Speaker of the United States House of Representatives
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.
| Speaker of the United States House of Representatives | |
|---|---|
| 100px 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 |
Duties
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 of Representatives(although has always been one). The main roles of the Speaker are to keep the House in order and to assign committee memberships and chairmanships. It is an important and powerful position in government.
Background
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 (another Speaker served in between each tenure).
Order of succession
The Speaker of the House is third in line for president of the United States. If the president dies or steps down, the vice president 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
This table includes the congressional district and political affiliation of each Speaker, as well as the number of their Congress and time that they spent in the position:
| # | Speaker | Party | District | Congress | Tenure |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 100px Frederick Muhlenberg | Pro-Administration | Pennsylvania-AL | 1st | April 1, 1789 — March 4, 1791 |
| 2 | 100px Jonathan Trumbull, Jr. | Pro-Administration | Connecticut-4th | 2nd | October 24, 1791 — March 4, 1793 |
| 3 | 100px Frederick Muhlenberg | Anti-Administration | Pennsylvania-AL | 3rd | December 2, 1793 — March 4, 1795 |
| 4 |  Jonathan Dayton
|
Federalist | New Jersey-AL | 4th | December 7, 1795 — March 4, 1797 |
| 5th | May 15, 1797 — March 4, 1799 | ||||
| 5 |  Theodore Sedgwick
|
Federalist | Massachusetts-1 | 6th | December 2, 1799 — March 4, 1801 |
| 6 |  Nathaniel Macon
|
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 |  Joseph Bradley Varnum
|
Democratic-Republican | Massachusetts-4 | 10th | October 26, 1807 — March 4, 1809 |
| 11th | May 22, 1809 — March 4, 1811 | ||||
| 8 |  Henry Clay
|
Democratic-Republican | Kentucky-3 | 12th | November 4, 1811 — March 4, 1813 |
| Kentucky-2 | 13th | May 24, 1813 — January 19, 1814 | |||
| 9 |  Langdon Cheves
|
Democratic-Republican | South Carolina-1 | January 19, 1814 — March 4, 1815 | |
| 10 | Henry Clay
|
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 |  John W. Taylor
|
Democratic-Republican | New York-11 | November 15, 1820 — March 4, 1821 | |
| 12 |  Philip Pendleton Barbour
|
Democratic-Republican | Virginia-11 | 17th | December 4, 1821 — March 4, 1823 |
| 13 | File:Henry Clay.JPG Henry Clay | Democratic-Republican | Kentucky-3 | 18th | December 1, 1823 — March 4, 1825 |
| 14 | John W. Taylor
|
National Republican | New York-17 | 19th | December 5, 1825 — March 4, 1827 |
| 15 | File:AndrewStevenson.jpg Andrew Stevenson | 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 | 100px John Bell | Whig | Tennessee-7 | 23rd | June 2, 1834 — March 4, 1835 |
| 17 | 100px James Polk | Democratic | Tennessee-9 | 24th | December 7, 1835 — March 4, 1837 |
| 25th | September 4, 1837 — March 4, 1839 | ||||
| 18 | 100px Robert M. T. Hunter | Whig | Virginia-9 | 26th | December 16, 1839 — March 4, 1841 |
| 19 | 100px John White | Whig | Kentucky-9 | 27th | May 31, 1841 — March 4, 1843 |
| 20 | 100px John Winston Jones | Democratic | Virginia-6 | 28th | December 4, 1843 — March 4, 1845 |
| 21 | 100px John Wesley Davis | Democratic | Indiana-6 | 29th | December 1, 1845 — March 4, 1847 |
