
Charlie Rose
of North Carolina, along with the House "Folding Room".
citation needed
The
chaplain
leads the House in
prayer
at the opening of the day.
96
The
sergeant at arms
is the House's chief law enforcement officer and maintains order and security on House premises,
97
98
but routine police work is handled by the
United States Capitol Police
99
100
which is supervised by the
Capitol Police Board
. The House Sergeant at Arms is a member of the Board and serves as its chair in even-numbered years (the Senate Sergeant at Arms serves as its chair in odd-numbered years).
101
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 a
rostrum
from which the
speaker
, Speaker pro tempore, or (when in Committee of the Whole House) the chair presides.
102
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.
103
By tradition, Democrats sit on the left of the center aisle. Republicans sit on the right, facing the presiding officer's chair.
104
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.
105
Sittings are broadcast live on television and have been streamed live on
C-SPAN
since March 1979,
106
and on
HouseLive
, the official streaming service operated by the Clerk, since the early 2010s.
citation needed
The procedure of the House depends on the rules, and a variety of customs, precedents, and traditions. In many cases, the House waives some of its stricter rules, including time limits on debates, by
unanimous consent
107
A member may block a unanimous consent agreement, but objections are rare. The presiding officer, the
speaker of the House
enforces the rules of the House, and may warn members who deviate from them. The speaker uses a
gavel
to maintain order.
108
Legislation to be considered by the House is placed in a box called the hopper.
109
In one of its first resolutions, the U.S. House of Representatives established the
Office of the Sergeant at Arms
. In an American tradition adopted from English custom in 1789 by the first speaker of the House,
Frederick Muhlenberg
of
Pennsylvania
, the
Mace of the United States House of Representatives
is 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 the
rostrum
. 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.
110
The Constitution provides that a majority of the House constitutes a
quorum
to do business.
111
Under the rules and customs of the House, a quorum is always assumed present unless a
quorum call
explicitly 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.
112
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.
113
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".
citation needed
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.
114
Passage of legislation
Under the
U.S. 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.
115
Before legislation reaches the floor of the House, the
Rules Committee
normally passes a rule to govern debate on that measure, which then must be passed by the full House before it becomes effective.
116
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.
117
When debate concludes, the motion is put to a vote.
118
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 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, 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.
119
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.
119
Teller votes are normally held only when electronic voting breaks down. The House may conduct a
roll 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.
119
Voting traditionally lasts for, at most, fifteen minutes, but it may be extended if the leadership needs to "whip" more members into alignment.
119
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.
120
The 2005 vote on the
Central American Free Trade Agreement
was open for one hour, from 11:00 p.m. to midnight.
121
An October 2005 vote on facilitating refinery construction was kept open for forty minutes.
122
Presiding officers may vote like other members. They may not vote twice in the event of a tie. A tie vote defeats the motion.
123
Committees and caucuses
Further information:
United States congressional committee
and
List of United States House of Representatives committees
Committees
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;
124
and on the Ethics Committee, each party has an equal number of seats.
125
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.
citation needed
The largest committee of the House is the
Committee 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 of
Congress
citation needed
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 to
subpoena
witnesses and evidence.
citation needed
The House has one permanent committee that is not a standing committee, the
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence
. The House may occasionally establish temporary or advisory committees, such as the
Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming
. This latter committee, created in the 110th Congress and reauthorized for the 111th, had no jurisdiction over legislation and such committees 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 the
Library of Congress
. Other joint committees serve to make advisory reports; for example, there exists a
Joint 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.
citation needed
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 Wilson
in his classic study,
126
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. In 1975, the rules were changed to permit party
caucuses
to elect chairs, shifting power upward to the party leaders. In 1995, Republicans under
Newt Gingrich
set a limit of three two-year terms for committee chairs. The chair's powers are extensive. They control 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.
citation needed
Caucuses
This section is an excerpt from
Congressional caucus § Ideological conferences
edit
Democratic Caucus
(212)
Congressional Progressive Caucus
: 64 seats
NDC
and
CPC
: 30 seats
New Democrat Coalition
: 77 seats
BDC
and
NDC
: 6 seats
Blue Dog Coalition
: 4 seats
Other Democrats: 31 seats
Vacant (5)
Vacant (5)
Republican Conference
(218)
Other Republicans: 2 seats
Republican Governance Group
: 21 seats
RGG
and
RSC
: 25 seats
Republican Study Committee
: 138 seats
RSC
and
Freedom Caucus
: 25 seats
Freedom Caucus
: 9 seats
Ideological congressional caucuses represent factions within a political party. These congressional caucuses help congregate and advance the ideals of more focused ideologies within the two major
big-tent
political parties. Some caucuses are organized
political factions
with a common ideological orientation.
127
Most ideological caucuses are confined to the House of Representatives. The rosters of large caucuses are usually listed publicly. Members of Congress are not restricted to a single ideological caucus, creating overlaps between the organizations. Some ideological caucuses exercise influence akin to that of
whips
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 the
Origination Clause
, the Senate cannot initiate bills imposing taxes. This provision barring the Senate from introducing revenue bills is based on the practice of the
British Parliament
, in which only the
House of Commons
may originate such measures. Congressional tradition holds that the House of Representatives originates
appropriation bills
citation needed
Although it cannot originate revenue bills, the Senate retains the power to amend or reject them.
Woodrow Wilson
wrote the following about appropriations bills:
128
[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 a
conference committee
, which includes members of both bodies.
129
The president may
veto
a 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. The House and Senate cannot override a
pocket veto
130
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.
131
The Constitution empowers the House of Representatives to
impeach
federal officials for "
Treason
Bribery
, or other high
Crimes
and
Misdemeanors
" and empowers the Senate to try such impeachments.
132
The House may approve "articles of impeachment" by a simple majority vote. A two-thirds vote is required for conviction in the Senate.
133
A convicted official is automatically removed from office and may be disqualified from holding future office under the United States.
134
No further punishment is permitted during the impeachment proceedings; however, the party may face criminal penalties in a normal court of law.
citation needed
In U.S. history, the House of Representatives
has impeached seventeen officials
, seven of whom were convicted. Another,
Richard Nixon
, resigned after the
House Judiciary Committee
passed
articles of impeachment
but before a formal impeachment vote by the full House. Only three U.S. presidents have ever been impeached:
Andrew Johnson
in 1868,
Bill Clinton
in 1998, and
Donald Trump
in 2019 and in 2021.
135
The trials of Johnson, Clinton, and Trump all ended in acquittal.
136
In Johnson's case, the Senate fell one vote short of the two-thirds majority required for conviction.
137
Under the
Twelfth Amendment
, the House has the power to elect the president if no presidential candidate receives a majority of votes in the
Electoral 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".
