The Speaker of the House is the presiding officer of the United States House of Representatives. The Speaker is elected every two years by the Members of the U.S. House of Representatives on the first day of each new Congress. The Speaker has a variety of powers over the House and is simultaneously its presiding officer, de facto leader of the bodys majority party, and the institutions administrative head. The Speaker is responsible for maintaining order, managing proceedings, and governing the administration of the Houses business. Some of the duties of the Speaker of the House include:
- 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 to committees.
- Signing bills and resolutions that pass in the House.
- Ensuring that the House passes legislation supported by the majority party.
- Chairing the majority partys steering committee in the House.
- Overseeing the officers of the House.
- Signing all acts, addresses, joint resolutions, writs, warrants, and subpoenas of the House or issued by order of the House.
- Appointing the Chief Sergeant at Arms or designating that officer from among the Sergeants at Arms elected by the House or appointed by the Committee on Rules and Legislative Administration.
- Preserving order and decorum.
- Controlling the order of all institutional business on the House floor.
- Voting on business as needed as a representative from a district.
The Speaker is also second in line, behind the Vice President, to become President should the President be unable to fulfill his or her duties. While serving as Speaker of the House, the Speaker continues to serve the residents of his or her district and has all of the duties of other Members of the U.S. House of Representatives. Traditionally, unlike other Members, the Speaker does not serve on committees or participate in floor debate.