| 22 | 100px Robert Charles Winthrop | Whig | Massachusetts-1 | 30th | December 6, 1847 — March 4, 1849 |
| 23 |  Howell Cobb
|
Democratic | Georgia-6 | 31st | December 22, 1849 — March 4, 1851 |
| 24 |  Linn Boyd
|
Democratic | Kentucky-1 | 32nd | December 1, 1851 — March 4, 1853 |
| 33rd | December 5, 1853 — March 4, 1855 | ||||
| 25 | 100px Nathaniel Prentice Banks | American/Republican* | Massachusetts-7 | 34th | February 2, 1856 — March 4, 1857 |
| 26 | 100px James Lawrence Orr | Democratic | South Carolina-5 | 35th | December 7, 1857 — March 4, 1859 |
| 27 | 100px William Pennington | Republican | New Jersey-5 | 36th | February 1, 1860 — March 4, 1861 |
| 28 | 100px Galusha A. Grow | Republican | Pennsylvania-14 | 37th | July 4, 1861 — March 4, 1863 |
| 29 | File:Schuyler Colfax, photo portrait seated, c1855-1865.jpg Schuyler Colfax | 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 | 100px Theodore Medad Pomeroy | Republican | New York-24 | March 3, 1869 — March 4, 1869 | |
| 31 | 100px James G. Blaine | 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] | 100px Joseph H. Rainey | Republican | South Carolina-1 | May 13, 1874 | |
| 31 | 100px James G. Blaine | Republican | Maine-3 | May 14, 1874 — March 4, 1875 | |
| 32 | 100px Michael C. Kerr | Democratic | Indiana-3 | 44th | December 6, 1875 — August 19, 1876 |
| 33 | 100px Samuel J. Randall | Democratic | Pennsylvania-3 | December 4, 1876 — March 4, 1877 | |
| 45th | October 15, 1877 — March 4, 1879 | ||||
| 46th | March 18, 1879 — March 4, 1881 | ||||
| 34 | 100px J. Warren Keifer | Republican | Ohio-8 | 47th | December 5, 1881 — March 4, 1883 |
| 35 |  John Griffin Carlisle
|
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 | 100px Thomas Brackett Reed | Republican | Maine-1 | 51st | December 2, 1889 — March 4, 1891 |
| 37 | 100px Charles Frederick Crisp | Democratic | Georgia-3 | 52nd | December 8, 1891 — March 4, 1893 |
| 53rd | August 7, 1893 — March 4, 1895 | ||||
| 38 | 100px Thomas Brackett Reed | Republican | Maine-1 | 54th | December 2, 1895 — March 4, 1897 |
| 55th | March 15, 1897 — March 4, 1899 | ||||
| 39 | File:DavidBremmerHenderson.jpg David B. Henderson | Republican | Iowa-3 | 56th | December 4, 1899 — March 4, 1901 |
| 57th | December 2, 1901 — March 4, 1903 | ||||
| 40 | 100px Joseph Gurney Cannon | 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 | 100px Champ Clark | 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 | 100px Frederick Gillett | 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 |  Nicholas Longworth
|
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 | 100px John Nance Garner | Democratic | Texas-15 | 72nd | December 7, 1931 — March 4, 1933 |
| 45 | 100px Henry T. Rainey | Democratic | Illinois-20 | 73rd | March 9, 1933 — August 19, 1934 |
| 46 | 100px Joseph Wellington Byrns | Democratic | Tennessee-5 | 74th | January 3, 1935 — June 4, 1936 |
| 47 | 100px William B. Bankhead | Democratic | Alabama-7 | June 4, 1936 — January 3, 1937 | |
| 75th | January 5, 1937 — January 3, 1939 | ||||
| 76th | January 3, 1939 — September 15, 1940 | ||||
| 48 | 100px Sam Rayburn | 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 | 100px Joseph W. Martin, Jr. | Republican | Massachusetts-14 | 80th | January 3, 1947 — January 3, 1949 |
| 50 | 100px Sam Rayburn | Democratic | Texas-4 | 81st | January 3, 1949 — January 3, 1951 |
| 82nd | January 3, 1951 — January 3, 1953 | ||||