138
It is rare for no presidential candidate to receive a majority of electoral votes. In U.S. history, the House has only had to choose a president twice. In the
1800 election
, which was held before adoption of the
Twelfth Amendment
, it elected
Thomas Jefferson
over
Aaron Burr
. In the
1824 election
, it elected
John Quincy Adams
over
Andrew Jackson
and
William 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.
citation needed
Before the
Twenty-fifth Amendment
was adopted in 1967, if the office of the vice president became prematurely vacant, it was left vacant until the next inauguration.
139
Since then, both House and Senate confirmation is required to fill a vacancy if the vice presidency is vacant.
140
Historical composition
This chart shows the historical composition of the
United States House of Representatives
, from the
1st Congress
to the present day.
United States House of Representatives, 1789 to present
AA
DR
Dem.
Soc.
Anti-Mas.
Null.
SR
Ind.
Opp.
Un.
LO
Cons.
PA
Fed.
Lab.
GB
Pop.
Prg. '12
Prg. '24
FL
FS
Sil.
S.Rep.
NR
Whig
Anti-Neb.
LR
Readj.
NU
Rep.
Peo.
KN
RU
Proh.
Total
1st
1788
28
37
65
2nd
1790
30
39
67
3rd
1792
54
51
105
4th
1794
59
47
106
5th
1796
49
57
106
6th
1798
46
60
106
7th
1800
68
38
106
8th
1802
102
40
142
9th
1804
114
28
142
10th
1806
116
26
142
11th
1808
94
48
142
12th
1810
106
36
142
13th
1812
114
68
182
14th
1814
118
64
182
15th
1816
144
40
184
16th
1818
158
28
186
17th
1820
155
32
187
18th
1822
189
24
213
19th
1824
104
108
213
20th
1826
113
100
213
21st
1828
136
72
213
22nd
1830
126
17
66
213
23rd
1832
143
25
63
240
24th
1834
142
16
75
241
25th
1836
128
100
242
26th
1838
125
109
242
27th
1840
99
142
242
28th
1842
148
73
223
29th
1844
142
79
224
30th
1846
110
116
228
31st
1848
113
108
233
32nd
1850
127
10
85
233
33rd
1852
150
68
234
34th
1854
83
54
22
13
51
234
35th
1856
132
90
14
237
36th
1858
83
19
113
238
37th
1860
44
31
106
183
38th
1862
72
25
87
184
39th
1864
33
150
193
40th
1866
47
173
224
41st
1868
67
171
243
42nd
1870
10
94
136
243
43rd
1872
84
199
292
44th
1874
182
103
292
45th
1876
155
136
293
46th
1878
141
13
132
293
47th
1880
128
10
151
293
48th
1882
196
117
325
49th
1884
182
141
325
50th
1886
167
152
325
51st
1888
152
179
332
52nd
1890
238
86
332
53rd
1892
218
11
124
356
54th
1894
93
253
356
55th
1896
124
22
206
357
56th
1898
161
187
357
57th
1900
151
200
357
58th
1902
176
206
386
59th
1904
135
251
386
60th
1906
167
223
391
61st
1908
172
219
391
62nd
1910
227
161
391
63rd
1912
291
10
134
435
64th
1914
230
196
435
65th
1916
214
215
435
66th
1918
192
240
435
67th
1920
131
303
435
68th
1922
207
225
435
69th
1924
183
246
435
70th
1926
194
238
435
71st
1928
164
270
435
72nd
1930
216
218
435
73rd
1932
313
117
435
74th
1934
322
103
435
75th
1936
334
88
435
76th
1938
262
169
435
77th
1940
267
162
435
78th
1942
222
209
435
79th
1944
244
189
435
80th
1946
188
246
435
81st
1948
263
171
435
82nd
1950
235
199
435
83rd
1952
213
221
435
84th
1954
232
203
435
85th
1956
234
201
435
86th
1958
283
153
436
87th
1960
262
175
437
88th
1962
259
176
435
89th
1964
295
140
435
90th
1966
248
187
435
91st
1968
243
192
435
92nd
1970
255
180
435
93rd
1972
242
192
435
94th
1974
291
144
435
95th
1976
292
143
435
96th
1978
277
157
435
97th
1980
242
191
435
98th
1982
269
165
435
99th
1984
253
181
435
100th
1986
258
177
435
101st
1988
260
175
435
102nd
1990
267
167
435
103rd
1992
258
176
435
104th
1994
204
230
435
105th
1996
207
226
435
106th
1998
211
223
435
107th
2000
212
221
435
108th
2002
205
229
435
109th
2004
202
232
435
110th
2006
233
202
435
111th
2008
257
178
435
112th
2010
193
242
435
113th
2012
201
234
435
114th
2014
188
247
435
115th
2016
194
241
435
116th
2018
235
199
435
117th
2020
222
213
435
118th
2022
213
222
435
119th
2024
215
220
435
Latest election results and party standings
See also:
2024 United States House of Representatives elections
and
119th United States Congress
Balance of power as of April 22, 2026
[update]
Below is a chart that shows the practical balance of power in the House, based on the number of members caucusing with each party. Independents are counted with the party with which they caucus. Arrows show the threshold for a majority of seats.
Two-party
218
212
Counting vacancies
218
212
Republican
Democratic
Affiliation
Members
Delegates/resident
commissioner
(non-voting)
State
majorities
Republican
218
30
Democratic
212
18
Vacant
Total
435
50
Majority
Notes
This emblem appears on the flag and is sometimes referred to as the seal of the House. However, the actual seal depicts the central part of the
United States Capitol
Alaska
(for its primary elections only),
California
, and
Washington
additionally utilize a
nonpartisan blanket primary
, and
Mississippi
uses the
two-round system
, for their respective
primary elections
Not to be confused with
proportional representation
, an electoral system that typically elects
multiple members
of a party to a legislature based on that party's percentage of a popular vote.
The Republican Study Committee no longer publishes a detailed member roster and the actual count may therefore be higher.
The Freedom caucus does not publish its member roster and the actual count may therefore be higher.
The number of the majority party's voting representatives in the House in excess of the minimum number required to have an absolute majority of voting representatives.
See also
2024 United States House of Representatives elections
– House elections for the 119th U.S. Congress
List of current United States representatives
List of portraits in the United States House of Representatives collection (A–J)
Party divisions of United States Congresses
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
Act of Congress
References
Footnotes
Citations
"Signed and Sealed"
United States House of Representatives: History, Art & Archives
. April 6, 2022
. Retrieved
November 4,
2025
"In pictures: Trump's second impeachment"
. CNN. February 13, 2021
. Retrieved
November 4,
2025
"The House Explained"
house.gov
Archived
from the original on December 3, 2023
. Retrieved
December 3,
2023
"House of Representatives"
Britannica
. December 2, 2023
. Retrieved
December 3,
2023
Article I, Section 7
of the Constitution
Article I, Section 2
, and in the
Twelfth Amendment to the United States Constitution
"About Congressional Apportionment"
Census.gov
. United States Census Bureau
. Retrieved
December 3,
2023
See
Public Law 62-5
of 1911, though Congress has the authority to change that number.
Lo Wang, Hansi (April 20, 2021).
