Speakers of the House (1789 to present) | US House of Representatives: History, Art & Archives (2024)

Article I, Section 2 of the Constitution states: “The House of Representatives shall chuse their Speaker and other Officers...”

The Speaker is the political and parliamentary leader of the House of Representatives. The Constitution mandates the office, but since the early 19th century the House and the individual Speakers have continually redefined its contours. Rooted in British parliamentary practice, the early Speakers limited their roles to presiding over the House and serving as its ceremonial head.

Speakers of the House (1789 to present) | US House of Representatives: History, Art & Archives (2)/tiles/non-collection/h/hh_1789_03_04_muhlenberg_hc.xml Collection of the U.S. House of Representatives
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Frederick Augustus Conrad Muhlenberg of Pennsylvania was elected the first Speaker of the House on April 1, 1789.

Over time, some Speakers aggressively pursued a policy agenda for the House while others have, in the words of Speaker Schuyler Colfax of Indiana, “come to this chair to administer [the] rules, but not as a partisan.” Regardless, the Speaker—who has always been (but is not required to be) a House Member with the same obligations to his or her constituents like the other 434 Members—is at the levers of power. The Speaker is simultaneously the House’s presiding officer, party leader, and the institution’s administrative head, among other duties.

The Speaker is elected at the beginning of a new Congress by a majority of the Representatives-elect from candidates separately chosen by the majority- and minority-party caucuses. These candidates are elected by their party members at the organizing caucuses held soon after the new Congress is elected. In cases of an unexpected vacancy during a Congress a new Speaker is elected by a majority of the House from candidates previously chosen by the two parties.

The Speaker of the House is by law second in line to succeed the President, after the Vice President, and 25th Amendment makes the Speaker a part of the process announcing presidential disability.

Including Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana, a total of 56 Representatives have served as Speaker. Seven individuals have served nonconsecutively: Frederick Muhlenberg of Pennsylvania, Henry Clay of Kentucky, John W. Taylor of New York, Thomas Brackett Reed of Maine, Sam Rayburn of Texas, Joseph Martin of Massachusetts, and Nancy Pelosi of California.

For further information, see the Speakers of the House Resources.

Speakers of the House (1789 to present) | US House of Representatives: History, Art & Archives (2024)

FAQs

Speakers of the House (1789 to present) | US House of Representatives: History, Art & Archives? ›

Henry Clay (1811–1814, 1815–1820, 1823–1825) used his influence as speaker to ensure the passage of measures he favored. The first speaker of the House, Frederick Muhlenberg of Pennsylvania, was elected to office on April 1, 1789, the day the House organized itself at the start of the 1st Congress.

Who was the speaker of the House in 1789? ›

Henry Clay (1811–1814, 1815–1820, 1823–1825) used his influence as speaker to ensure the passage of measures he favored. The first speaker of the House, Frederick Muhlenberg of Pennsylvania, was elected to office on April 1, 1789, the day the House organized itself at the start of the 1st Congress.

What is the name of the speakers of the House of Representatives now? ›

house.gov. Congressman Mike Johnson (LA-04) is elected Speaker of the House. Discover how Congress makes laws, schedule a school tour, & more. Your member's website and contact form are available around the clock.

Who was the first woman speaker of the House and United States history? ›

Nancy Pelosi served as the 52nd Speaker of the House of Representatives, having made history in 2007 when she was elected the first woman to serve as Speaker of the House.

Who was the shortest serving speaker of the House? ›

Theodore Medad Pomeroy (December 31, 1824 – March 23, 1905) was an American businessman and politician from New York who served as the 26th speaker of the United States House of Representatives for one day, from March 3, 1869, to March 4, 1869, the shortest American speakership term.

Who are the past speakers of The House? ›

List of speakers
CongressTermName
71stApril 15, 1929 – March 4, 1931Nicholas Longworth
72ndDecember 7, 1931 – March 4, 1933John Nance Garner
73rdMarch 9, 1933 – August 19, 1934Henry Thomas Rainey
74thJanuary 3, 1935 – June 4, 1936Jo Byrns
79 more rows

Why was Speaker of the House removed? ›

The flash point that ignited the movement to remove the Speaker was the passage of a stop-gap funding measure, called a Continuing Resolution (CR), forestalling a government shutdown for 45 days along with an alleged side deal with the Administration to provide funding for Ukraine.

Can you impeach a Speaker of the House? ›

Article I, Section 2, Clause 5: The House of Representatives shall chuse their Speaker and other Officers; and shall have the sole Power of Impeachment.

What power does the Speaker of the House have? ›

The Speaker of the House is responsible for administering the oath of office to the Members of the U.S. House of Representatives, giving Members permission to speak on the House floor, designating Members to serve as Speaker pro tempore, counting and declaring all votes, appointing Members to committees, sending bills ...

What happened to the last Speaker of the House? ›

The speaker's chair was vacated and Patrick McHenry of North Carolina—a McCarthy ally—was made speaker pro tempore and the House went without a proper speaker until the October 25 election of Mike Johnson of Louisiana. McCarthy subsequently announced his resignation from Congress effective at the end of 2023.

Who was the first female senator? ›

On November 21, 1922, Rebecca Felton of Georgia took the oath of office, becoming the first woman to serve in the U.S. Senate. That milestone event opened the door for other women to follow. To date, 60 women have served in the Senate.

Who was the first woman in the world? ›

Just like Pandora in ancient Greece, Eve was known as the first woman on earth in Hebrew history. Even the creation of the two women is similar: Pandora was made of earth and water and Eve was from the rib of Adam, the first man on earth, who was in his turn made of clay.

Who was the first woman of color in Congress? ›

Fierce and Fearless: Patsy Takemoto Mink, First Woman of Color in Congress.

Which speaker of the House died in office? ›

Rayburn was also influential in the construction of U.S. Route 66. He served as Speaker until his death in 1961, and was succeeded by John W. McCormack. He is the most recent Speaker of the House to die in office.

Who was the longest serving Republican to serve as speaker of the House? ›

But I'm excited. This is the future. And it is a new way for us to get our message out." On June 1, 2006, Hastert became the longest-serving Republican Speaker of the House in history, surpassing the record previously held by fellow Illinoisan Joseph Gurney Cannon, who held the post from November 1903 to March 1911.

How long did Kevin McCarthy serve as a house speaker? ›

Kevin Owen McCarthy (born January 26, 1965) is an American politician who served as the 55th speaker of the United States House of Representatives from January to October 2023.

Who was the Speaker of the House in 1791? ›

October 1791

An election for speaker took place on October 24, 1791, at the start of the 2nd Congress, following the 1790–91 elections in which Pro-Administration candidates won a majority of the seats. Jonathan Trumbull Jr. received a majority of the votes cast and was elected speaker.

What happened to Paul Ryan? ›

In October 2019, Ryan launched a non-profit called American Idea Foundation. In October 2020, Ryan joined the public relations and advisory company Teneo as a senior advisor. On May 17, 2023, Ryan unveiled his official portrait at the U.S. Capitol during a ceremony in Statuary Hall.

What happened to Kevin McCarthy? ›

Washington — The House on Tuesday voted 216 to 210 to remove California Republican Kevin McCarthy from his position as House speaker, a historic move that comes days after he reached an 11th-hour deal to avert a government shutdown with the help of House Democrats.

Who was Speaker of the House when George W Bush was in office? ›

Assisted by Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert and Senate majority leader Bill Frist, Bush overcame strong opposition and won passage of his Medicare bill.

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