Speaker of the United States House of Representatives
Speaker of the United States House of Representatives | |
---|---|
![]() Seal of the Speaker | |
Style | Mister or Madam Speaker (Informal and within the House) The Honorable (Formal) |
Appointer | Elected by the U.S. House of Representatives |
Inaugural holder | Frederick Muhlenberg April 1, 1789 |
Formation | U.S. Constitution March 4, 1789 |
Succession | Second |
Website | Speaker of the House |
The Speaker of the United States House of Representatives is the head of the United States House of Representatives. The Speaker is elected by the current members of the House. A person with more than half of the votes becomes Speaker.
Duties
[change | change source]The Speaker has always been a member of the majority party (the party with the most members) but does not have to be an elected member of the House (this has not happened yet). The job of the Speaker is to keep the House in order and to assign committee memberships and chairmanships. It is an important and powerful position in government.
Background
[change | change source]Sam Rayburn is the only person to have served as Speaker of the House for more than ten years.
Theodore M. Pomeroy served as Speaker of the House for one day after Speaker Schuyler Colfax resigned to become Vice President of the United States; Pomeroy's term as a Member of Congress ended the next day.
Sam Rayburn, Henry Clay, Thomas Brackett Reed, Joseph William Martin, Jr., Frederick Muhlenberg, John W. Taylor, and Nancy Pelosi are the only Speakers of the House to have ever served in non-consecutive Congresses (i.e. another Speaker served in between each tenure).
Order of succession
[change | change source]The Speaker of the House is third in line for the Presidency of the United States. If the President of the United States dies or steps down, the Vice President of the United States becomes President. If there is no vice president, the Speaker of the House automatically becomes acting president.
List of speakers of the United States House of Representatives
[change | change source]It includes the congressional district and political affiliation of each speaker as well as the number of their Congress and time they spent in the position.
# | Speaker | Party | District | Congress | Tenure |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | ![]() |
Pro-Administration | Pennsylvania-AL | 1st | April 1, 1789 — March 4, 1791 |
2 | ![]() |
Pro-Administration | Connecticut-4th | 2nd | October 24, 1791 — March 4, 1793 |
3 | ![]() |
Anti-Administration | Pennsylvania-AL | 3rd | December 2, 1793 — March 4, 1795 |
4 | ![]() |
Federalist | New Jersey-AL | 4th | December 7, 1795 — March 4, 1797 |
5th | May 15, 1797 — March 4, 1799 | ||||
5 | ![]() |
Federalist | Massachusetts-1 | 6th | December 2, 1799 — March 4, 1801 |
6 | ![]() |
Democratic-Republican | North Carolina-5 | 7th | December 7, 1801 — March 4, 1803 |
North Carolina-6 | 8th | October 17, 1803 — March 4, 1805 | |||
9th | December 2, 1805 — March 4, 1807 | ||||
7 | ![]() |
Democratic-Republican | Massachusetts-4 | 10th | October 26, 1807 — March 4, 1809 |
11th | May 22, 1809 — March 4, 1811 | ||||
8 | Democratic-Republican | Kentucky-3 | 12th | November 4, 1811 — March 4, 1813 | |
Kentucky-2 | 13th | May 24, 1813 — January 19, 1814 | |||
9 | ![]() |
Democratic-Republican | South Carolina-1 | January 19, 1814 — March 4, 1815 | |
10 | Democratic-Republican | Kentucky-2 | 14th | December 4, 1815 — March 4, 1817 | |
15th | December 1, 1817 — March 4, 1819 | ||||
16th | December 6, 1819 — October 28, 1820 | ||||
11 | ![]() |
Democratic-Republican | New York-11 | November 15, 1820 — March 4, 1821 | |
12 | ![]() |
Democratic-Republican | Virginia-11 | 17th | December 4, 1821 — March 4, 1823 |
13 | Democratic-Republican | Kentucky-3 | 18th | December 1, 1823 — March 4, 1825 | |
14 | ![]() |
National Republican | New York-17 | 19th | December 5, 1825 — March 4, 1827 |
15 | ![]() |
Democratic | Virginia-9 | 20th | December 3, 1827 — March 4, 1829 |
21st | December 7, 1829 — March 4, 1831 | ||||
22nd | December 5, 1831 — March 4, 1833 | ||||