"Explainer: Why Does The U.S. House Have 435 Members?"
. NPR.
Archived
from the original on March 29, 2022
. Retrieved
April 1,
2022
United States House of Representatives
Archived
June 24, 2018, at the
Wayback Machine
Ballotpedia
. Accessed November 23, 2016. "There are six states with only one representative:
Alaska
Delaware
North Dakota
South Dakota
Vermont
and
Wyoming
."
"Party In Power – Congress and Presidency – A Visual Guide To The Balance of Power In Congress, 1945–2008"
. Uspolitics.about.com. Archived from
the original
on November 1, 2012
. Retrieved
September 17,
2012
Articles of Confederation. 1777. Article IX.
Articles of Confederation. 1777. Article XIII.
"Delegates of the Continental Congress Who Signed the United States Constitution"
Archived
January 14, 2021, at the
Wayback Machine
, United States House of Representatives. Accessed February 19, 2017. "While some believed the Articles should be 'corrected and enlarged as to accomplish the objects proposed by their institution,' the Virginia Plan called for completely replacing it with a strong central government based on popular consent and proportional representation.... The Virginia Plan received support from states with large populations such as Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, and South Carolina. A number of smaller states, however, proposed the 'New Jersey Plan,' drafted by William Paterson, which retained the essential features of the original Articles: a unicameral legislature where all states had equal representation, the appointment of a plural executive, and a supreme court of limited jurisdiction.... The committee's report, dubbed the Great Compromise, ironed out many contentious points. It resolved the delegates' sharpest disagreement by prescribing a bicameral legislature with proportional representation in the House and equal state representation in the Senate. After two more months of intense debates and revisions, the delegates produced the document we now know as the Constitution, which expanded the power of the central government while protecting the prerogatives of the states."
NCC Staff (June 21, 2024).
"The day the Constitution was ratified"
NATIONAL CONSTITUTION CENTER
. National Constitution Center
. Retrieved
January 20,
2026
"First Meetings"
at U.S. House of Representatives website]
Hughes, Amanda (April 23, 2018).
"Thomas Brackett Reed (1839-1902) – House Speaker from Maine Known for "Reed's Rules"
Constituting America
. Retrieved
January 22,
2026
"Representatives Apportioned to Each State (1st to 23rd Census, 1790–2010)"
(PDF)
U.S. Congresswoman Virginia Foxx
. Retrieved
February 5,
2026
"Political Party Timeline: 1836-1864 | American Experience"
PBS
. Retrieved
December 3,
2023
Gary W. Cox and Mathew D. McCubbins.
Legislative Leviathan Revisited
(PDF)
(Report).
"Majority Leaders of the House (1899 to present)"
United States House of Representatives: History, Art, & Archives
. Retrieved
February 5,
2026
"Minority Leaders of the House (1899 to present)"
United States House of Representatives: History, Art, & Archives
. Retrieved
February 5,
2026
"Speaker of the House"
United States House of Representatives: History, Art, & Archives
. Retrieved
February 5,
2026
Julian E. Zelizer,
Burning Down the House: Newt Gingrich, the Fall of a Speaker, and the Rise of the New Republican Party
(2020).
Julian E. Zelizer,
Burning Down the House: Newt Gingrich, the Fall of a Speaker, and the Rise of the New Republican Party
(2020).
Balanced Budget: HR 2015, FY 1998 Budget Reconciliation / Spending; Tax Cut: HR 2014, FY 1998 Budget Reconciliation – Revenue
"Resurgent Democrats win control of House"
NBC News
. November 8, 2006
. Retrieved
January 10,
2026
Benenson, Bob (January 4, 2007).
"Pelosi Officially Elected Speaker of the U.S. House"
New York Times
. Retrieved
January 10,
2026
Neuman, Scott (November 3, 2010).
"Obama, GOP Grapple With power shift"
. NPR.
Archived
from the original on June 10, 2020
. Retrieved
July 2,
2011
"What happens now that Democrats will retake the House"
NBC News
. November 7, 2018
. Retrieved
January 7,
2026
"Democrat did see midterms 'blue wave' as late results reveal party's best results since 1974"
The Independent
. Retrieved
January 7,
2026
Walsh, Deirdre (November 16, 2022).
"Republicans narrowly retake control of the House, setting up divided government"
NPR
. Retrieved
January 10,
2026
"Republican House Speaker says Capitol bathrooms restricted by 'biological sex'
Reuters
. November 24, 2024
. Retrieved
November 24,
2024
Chao-Fong, Léonie; Walters, Joanna (November 21, 2024).
"Trans congresswoman Sarah McBride responds to Capitol Hill bathroom ban"
The Guardian
ISSN
0261-3077
. Retrieved
January 10,
2026
Article I, Section 2
of the Constitution
"2020 Census Apportionment Results Delivered to the President"
. US Census Bureau. April 26, 2021
. Retrieved
April 7,
2026
"New House Majority Introduces Rules Changes"
. NPR. January 5, 2011.
Archived
from the original on February 6, 2011
. Retrieved
July 2,
2011
See
H.Res. 78
, passed January 24, 2007. On April 19, 2007, the House of Representatives passed the DC House Voting Rights Act of 2007, a bill "to provide for the treatment of the District of Columbia as a Congressional district for purposes of representation in the House of Representatives, and for other purposes" by a vote of 241–177. That bill proposes to increase the House membership by two, making 437 members, by converting the District of Columbia delegate into a member, and (until the 2010 census) grant one membership to
Utah
, which is the state next in line to receive an additional district based on its population after the
2000 Census
. The bill was under consideration in the U.S. Senate during the 2007 session.
2 U.S.C.
§ 2c
"no district to elect more than one Representative"
"Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act"
Civil Rights Division Voting FAQ
. US Dept. of Justice.
Archived
from the original on April 15, 2014
. Retrieved
April 27,
2014
Bazelon, Emily (November 9, 2012).
"The Supreme Court may gut the Voting Rights Act and make gerrymandering much worse"
Slate
Archived
from the original on September 26, 2013
. Retrieved
September 29,
2013
Eaton, Whitney M. (May 2006).
"Where Do We Draw the Line? Partisan Gerrymandering and the State of Texas"
University of Richmond Law Review
. Archived from
the original
on October 9, 2013.
Burt Neuborne
Madison's Music: On Reading the First Amendment,
Archived
December 14, 2019, at the
Wayback Machine
The New Press 2015
David Cole
'Free Speech, Big Money, Bad Elections,'
Archived
March 14, 2016, at the
Wayback Machine
in
New York Review of Books
, November 5, 2015, pp.24–25 p.24.
Burt Neuborne
Madison's Music: On Reading the First Amendment,
Archived
December 14, 2019, at the
Wayback Machine
The New Press 2015
David Cole
'Free Speech, Big Money, Bad Elections,'
Archived
March 14, 2016, at the
Wayback Machine
in
New York Review of Books
, November 5, 2015, pp.24–25 p.24.
"Qualifications of Members of Congress"
. Onecle Inc.