| 51 | 100px Joseph W. Martin, Jr. | Republican | Massachusetts-14 | 83rd | January 3, 1953 — January 3, 1955 |
| 52 | 100px Sam Rayburn | 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 | 100px John W. McCormack | 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 | 100px Carl Albert | 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 | File:SpeakerO'Neill.jpg Tip O'Neill | 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 | 100px Jim Wright | Democratic | Texas-12 | 100th | January 6, 1987 — January 3, 1989 |
| 101st | January 3, 1989 — June 6, 1989 | ||||
| 57 | 100px Tom Foley | Democratic | Washington-5 | June 6, 1989 — January 3, 1991 | |
| 102nd | January 3, 1991 — January 3, 1993 | ||||
| 103rd | January 5, 1993 — January 3, 1995 | ||||
| 58 | 100px Newt Gingrich | Republican | Georgia-6 | 104th | January 4, 1995 — January 3, 1997 |
| 105th | January 7, 1997 — January 3, 1999 | ||||
| 59 | File:SpeakerHastert.jpg Dennis Hastert | 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 | 100px Nancy Pelosi | Democratic | California-8 | 110th | January 4, 2007 — January 3, 2009 |
| 111th | January 6, 2009 — January 3, 2011 | ||||
| 61 | 100px John Boehner | 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 |  Paul Ryan
|
Republican | Wisconsin-1 | 114th | October 29, 2015 — January 3, 2017 |
| 115th | January 3, 2017 — January 3, 2019 | ||||
| 63 | 100px Nancy Pelosi | Democratic | California-12[3] | 116th | January 3, 2019 — January 3, 2021 |
| 117th | January 3, 2021 — January 3, 2023 | ||||
| 64 | 100px Kevin McCarthy | Republican | California-32 | 118th | January 7, 2023 — October 3, 2023 |
| 65 | 100px Mike Johnson | Republican | Louisiana-4 | 118th | October 25, 2023 — Present |
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List of living former speakers
| Speaker | Years in office |  Date of birth (and age)
|
|---|---|---|
| 1995–1999 |
17 June 1943 (aged 82) | |
| 1999–2007 |
2 January 1942 (aged 84) | |
| 2011–2015 |
17 November 1949 (aged 76) | |
| 2015–2019 |
29 January 1970 (aged 55) | |
| 2007–2011, 2019–2023 |
26 March 1940 (aged 85) | |
| 2023 |
26 January 1965 (aged 60) |
Speaker Of The United States House Of Representatives Media
- Patrick McHenry, official portrait, 116th Congress (long cropped).jpg
Patrick McHenry acted as speaker pro tempore in October 2023, following the removal of Kevin McCarthy.
- Frederick Muhlenberg.jpg
Frederick Muhlenberg (1789–1791, 1793–1795) was the first speaker.
- Clay-standing.jpg
Henry Clay (1811–1814, 1815–1820, 1823–1825) used his influence as speaker to ensure the passage of measures he favored.
Thomas Brackett Reed (1889–1891, 1895–1899) was one of the most powerful speakers.
- Sam Rayburn.jpg
Sam Rayburn (1940–1947; 1949–1953; and 1955–1961) was the longest serving speaker.
- Dennis Hastert 109th pictorial photo.jpg
Dennis Hastert (1999-2007) was the longest serving Republican speaker.
- 2007SOU Bush Cheney Pelosi.jpg
Nancy Pelosi (first woman elected as U.S. House Speaker) behind President George W. Bush at the 2007 State of the Union Address
- McCarthy Holding Gavel After Speaker Election.jpg
Kevin McCarthy became the first Speaker to be successfully removed from office in October 2023
- President Ronald Reagan and Vice President George H. W. Bush meet with Tip O'Neill.jpg
Speaker Tip O'Neill meeting with President Ronald Reagan and Vice President George H. W. Bush on June 1, 1981.
References
- ↑ 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.