Virginia-11 | 23rd | December 2, 1833 — June 2, 1834 | |||
16 | ![]() |
Whig | Tennessee-7 | 23rd | June 2, 1834 — March 4, 1835 |
17 | ![]() |
Democratic | Tennessee-9 | 24th | December 7, 1835 — March 4, 1837 |
25th | September 4, 1837 — March 4, 1839 | ||||
18 | ![]() |
Whig | Virginia-9 | 26th | December 16, 1839 — March 4, 1841 |
19 | ![]() |
Whig | Kentucky-9 | 27th | May 31, 1841 — March 4, 1843 |
20 | ![]() |
Democratic | Virginia-6 | 28th | December 4, 1843 — March 4, 1845 |
21 | ![]() |
Democratic | Indiana-6 | 29th | December 1, 1845 — March 4, 1847 |
22 | ![]() |
Whig | Massachusetts-1 | 30th | December 6, 1847 — March 4, 1849 |
23 | ![]() |
Democratic | Georgia-6 | 31st | December 22, 1849 — March 4, 1851 |
24 | ![]() |
Democratic | Kentucky-1 | 32nd | December 1, 1851 — March 4, 1853 |
33rd | December 5, 1853 — March 4, 1855 | ||||
25 | ![]() |
American/Republican* | Massachusetts-7 | 34th | February 2, 1856 — March 4, 1857 |
26 | ![]() |
Democratic | South Carolina-5 | 35th | December 7, 1857 — March 4, 1859 |
27 | ![]() |
Republican | New Jersey-5 | 36th | February 1, 1860 — March 4, 1861 |
28 | ![]() |
Republican | Pennsylvania-14 | 37th | July 4, 1861 — March 4, 1863 |
29 | ![]() |
Republican | Indiana-9 | 38th | December 7, 1863 — March 4, 1865 |
39th | December 4, 1865 — March 4, 1867 | ||||
40th | March 4, 1867 — March 3, 1869 | ||||
30 | ![]() |
Republican | New York-24 | March 3, 1869 — March 4, 1869 | |
31 | ![]() |
Republican | Maine-3 | 41st | March 4, 1869 — March 4, 1871 |
42nd | March 4, 1871 — March 4, 1873 | ||||
43rd | March 4, 1873 — May 13, 1874 | ||||
31.1 [1] [2] | ![]() |
Republican | South Carolina-1 | May 13, 1874 | |
31 | ![]() |
Republican | Maine-3 | May 14, 1874 — March 4, 1875 | |
32 | ![]() |
Democratic | Indiana-3 | 44th | December 6, 1875 — August 19, 1876 |
33 | ![]() |
Democratic | Pennsylvania-3 | December 4, 1876 — March 4, 1877 | |
45th | October 15, 1877 — March 4, 1879 | ||||
46th | March 18, 1879 — March 4, 1881 | ||||
34 | ![]() |
Republican | Ohio-8 | 47th | December 5, 1881 — March 4, 1883 |
35 | ![]() |
Democratic | Kentucky-6 | 48th | December 3, 1883 — March 4, 1885 |
49th | December 7, 1885 — March 4, 1887 | ||||
50th | December 5, 1887 — March 4, 1889 | ||||
36 | ![]() |
Republican | Maine-1 | 51st | December 2, 1889 — March 4, 1891 |
37 | ![]() |
Democratic | Georgia-3 | 52nd | December 8, 1891 — March 4, 1893 |
53rd | August 7, 1893 — March 4, 1895 | ||||
38 | ![]() |
Republican | Maine-1 | 54th | December 2, 1895 — March 4, 1897 |
55th | March 15, 1897 — March 4, 1899 | ||||
39 | ![]() |
Republican | Iowa-3 | 56th | December 4, 1899 — March 4, 1901 |
57th | December 2, 1901 — March 4, 1903 | ||||
40 | ![]() |
Republican | Illinois-18 | 58th | November 9, 1903 — March 4, 1905 |
59th | December 4, 1905 — March 4, 1907 | ||||
60th | December 2, 1907 — March 4, 1909 | ||||
61st | March 15, 1909 — March 4, 1911 | ||||
41 | ![]() |
Democratic | Missouri-9 | 62nd | April 4, 1911 — March 4, 1913 |
63rd | April 7, 1913 — March 4, 1915 | ||||
64th | December 6, 1915 — March 4, 1917 | ||||
65th | April 2, 1917 — March 4, 1919 | ||||
42 | ![]() |
Republican | Massachusetts-2 | 66th | May 19, 1919 — March 4, 1921 |
67th | April 11, 1921 — March 4, 1923 | ||||
68th | December 3, 1923 — March 4, 1925 | ||||
43 | Republican | Ohio-1 | 69th | December 7, 1925 — March 4, 1927 | |
70th | December 5, 1927 — March 4, 1929 | ||||
71st | April 15, 1929 — March 4, 1931 | ||||
44 | ![]() |
Democratic | Texas-15 | 72nd | December 7, 1931 — March 4, 1933 |
45 | ![]() |
Democratic | Illinois-20 | 73rd | March 9, 1933 — August 19, 1934 |
46 | ![]() |
Democratic | Tennessee-5 | 74th | January 3, 1935 — June 4, 1936 |
47 | ![]() |
Democratic | Alabama-7 | June 4, 1936 — January 3, 1937 | |
75th | January 5, 1937 — January 3, 1939 | ||||
76th | January 3, 1939 — September 15, 1940 | ||||
48 | ![]() |
Democratic | Texas-4 | September 16, 1940 — January 3, 1941 | |
77th | January 3, 1941 — January 3, 1943 | ||||
78th | January 6, 1943 — January 3, 1945 | ||||
79th | January 3, 1945 — January 3, 1947 | ||||
49 | ![]() |