Archived
from the original on January 23, 2013
. Retrieved
January 26,
2013
Powell v. McCormack
, 395 U.S. 486 (1969).
"The Youngest Representative in House History, William Charles Cole Claiborne"
United States House of Representatives: History, Art & Archives
Archived
from the original on October 3, 2020
. Retrieved
October 6,
2020
"Amdt14.S3.1 Overview of the Insurrection Clause (Disqualification Clause)"
Constitution Annotated
. Retrieved
February 26,
2026
2 U.S.C.
§ 2c
Schaller, Thomas (March 21, 2013).
"Multi-Member Districts: Just a Thing of the Past?"
. University of Virginia Center for Politics.
Archived
from the original on October 8, 2015
. Retrieved
November 2,
2015
"The 1967 Single-Member District Mandate"
fairvote.org
Archived
from the original on November 11, 2012
. Retrieved
September 1,
2012
Constitution of the United States, Article I, Section 2, Clause 4
Smith, David R.; Brunell, Thomas L. (May 2010).
"Special Elections to the U.S. House of Representatives: A General Election Barometer?"
Legislative Studies Quarterly
35
(2): 283 – via JSTOR.
Krehbiel-Burton, Lenzy (August 23, 2019).
"Citing treaties, Cherokees call on Congress to seat delegate from tribe"
Tulsa World
. Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Archived
from the original on January 14, 2021
. Retrieved
August 24,
2019
Mangels, Zach.
"A Seat at the Table: Tribal Representation in American Legislatures"
(PDF)
Washington State University
. Retrieved
January 16,
2026
Volou, Khalida (November 2, 2020).
"DC's Shadow Delegation Election: Results from this year's race"
WUSA9
. Retrieved
January 16,
2026
"Expulsion, Censure, Reprimand, and Fine: Legislative Discipline in the House of Representatives"
(PDF)
. Archived from
the original
(PDF)
on July 7, 2010
. Retrieved
August 23,
2010
McDaniel, Eric (December 1, 2023).
"New York Republican George Santos expelled from Congress"
NPR
Archived
from the original on December 1, 2023
. Retrieved
December 1,
2023
Gamio, Lazaro; Williams, Josh; Wu, Ashley; Cook Escobar, Molly (December 1, 2023).
"How Every Member Voted On The Expulsion of George Santos From Congress"
The New York Times
. Retrieved
December 1,
2023
"What happens when a member of Congress is censured?"
The Washington Post
. November 18, 2021.
ISSN
0190-8286
. Retrieved
January 8,
2026
Senate Legislative Process
Archived
April 4, 2020, at the
Wayback Machine
, U.S. Senate . Retrieved February 3, 2010.
The Legislative Branch
Archived
January 20, 2013, at the
Wayback Machine
, The White House. Retrieved February 3, 2010.
"American Politics \"
University of Texas
. Retrieved
January 22,
2026
Pendell, Kimberly.
"LibGuides: Government Information: Congress: House and Senate"
Portland State University
. Retrieved
January 22,
2026
"Salaries and Benefits of U.S. Congress Members"
ThoughtCo
Archived
from the original on January 14, 2021
. Retrieved
December 24,
2014
Brudnick, Ida A. (January 4, 2012).
"Congressional Salaries and Allowances"
(PDF)
CRS Report for Congress
. United States House of Representatives. Archived from
the original
(PDF)
on February 12, 2019
. Retrieved
December 2,
2012
"Senate Salaries since 1789"
United States Senate
Archived
from the original on January 14, 2021
. Retrieved
December 14,
2020
Brudnick, Ida A. (June 28, 2011).
"Congressional Salaries and Allowances"
Archived
from the original on August 1, 2016
. Retrieved
November 22,
2011
Schaffer v. Clinton
Brudnick, Ida A. (June 28, 2011).
"Congressional Salaries and Allowances"
Archived
from the original on August 1, 2016
. Retrieved
November 22,
2011
Wirls, Daniel.
"They are representatives, not congressmen or congresswomen - The Fulcrum"
thefulcrum.us
. Retrieved
January 7,
2026
"Tips and rules from the experts on titles"
The Hill
. February 19, 2008
. Retrieved
January 7,
2026
"Acronyms & Terms"
Department of Homeland Security
. Retrieved
January 10,
2026
"Style Guide"
National Association of Broadcasters
. Archived from
the original
on July 2, 2025
. Retrieved
February 3,
2026
"AP distributes style guide for U.S. midterm elections"
The Associated Press
. Archived from
the original
on November 16, 2025
. Retrieved
February 3,
2026
"Retirement Benefits for Members of Congress"
CRS Report for Congress
. United States Senate. August 8, 2019.
Xiao, Eva (2023).
"Battle of the ages: how America's gerontocracy is a challenge for democracy"
. Financial Times.
"Congressional Salaries and Allowances"
(PDF)
CRS Report for Congress
. United States House of Representatives. Archived from
the original
(PDF)
on February 12, 2019
. Retrieved
September 21,
2012
Annie L. Mach & Ada S. Cornell,
Health Benefits for Members of Congress and Certain Congressional Staff
Archived
January 14, 2021, at the
Wayback Machine
, Congressional Research Service, February 18, 2014.
Boguslaw, Daniel (February 12, 2025).
"Aging Members of Congress Refuse to Disclose Details of Their Top Secret Hospital"
The American Prospect
Brudnick, Ida A. (September 27, 2017).
Members' Representational Allowance: History and Usage
(PDF)
. Washington D.C.: Congressional Research Service.
Archived
(PDF)
from the original on January 14, 2021
. Retrieved
October 24,
2017
Brudnick, Ida.
"Congressional Salaries and Allowances"
(PDF)
Congressional Research Service Report for Congress
. United States House of Representatives. Archived from
the original
(PDF)
on June 10, 2020
. Retrieved
September 21,
2012
Article I
Archived
January 28, 2010, at the
Wayback Machine
, Legal Information Institute, Cornell University Law School . Retrieved February 3, 2010.
Mount, Steve.
"Constitutional Topic: Presidential Line of Succession"
ussconstitution.net
Archived
from the original on January 14, 2021
. Retrieved
July 20,
2018
"House of Representatives Hierarchy"
Voice of America
. Retrieved
January 13,
2026
"Roles: House Speaker, President of the Senate, Majority, Minority Leaders and Whips for an Effective Congress (Part 2) – Constituting America"
Constituting America
. Retrieved
January 13,
2026
Hill, Marta (December 8, 2022).
"Here's what the minority whip does — and what it means that Katherine Clark got the job"
Boston.com
. Retrieved
January 13,
2026
"Duties of the Clerk"
Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives
. Retrieved
February 5,
2026
"Meet the Clerk Who Kept Order While the House Chose Its Leader"
Voice of America
. January 7, 2023
. Retrieved
February 3,
2026
"Schools, Dorms, & Reforms"
United States House of Representatives: History, Art & Archives
. Retrieved
February 26,
2026
"About"
Chief Administrative Officer
. Retrieved
February 5,
2026
"Doing Business with the House"
United States House of Representatives
. Retrieved
February 5,
2026
"History"
Chief Administrative Officer
. Retrieved
February 5,
2026
"House and Senate Chaplains: An Overview"
Congress.gov
. Retrieved
February 5,
2026
"Sergeant at Arms"
United States House of Representatives
. Retrieved
February 5,
2026
Haught, J. Staas.
