Speaker of the United States House of Representatives

In the United States, the Speaker of the House of Representatives is the presiding officer of the lower house of Congress, the House of Representatives. The current Speaker is Dennis Hastert, a Republican Congressman from Illinois, who has held office since January 6, 1999.

Related Topics:
United States - Congress - House of Representatives - Dennis Hastert - Republican - Illinois - January 6 - 1999

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The office of Speaker was established by the Constitution of the United States, which came into effect in 1789. The Speaker is elected by the House of Representatives, and is its highest officer. Although it is not a Constitutional requirement, as a practical matter the Speaker always belongs to the majority party, and is its leader, outranking even the Majority Leader. The Speaker does not normally personally preside over debates, instead delegating the duty to other members of Congress. Aside from duties relating to heading the House and his or her political party, the Speaker also performs administrative and procedural functions, and remains a representative of his or her congressional district.

Related Topics:
Constitution of the United States - 1789 - Majority Leader

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The Speaker's counterparts in the Senate are the Vice President of the United States (who under the Constitution is President of the Senate) and the President pro tempore of the Senate.

Related Topics:
Vice President of the United States - President ''pro tempore'' of the Senate

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