In January, the United States House of Representatives elected the 118th Congress's Speaker of the House. After a historic 15 rounds of voting, Congressman Kevin McCarthy was chosen as the 55th Speaker. Their role in Congress as "the political and parliamentary leader of the House" has been interpreted differently by different Speakers. Speaker.gov highlights the current Speaker of the House and their information. Learn more about the history of the Speaker, past Speakers, and their role in Congress below.
History of the Position
The Speaker of the House stems from a similar position in the British House of Commons. That speaker was elected by the Commons and had times where they were political figures or just parliamentary leaders.
The first Speaker for the United States House was Frederick A. C. Muhlenberg of Pennsylvania. He was elected in 1789. In the House Practice: A Guide to the Rules, Precedents, and Procedures of the House, the Office of the Speaker's position is defined. The Speaker is "the presiding officer of the House" and they "maintain order, manage proceedings, and govern its business." Each Speaker is chosen by all the members of the House.
While Speakers were leaders, the seat wasn't as lucrative and of prominence until Henry Clay took the chair. It is said that Clay used his speakership to "raise the stature of the House." That power grew as party systems grew. At this point, Speakers were political and used their position as a way to control floor access through committee appointments. In the 1970s, committee power was limited and Speakers used their authority on the growing power on the House Floor.
Role in Congress
As a position that is chosen by the House of Representatives per the Constitution, many aspects of the Speakership wasn't clarified, including:
- Method for choosing Speaker
- Presiding officer's duties and powers
- Speaker's role as a partisan
The U.S. founders envisioned the Speaker to resemble a "parliamentary referee." Yet, their role has expanded into "complexity and influence." Now, the Speaker is the "presiding officer of the Chamber, leader of the majority party, and an elected Representative with a constituency." Some pursue policy agendas and others only focus on parliamentary procedures. The Speaker of the House is also second in line to succeed the President.
Past Speakers
Since 1789, there have been 55 Speakers of the House. They have included:
- Henry Clay (KY)
- Joseph Gurney Cannon (IL)
- Samuel Rayburn (TX)
- Carl Albert (OK)
- Nancy Pelosi (CA)
- Paul Ryan (WI)
- Kevin McCarthy (CA)
The speaker.gov site gives updates for each Speaker of the House in office. Currently, the site highlights Speaker Kevin McCarthy and his blog, conferences, and speeches. It touches on Speaker McCarthy's task forces, priorities, and information on his background.
OSU Resources
The OSU Library has a variety of resources available regarding the Speaker of the House. Some of the holdings are:
Other Resources
Learn more about current and past Speakers of the House through the House of Representatives' Blog
Learn more about each Speaker!
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Eager to know more? Start here.
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