"Who is Sergeant at Arms of the House? Who took lawmaker out of Trump speech"
North Jersey Media Group
. Retrieved
January 22,
2026
"About"
United States Capitol Police
. Retrieved
February 5,
2026
Fulton, Jacqui (January 21, 2021).
"Ask Civics 101: Who Are the United States Capitol Police?"
New Hampshire Public Radio
. Retrieved
January 22,
2026
"Oversight"
United States Capitol Police
. Retrieved
February 5,
2026
"The Rostrum"
U.S. House of Representatives
. Office of the Historian.
Archived
from the original on January 13, 2015
. Retrieved
January 12,
2015
"Explore Capitol Hill: House Chamber"
Architect of the Capitol
Archived
from the original on January 14, 2015
. Retrieved
January 12,
2015
Ritchie, Donald A. (2006).
The Congress of the United States: A Student Companion
(3 ed.).
New York, New York
Oxford University Press
. p. 195.
ISBN
978-0-19-530924-9
Archived
from the original on January 14, 2021
. Retrieved
January 10,
2015
Lowenthal, Alan.
"Congress U"
U.S. House of Representatives
Archived
from the original on January 13, 2015
. Retrieved
January 12,
2015
"What's in the House Chamber"
Archived
from the original on October 30, 2013
. Retrieved
November 21,
2013
"Access to Congress"
Digital Media Law Project
. Berkman Center for Internet and Society.
Archived
from the original on January 13, 2015
. Retrieved
January 12,
2015
"U.S. House of Representatives"
The District
Archived
from the original on January 13, 2015
. Retrieved
January 12,
2015
Davis, Susan (March 19, 2014).
"Not everyone is a fan of C-SPAN cameras in Congress"
USA Today
Archived
from the original on January 14, 2021
. Retrieved
January 12,
2015
"Basic Training: Roadblocks at the Final Legislative Stages"
House of Representatives
. Republican Committee on Rules. Archived from
the original
on April 1, 2015
. Retrieved
January 12,
2015
Larchuk, Travis (January 5, 2011).
"Passing One Of Many, Many Gavels"
NPR
Archived
from the original on January 14, 2021
. Retrieved
January 12,
2015
"Bill Hopper"
U.S. House of Representatives
. Office of the Historian.
Archived
from the original on December 8, 2014
. Retrieved
January 12,
2015
"Legislative FAQ: 7. How do Representatives introduce bills?"
U.S. House of Representatives
. Office of the Clerk.
Archived
from the original on January 10, 2015
. Retrieved
January 12,
2015
Bedini, Silvio (1997).
The Mace and the Gavel: Symbols of Government in America, Volume 87, Part 4
. Philadelphia:
American Philosophical Society
. pp.
23–
26.
ISBN
978-0-87169-874-2
Archived
from the original on January 14, 2021
. Retrieved
January 10,
2015
"CRS Annotated Constitution"
Cornell University Law School
Legal Information Institute
Archived
from the original on January 14, 2021
. Retrieved
January 12,
2015
"House Practice: A Guide to the Rules, Precedents and Procedures of the House, Chapter 43: Quorums"
(PDF)
U.S. Government Printing Office
. p. 743.
Archived
(PDF)
from the original on January 14, 2021
. Retrieved
July 15,
2019
"Legislative FAQ: 6. How do Representatives obtain permission to speak?"
U.S. House of Representatives
. Office of the Clerk.
Archived
from the original on January 10, 2015
. Retrieved
January 12,
2015
"The House Floor"
. Office of the Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives. Archived from
the original
on July 2, 2011
. Retrieved
August 23,
2010
"The House Explained"
. House.gov.
Archived
from the original on January 14, 2021
. Retrieved
July 2,
2011
Sessions, Pete.
"About the Committee on Rules—History and Processes"
U.S. House of Representatives
. Committee on Rules.
Archived
from the original on January 16, 2011
. Retrieved
January 12,
2015
Sessions, Pete.
"About the Committee on Rules—History and Processes"
U.S. House of Representatives
. Committee on Rules.
Archived
from the original on January 16, 2011
. Retrieved
January 12,
2015
Hudiburg, Jane A. (July 23, 2018).
House Voting Procedures: Forms and Requirements
(PDF)
. Washington, DC: Congressional Research Service.
Archived
(PDF)
from the original on January 14, 2021
. Retrieved
July 25,
2018
House Practice: A Guide to the Rules, Precedents and Procedures of the House, Chapter 58. Voting
U.S. Government Printing Office
. Archived from
the original
on September 26, 2015
. Retrieved
January 10,
2015
"The Legislative Process: House Floor"
Library of Congress
Archived
from the original on January 14, 2021
. Retrieved
January 12,
2015
Singer, Michelle (March 29, 2007).
"Under the Influence"
CBS News
Archived
from the original on January 14, 2021
. Retrieved
January 12,
2015
Henry, Ed; Barrett, Ted (July 28, 2005).
"House narrowly approves CAFTA"
CNN
Archived
from the original on January 14, 2021
. Retrieved
January 12,
2015
"Refinery Bill Passes Amid Partisan Split"
Fox News
. Associated Press. October 8, 2005.
Archived
from the original on February 28, 2015
. Retrieved
January 12,
2015
Sidlow, Edward; Henschen, Beth (2009).
America at Odds, Alternate Edition
(6 ed.). Belmont, California: Wadsworth Cengage Learning. p. 246.
ISBN
978-0-495-50370-5
Archived
from the original on January 14, 2021
. Retrieved
January 10,
2015
"Committee on Rules – A History"
. Archived from
the original
on July 30, 2008.
"Rules – Committee on Standards of Official Conduct"
(PDF)
. Archived from
the original
(PDF)
on July 7, 2010
. Retrieved
August 23,
2010
Congressional Government: A Study in American Politics (1885, Boston: Houghton, Mifflin)
Hawkings, David (January 19, 2016).
"The House's Ideology, in Seven Circles"
Roll Call
. Retrieved
January 6,
2021
Wilson, Woodrow.
Congressional Government: A Study in American Politics
Archived
February 12, 2021, at the
Wayback Machine
, pp. 155–156 (Transaction Publishers 2002) (quotation marks omitted).
Snell, Kelsey (December 3, 2017).
"Words You'll Hear: What's A Conference Committee?"
NPR
. Retrieved
January 22,
2026
"The Presidential Veto Power: A Shallow Pocket"
Michigan Law Review
70
(1): 149. 1971.