Republican | Massachusetts-14 | 80th | January 3, 1947 — January 3, 1949 |
50 | ![]() |
Democratic | Texas-4 | 81st | January 3, 1949 — January 3, 1951 |
82nd | January 3, 1951 — January 3, 1953 | ||||
51 | ![]() |
Republican | Massachusetts-14 | 83rd | January 3, 1953 — January 3, 1955 |
52 | ![]() |
Democratic | Texas-4 | 84th | January 3, 1955 — January 3, 1957 |
85th | January 3, 1957 — January 3, 1959 | ||||
86th | January 7, 1959 — January 3, 1961 | ||||
87th | January 3, 1961 — November 16, 1961 | ||||
53 | ![]() |
Democratic | Massachusetts-12 | January 10, 1962 — January 3, 1963 | |
Massachusetts-9 | 88th | January 9, 1963 — January 3, 1965 | |||
89th | January 4, 1965 — January 3, 1967 | ||||
90th | January 10, 1967 — January 3, 1969 | ||||
91st | January 3, 1969 — January 3, 1971 | ||||
54 | ![]() |
Democratic | Oklahoma-3 | 92nd | January 21, 1971 — January 3, 1973 |
93rd | January 3, 1973 — January 3, 1975 | ||||
94th | January 14, 1975 — January 3, 1977 | ||||
55 | ![]() |
Democratic | Massachusetts-8 | 95th | January 4, 1977 — January 3, 1979 |
96th | January 15, 1979 — January 3, 1981 | ||||
97th | January 5, 1981 — January 3, 1983 | ||||
98th | January 3, 1983 — January 3, 1985 | ||||
99th | January 3, 1985 — January 3, 1987 | ||||
56 | ![]() |
Democratic | Texas-12 | 100th | January 6, 1987 — January 3, 1989 |
101st | January 3, 1989 — June 6, 1989 | ||||
57 | ![]() |
Democratic | Washington-5 | June 6, 1989 — January 3, 1991 | |
102nd | January 3, 1991 — January 3, 1993 | ||||
103rd | January 5, 1993 — January 3, 1995 | ||||
58 | ![]() |
Republican | Georgia-6 | 104th | January 4, 1995 — January 3, 1997 |
105th | January 7, 1997 — January 3, 1999 | ||||
59 | ![]() |
Republican | Illinois-14 | 106th | January 6, 1999 — January 3, 2001 |
107th | January 3, 2001 — January 3, 2003 | ||||
108th | January 7, 2003 — January 3, 2005 | ||||
109th | January 3, 2005 — January 3, 2007 | ||||
60 | ![]() |
Democratic | California-8 | 110th | January 4, 2007 — January 3, 2009 |
111th | January 6, 2009 — January 3, 2011 | ||||
61 | ![]() |
Republican | Ohio-8 | 112th | January 5, 2011 — January 3, 2013 |
113th | January 3, 2013 — January 3, 2015 | ||||
114th | January 6, 2015 — October 29, 2015 | ||||
62 | ![]() |
Republican | Wisconsin-1 | 114th | October 29, 2015 — January 3, 2017 |
115th | January 3, 2017 — January 3, 2019 | ||||
63 | ![]() |
Democratic | California-12[3] | 116th | January 3, 2019 — January 3, 2021 |
117th | January 3, 2021 — January 3, 2023 | ||||
64 | ![]() |
Republican | California-32 | 118th | January 7, 2023 — October 3, 2023 |
65 | ![]() |
Republican | Louisiana-4 | 118th | October 25, 2023 — Present |
List of living former speakers
[change | change source]Speaker | Years in office | ![]() |
---|---|---|
1995–1999 | June 17, 1943 | |
1999–2007 | January 2, 1942 | |
2011–2015 | November 17, 1949 | |
2015–2019 | January 29, 1970 | |
2007–2011, 2019–2023 | March 26, 1940 | |
2023 | January 26, 1965 |
References
[change | change source]- ↑ 11.Congressional Globe, House, 42nd Cong., 2nd sess. (13 May 1872): 3383.
- ↑ 12.The date Joseph Rainey was Speaker pro tempore is not known. Most sources claim Representative Rainey presided over the House during an Indian appropriations debate in May 1874. See, for example, an early secondary work, Samuel Denny Smith, The Negro in Congress: 1870–1901 (Port Washington, NY: Kennikat Press, Inc., 1940): 47–48. Most subsequent sources cite Smith. Yet the New York Herald published an article reporting that Rainey served as Speaker pro tempore on April 29; see “A Liberated Slave in the Speaker’s Chair,” 30 April 1874, New York Herald: 9. Similar accounts exist in the Baltimore Sun, the Charleston News and Courier, and the African-American newspaper The New National Era, though these reports cite April 29 and April 30. There is no mention of Rainey’s presiding in the Congressional Record or the House Journal for either date: Congressional Record, House, 43rd Cong., 1st sess. (29–30 April 1874): 3457–3476, 3490–3507; House Journal, 43rd Cong., 1st sess. (29–30 April 1874): 877–885.
- ↑ Pelosi, Nancy. "Nancy Pelosi". www.congress.gov. Retrieved 2020-01-18.