"Historical Background on Treaty-Making Power"
LII / Legal Information Institute
. Retrieved
October 27,
2024
"CONSTITUTIONAL GROUNDS FOR PRESIDENTIAL IMPEACHMENT"
www.govinfo.gov
. Retrieved
October 27,
2024
"Impeachment: An Overview of Constitutional Provisions, Procedure, and Practice"
www.everycrsreport.com
. Retrieved
October 27,
2024
"Judgment - Removal and Disqualification"
Justia Law
. Retrieved
October 27,
2024
Silverstein, Jason (February 15, 2021).
"Impeached presidents: What have presidents been impeached for? The articles for Donald Trump, Bill Clinton, Richard Nixon and Andrew Johnson"
CBS News
. Retrieved
October 27,
2024
"Impeachment of presidents and the Supreme Court"
EBSCO
. Retrieved
January 9,
2026
"Andrew Johnson: Domestic Affairs"
Miller Center
. October 4, 2016
. Retrieved
January 9,
2026
"Constitution of the United States; Twelfth Amendment"
Constitution Annotated
Archived
from the original on April 16, 2020
. Retrieved
October 27,
2024
"Interpretation: The Twenty-Fifth Amendment | The National Constitution Center"
constitutioncenter.org
. Archived from
the original
on January 7, 2021.
Section 2 reads: "Whenever there is a vacancy in the office of the Vice President, the President shall nominate a Vice President who shall take office upon confirmation by a majority vote of both Houses of Congress."
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.
ISBN
978-0-670-81924-9
, 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 at
Biographical Directory
Archived
November 10, 2009, at the
Wayback 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 on
Congressional Quarterly Weekly Report
and 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.
ISBN
978-0-8139-1068-0
, leader of
Conservative coalition
1940–66
Farrell, John A. (2001).
Tip O'Neill and the Democratic Century
. Little, Brown.
ISBN
978-0-316-26049-7
, 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
ISSN
0043-5597
JSTOR
1923870
Hechler, Ken (1980).
Toward the Endless Frontier: History of the Committee on Science and Technology, 1959–79
. Washington: Government Printing Office.
{{
cite book
}}
: CS1 maint: publisher location (
link
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.
ISBN
978-0-8018-4955-8
Steinberg, Alfred (1975).
Sam Rayburn: A Biography
. Hawthorn.
ISBN
978-0-8015-5210-6
, 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
JSTOR
3235293
S2CID
155152645
, 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. (October 2009).
"The Reed Rules and Republican Party Building: A New Look"
Studies in American Political Development
. 23 (October 2009) (2):
115–
142.
doi
10.1017/S0898588X09990022
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
ISBN
978-0-8018-5758-4
Polsby, Nelson W.
(2004).
How Congress Evolves: Social Bases of Institutional Change
. New York:
Oxford University Press
ISBN
978-0-19-516195-3
Poole, Keith T.; Rosenthal, Howard (1997).
Congress: A Political-Economic History of Roll Call Voting
. New York: Oxford University Press.
ISBN
978-0-19-514242-6
Remini, Robert V.
(2006).
The House: The History of the House of Representatives
. New York:
HarperCollins
ISBN
978-0-06-088434-5
Sinclair, Barbara (1983).
Majority Leadership in the U.S. House
. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press.
ISBN
978-0-8018-2933-8
Julian E. Zelizer, ed. (2004).
The American Congress: The Building of Democracy
. New York:
Houghton Mifflin
ISBN
978-0-618-17906-0
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
Listen to this article
32
minutes
This audio file
was created from a revision of this article dated 4 August 2006
2006-08-04
, and does not reflect subsequent edits.
Audio help
More spoken articles
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
, via
Congress.gov
Biographical Directory of the United States Congress, 1774 to Present
A New Nation Votes: American Election Returns 1787–1825
Archived
July 25, 2008, at the
Wayback Machine
Complete Downloadable List of U.S. Representative Contact Information
, via AggData LLC
Information about U.S. Congressional Bills and Resolutions
United States Congress
House of Representatives
Senate
Joint session
118th
119th
120th
Lists of the United States Congress
Members and leaders
Membership
Members
By longevity of service
By shortness of service
New members
Non-voting members
Unseated members
Youngest members
Senate
Members
seniority
Dean
Former
Expelled or censured
Classes
Born outside the U.S.
Resigned
Appointed
Switched parties
House
Members
seniority
Dean
Former
Expelled, censured, and reprimanded
Served a single term
Lost re-election in a primary
Switched parties
Elected but did not serve
Leaders
Senate
President
list
President pro tempore
list
Leaders
Democratic Caucus
Chair
Secretary
Policy Committee Chair
Republican Conference
Chair
Vice-Chair
Policy Committee Chair
House
Speaker
list
Leaders
Bipartisan Legal Advisory Group
Democratic Caucus
Republican Conference
Districts
List
Apportionment
Gerrymandering
Groups
Congressional caucus
Caucuses of the United States Congress
Ethnic and racial
African-American members
Senate
House
Black Caucus
Arab and Middle Eastern members
Asian Pacific American members
Asian Pacific American Caucus
Hispanic and Latino members
list
Hispanic Caucus
Hispanic Conference
Jewish members
Jewish Caucus
Native American members
Gender and sexual identity
LGBTQ members
Equality Caucus
Women
Senate
House
Issues Caucus
Democratic Women's Caucus
Occupation
Physicians
Religion
Buddhist members
Hindu members
Jewish members
Mormon (LDS) members
Muslim members
Quaker members
Sikh members
Related
By length of service historically
Current members by wealth
From multiple states
Died in office
1790–1899
1900–1949
1950–1999
2000–present
Killed or wounded in office
Party switchers
Slave owners
Powers, privileges, procedure, committees, history, media
Powers
Article I
Commerce
(Dormant)
Contempt of Congress
Declaration of war
Impeachment
Inquiries
Trial
Naturalization
"Necessary and Proper"
Power of enforcement
Taxing/spending
Privileges
Salaries
Franking
Immunity
Procedure
Act of Congress
list
Appropriation bill
Bill
Budget process
Censure
Closed sessions
House
Senate
Cloture
Concurrent resolution
Continuing resolution
Dear Colleague letter
Discharge petition
Enrolled bill
Expulsion
Joint resolution
Joint session
list
Lame-duck session
Magic minute
Majority of the majority (Hastert Rule)
Multiple referral
House procedures
Quorum call
Reconciliation
Rider
Saxbe fix
Sponsorship
Suspension of the rules
Unanimous consent
Veto
Line-item veto
Pocket veto
Senate-specific
Advice and consent
Blue slip (U.S. Senate)
Classes
Executive communication
Executive session
Filibuster
Jefferson's
Manual
Senate Journal
Morning business
Nuclear option
Presiding Officer
Recess appointment
Reconciliation
Riddick's Senate Procedure
Senate hold
Senatorial courtesy
Seniority
Standing Rules
Tie-breaking votes
Traditions
Treaty Clause
Committees
Chairman
and
ranking member
Of the Whole
Conference
Discharge petition
Hearings
Markup
Oversight
List (Joint)
List (House)
List (Senate)
Select and special
Standing
Subcommittees
Items
Gavels
Mace of the House
Seal of the Senate
History
House history
memoirs
speaker elections
Senate history
election disputes
memoirs
Continental Congress
Federal Hall
(1789–1790)
Congress Hall
(1790–1800)
Old Brick Capitol
(1815–1819)
Biographical Directory
Divided government
Party divisions
Media
C-SPAN
Congressional Quarterly
The Hill
Politico
Roll Call
Capitol Complex
on
Capitol Hill
and other headquarters offices
Legislative
offices
Congressional staff
Gov. Accountability Office (GAO)
Comptroller General
GAO Building
Architect of the Capitol
Cap. Police
Board
Cap. Guide Service
Congr. Budget Office (CBO)
Congr. Workplace Rights (OCWR)
Library of Congress
Gov. Publishing Office (GPO)
Technology Assessment
Offices
Senate
Curator
Historical
Library
House
Congr. Ethics
Emergency Planning, Preparedness, and Operations
Interparliamentary Affairs
Law Revision Counsel
Legislative Counsel
Library
Employees
Senate
Secretary
Chaplain
Curator
Historian
Librarian
Pages
Parliamentarian
Sergeant at Arms and Doorkeeper
House
Chaplain
Chief Administrative Officer
Clerk
Doorkeeper
Floor Operations
Floor Services Chief
Historian
Pages
Board
Parliamentarian
Postmaster
Reading Clerk
Sergeant at Arms
Library of
Congress
Congressional Research Service
reports
Copyright Office
Register of Copyrights
Law Library
Poet Laureate
THOMAS
Adams Building
Jefferson Building
Madison Building
Gov.
Publishing Office
Public Printer
Congressional Pictorial Directory
Congressional Record
Official Congressional Directory
U.S. Gov. Manual
Serial Set
Statutes at Large
United States Code
Capitol Building
List of artwork at the United States Capitol complex
Brumidi Corridors
Congressional Prayer Room
Crypt
Dome
Statue of Freedom
Rotunda
Hall of Columns
Statuary Hall
Visitor Center
The Apotheosis of Washington
Statue of Freedom
Declaration of Independence
painting
Scene at the Signing of the Constitution of the United States
Apotheosis of Democracy
Progress of Civilization Pediment
First Reading of the Emancipation Proclamation of President Lincoln
Surrender of General Burgoyne
Surrender of Lord Cornwallis
George Washington and the Revolutionary War Door
Revolutionary War Door
Columbus Doors
Washington at Princeton
Westward the Course of Empire Takes Its Way
Vice President's Room
Vice Presidential Bust Collection
Office
buildings
Senate
Dirksen
Hart
Mountains and Clouds
Russell
House
Building Commission
office lottery
Cannon
Ford
Longworth
O'Neill
Rayburn
Other
facilities
Botanic Garden
Health and Fitness Facility
House Recording Studio
Senate chamber
Old Senate Chamber
Old Supreme Court Chamber
Power Plant
Webster Page Residence
Subway
Related
Capitol Hill
United States Capitol cornerstone laying
Legislatures of the United States
United States Congress
United States House of Representatives
United States Senate
State legislatures
Alabama
Alaska
Arizona
Arkansas
California
Colorado
Connecticut
Delaware
Florida
Georgia
Hawaii
Idaho
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
Mississippi
Missouri
Montana
Nebraska
Nevada
New Hampshire
New Jersey
GA
New Mexico
New York
North Carolina
North Dakota
Ohio
Oklahoma
Oregon
Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
South Carolina
South Dakota
Tennessee
Texas
Utah
Vermont
Virginia
Washington
West Virginia
Wisconsin
Wyoming
Other legislatures
District of Columbia
American Samoa
Guam
Northern Mariana Islands
Puerto Rico
U.S. Virgin Islands
Legislative elections
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025
2026
List of U.S. state legislators
Lists of past U.S. state legislatures
United States
History
By period
1776–1789
1789–1815
1815–1849
1849–1865
1865–1917
1917–1945
1945–1964
1964–1980
1980–1991
1991–2016
2016–present
By event
Pre-colonial era
Colonial era
Stamp Act Congress
Thirteen Colonies
Continental Congress
Continental Association
United Colonies
military history
Founding Fathers
Halifax Resolves
Lee Resolution
Declaration of Independence
American Revolution
War
Treaty of Paris
Articles of Confederation
Perpetual Union
Confederation period
American frontier
Constitution
drafting and ratification
Bill of Rights
Federalist Era
War of 1812
Territorial evolution
Mexican–American War
Civil War
Reconstruction era
Indian Wars
Native genocide
Gilded Age
Progressive Era
Women's suffrage
Civil rights movement
1865–1896
1896–1954
1954–1968
Spanish–American War
Imperialism
World War I
Roaring Twenties
Great Depression
World War II
home front
American Century
Cold War
Korean War
Space Race
Feminist Movement
LGBTQ Movement
Vietnam War
Post-Cold War (1991–2016)
September 11 attacks
War on Terror
War in Afghanistan
Iraq War
Great Recession
COVID-19 pandemic
By topic
Outline of U.S. history
Demographic
Discoveries
Economic
Environment
Inventions
Military
Postal
Technological and industrial
Geography
Territory
Contiguous United States
counties
federal district
federal enclaves
Indian reservations
insular zones
minor outlying islands
populated places
states
Earthquakes
Extreme points
Islands
Mountains
peaks
ranges
Appalachian
Rocky
Sierra Nevada
National Park Service
National Parks
Regions
East Coast
West Coast
Great Plains
Gulf
Mid-Atlantic
Midwestern
New England
Pacific
Central
Eastern
Northern
Northeastern
Northwestern
Southern
Southeastern
Southwestern
Western
Longest
rivers
Arkansas
Colorado
Columbia
Mississippi
Missouri
Red (South)
Rio Grande
Yukon
Time
Water supply and sanitation
World Heritage Sites
Politics
Federal
Executive
President of the United States
powers
Executive Office
Vice President
Cabinet
Executive departments
Independent agencies
Intelligence Community
Director of National Intelligence
Central Intelligence Agency
National Security Agency
National Reconnaissance Office
Law enforcement
ATF
CBP
Diplomatic Security
DEA
FBI
ICE
Marshals
Secret Service
TSA
Inspectors general
Civil service
Public policy
Legislative
House of Representatives
current members
Speaker
Senate
current members
President pro tempore
President
Capitol Police
Library of Congress
Congressional Budget Office
Government Accountability Office
Government Publishing Office
Judicial
Supreme Court
Chief Justice
Associate Justices
list
Courts of appeals
list of judges
District courts
Territorial courts
list of courts
list of judges
Other tribunals
U.S. attorney
Law
Bill of Rights
civil liberties
Code of Federal Regulations
Constitution
federalism
preemption
separation of powers
civil rights
United States Code
Uniformed
Armed Forces
Army
Marine Corps
Navy
Air Force
Space Force
Coast Guard
National Guard
NOAA Corps
Public Health Service Corps
State
Federal District
and
Territorial
Executive
Governor
list
Lieutenant governor
list
Secretary of state
Attorney general
Treasurer
Auditor/Comptroller
Agriculture commissioner
Insurance commissioner
Public utilities commission
State police
list
Legislative
List of legislatures
List of legislators
Judicial
Supreme courts
Chief justices
District attorney
list
Law
State constitutions
Statutory codes
Uniform act
Comparison of governments
Tribal
Tribal sovereignty
Native American recognition in the United States
Federally recognized tribes
Federally recognized Alaska Native tribes
State-recognized tribes
Indian reservation
list
Hawaiian home land
Local
County
List of counties and county equivalents
County executive
Sheriff
Clerk
Cities
Consolidated city-county
Independent city
Coterminous municipality
Charter
Mayor–council government
Council–manager government
City commission government
Mayor
City manager
City council
Minor divisions
Township
Town meeting
Special district
School district
list
Corruption
Democratic backsliding
Elections
Electoral College
Red states and blue states
Foreign relations
foreign policy
Imperial presidency
Ideologies
Anti-Americanism
exceptionalism
nationalism
Parties
Democratic
Republican
Third parties
Scandals
Economy
By sector
Agriculture
Banking
Communications
Companies
Energy
Insurance
Manufacturing
Mining
Science and technology
Tourism
Trade
by state
Currency
Exports
Federal budget
Greenhouse gas emissions by the United States
Federal Reserve System
Financial position
Labor unions
Public debt
Social welfare programs
Taxation
Unemployment
Wall Street
Transport
Aviation
Driving
Public transportation
Rail transportation
Transportation policy
Transportation safety
Trucking industry
Society
Culture
Americana
Architecture
Cinema
Crime
Cuisine
Dance
Demographics
Economic issues
affluence
eviction
homeownership
household income
income inequality
middle class
personal income
poverty
standard of living
wealth
working class
Education
attainment
literacy
Family
Fashion
Flag
list
Folklore
Holidays
Federal holidays
Homelessness
Housing
Human rights
Languages
American English
Indigenous languages
ASL
Libraries
Literature
Media
journalism
internet
newspapers
radio
television
Music
Names
National anthem
National symbols
Columbia
Mount Rushmore
Statue of Liberty
Uncle Sam
People
Philosophy
Political ideologies
Race
Religion
Sexuality
Social class
Society
Sports
history
Theater
Transportation
Video games
Visual art
Social class
Affluence
American Dream
Educational attainment
Homelessness
Homeownership
Household income
Income inequality
Middle class
Personal income
Poverty
Standard of living
Health
Aging
Healthcare
Abortion
Birth control
Prenatal care
Hospice care
Immigrant health care
Rationing
Health care finance
Health insurance costs
Health care prices
Prescription drug prices
Disability
Health insurance
Food safety
Physician shortage
Poverty and health
Race and health
Obesity
Medical deserts
Women's reproductive health
Life expectancy
Issues
Capital punishment
Crime
incarceration
Criticism of government
Discrimination
affirmative action
antisemitism
intersex rights
Islamophobia
LGBTQ rights
racism
Native American
African American
Energy policy
Environmental issues
Environmental movement
Climate change
Gun politics
Mass shootings
Hunger
Smoking
Human rights
Immigration
illegal
National security
Terrorism
Opioid epidemic
Separation of church and state
Xenophobia
Outline
Index
Category
Portal
Lower houses
of national
legislatures
Federal
Argentina
Australia
Austria
Belgium
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Brazil
Canada
Ethiopia
Germany
India
Malaysia
Mexico
Nepal
Nigeria
Pakistan
Russia
Somalia
South Sudan
Sudan
Switzerland
United States
Unitary
Algeria
Antigua and Barbuda
Bahamas
Bahrain
Barbados
Belarus
Belize
Bhutan
Bolivia
Burundi
Cambodia
Cameroon
Central African Republic
Chad
Chile
Colombia
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Republic of the Congo
Czech Republic
Dominican Republic
Egypt
Equatorial Guinea
Eswatini
France
Gabon
Grenada
Guinea
Haiti
Indonesia
Ireland
Italy
Ivory Coast
Jamaica
Japan
Jordan
Kazakhstan
Kenya
Lesotho
Liberia
Madagascar
Morocco
Myanmar
Namibia
Netherlands
Oman
Palau
Paraguay
Philippines
Poland
Romania
Rwanda
Saint Lucia
Slovenia
South Africa
Spain
Tajikistan
Thailand
Togo
Trinidad and Tobago
United Kingdom
Uruguay
Uzbekistan
Yemen
Zimbabwe
Dependent and
other territories
American Samoa
Bermuda
Isle of Man
Northern Mariana Islands
Puerto Rico
Non-UN states
Somaliland
Defunct
Cuba
Fiji
Guyana
Hungary
Kingdom of Ireland
Irish Free State
South Korea
Nicaragua
Northern Ireland
Peru
Portugal (Kingdom)
Portugal (Republic)
Sweden
Venezuela
Related
Bicameralism
Unicameralism
Tricameralism
Multicameralism
List of abolished lower houses
List of legislatures by country
National upper houses
National bicameral legislatures
National unicameral legislatures
Authority control databases
International
ISNI
VIAF
GND
FAST
National
United States
France
BnF data
Czech Republic
Spain
Portugal
Norway
Croatia
Chile
Argentina
Korea
Israel
Academics
CiNii
Artists
MusicBrainz
People
Trove
Other
IdRef
Open Library
SNAC
Yale LUX
38°53′20″N
77°0′32″W
 / 
38.88889°N 77.00889°W
 /
38.88889; -77.00889
Retrieved from "
Categories
United States House of Representatives
1789 establishments in the United States
National lower houses
Hidden categories:
Webarchive template wayback links
Pages using gadget WikiMiniAtlas
Articles with short description
Short description is different from Wikidata
Wikipedia indefinitely semi-protected pages
Wikipedia indefinitely move-protected pages
Use American English from August 2019
All Wikipedia articles written in American English
Use mdy dates from March 2024
Infobox legislature with background color
All articles with unsourced statements
Articles with unsourced statements from December 2025
Articles with unsourced statements from February 2026
Articles containing potentially dated statements from 2020
All articles containing potentially dated statements
Articles with unsourced statements from January 2026
Articles containing potentially dated statements from November 2021
Articles containing potentially dated statements from 2023
Wikipedia articles needing clarification from February 2026
Articles containing potentially dated statements from 2009
Articles containing potentially dated statements from January 2012
Articles needing additional references from May 2025
All articles needing additional references
Articles with excerpts
Articles containing potentially dated statements from April 2026
CS1 maint: publisher location
CS1: long volume value
Articles with hAudio microformats
Spoken articles
Coordinates not on Wikidata
United States House of Representatives
Add topic