The Constitution Article I, Section 4 originally provided that "The Congress shall assemble at least once in every Year, and such Meeting shall be on the first Monday in December, unless they shall by law appoint a different day.
Up to and including May 20, , 18 acts were passed providing for the meeting of Congress on other days in the year. Subsequently, Philadelphia was the meeting place through the first session of the Sixth Congress and, since then, Congress has convened in Washington, D. The 20th Amendment to the Constitution, proclaimed as ratified February 6, , established noon on the 3rd day of January as the meeting date, unless the Congress by law appoints a different day.
Featured Search Historical Highlights of the House. Learn about Foreign Leader Addresses. The terms special order and special rule are used somewhat interchangeably. It might also alter specific rules of the House only for the consideration of one or more measures identified in the special order, perhaps permitting an action that would otherwise be prohibited.
When the majority party wishes to begin moving quickly in a new Congress on legislation, it might include in the rules resolution special orders making in order the consideration of specified measures or temporarily altering specific rules to allow the consideration of a specified measure.
In the th Congress, Section 5 of H. The special order was a closed rule, meaning that no amendments could be offered. A similar provision in Section 5 of H. This provision also expanded the debate time of 40 minutes under the rule on suspension of the rules to 2 hours. The House agreed to H. On January 9, it considered H. In the th Congress, special orders were included in H. On the day of convening or shortly thereafter, the Speaker customarily announces the Speaker's policies with respect to certain floor practices for the duration of the Congress.
These policies are grounded in authority or discretion granted the Speaker in the rules. The 10 policies in effect for the th Congress address—.
In recent Congresses, the majority leader has initiated a set of written protocols to guide the scheduling or consideration of legislation during a two-year Congress. The protocols cover matters involving the content of authorization bills, the availability of measures scheduled for consideration under the suspension of the rules procedure, and other items.
Both parties' rules also contain guidance on scheduling or considering legislation. For example, both parties' rules contain guidance on legislation qualifying to be considered under the suspension of the rules procedure. These protocols and party rules are not printed in the Congressional Record.
The Speaker, the chair of the Rules Committee, or the chairs of relevant committees might submit memoranda of understanding for printing in the Congressional Record. These memoranda most often provide guidance to the Speaker on the referral of legislation where an ambiguity is present, possibly triggered by a change in rules.
In the th Congress, for example, the Speaker inserted three memoranda of understanding between the chair of the Judiciary Committee and, respectively, the chairs of the Agriculture, Energy and Commerce, and Ways and Means Committees. The Speaker might alternately include a policy statement in the Speaker's announcements for a Congress. The Speaker also appoints Members who may sign enrolled bills and joint resolutions. The House establishes its daily hour of meeting for the first session of the new Congress by a simple resolution.
It must therefore be renewed for the next session of Congress. The House by unanimous consent allows a period preceding House sessions called Morning Hour. In Morning Hour, Members may speak up to five minutes on topics of their choice. To eliminate a routine daily unanimous consent request, the House agrees by unanimous consent at the beginning of a Congress that Members may publish remarks and include supporting information in the Extension of Remarks section of the Congressional Record.
The House adopts a concurrent resolution H. The committee assignment process occurs largely within the party groups—the Republican Conference and the Democratic Caucus. The conference and the caucus have their own rules governing committee assignments. The only action visible on the chamber floor is the adoption of simple resolutions that implement the committee nominations recommended by the conference and the caucus.
The adoption of such resolutions is routine and occurs without debate or amendment because of the tacit understanding that each party has a right to establish its own internal distribution of committee assignments. The House may take up one or more assignment resolutions on opening day, but the consideration of additional assignment resolutions extends throughout January and possibly for several additional weeks.
The House typically in March adopts a funding resolution for its committees. Interim funding through March would have been provided by the House in the preceding Congress. Other routine organizational business may be taken up on the House floor on the first day. Concurrent resolutions may be adopted providing for a joint session of Congress to receive the President's State of the Union message, or providing for an adjournment of the House and Senate.
Some resolutions are dependent on specific circumstances that might not occur in every new Congress. For example, following a presidential election, the new House adopts resolutions providing for the counting by the new Congress of electoral votes cast for the President and Vice President of the United States; 72 continuing the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies; and authorizing the use of the Capitol and its grounds for inaugural activities.
After the House has completed its initial organizational proceedings, it might then turn to legislative 74 or routine business, which normally completes its legislative day. Routine business might include the introduction of bills and resolutions, 75 receipt and referral of messages from the President and executive agencies, 76 receipt of messages from the Senate, 77 one-minute and special-order speeches, 78 and notices and announcements required by House rule or regulation.
Koempel, a former senior specialist in American National Government, made significant contributions to earlier versions of this report. Paige Whitaker out of print but available to congressional clients upon request. For information on the convening of the House, see Charles W.
Johnson, John V. Sullivan, and Thomas J. Wickham Jr. Hereinafter, House Practice. The House concluded the th Congress pursuant to the terms of H. The resolution permitted the chair the Speaker or the Speaker pro tempore to set dates for pro forma sessions through January 3, No law like P. See House Rule II, cl. Wickham, H. Hereinafter, House Rules and Manual.
The House Rules and Manual for the th Congress, containing rules adopted at the convening of the new Congress and updated parliamentarian's notes, is expected to be published in August In the interim, the th Congress rules incorporating changes made in the rules resolution are available as a print, available on the Rules Committee website: U.
Haas, Clerk of the House of Representatives, th Cong. A guest chaplain might also offer this prayer, as occurred in when the Very Reverend Paul Ugo Arinze offered the prayer. Generally, children under 12 years of age may accompany Members on the floor for the opening-day ceremonies.
By law, the term of service of Delegates is also two years, but the term of service of the Resident Commissioner is four years. In the th Congress, the Clerk announced the receipt of a letter from Rep. The Clerk [Karen L. Haas], "Resignation from the House of Representatives," letter, Congressional Record , daily edition, vol. In the th Congress, the Clerk announced the receipt of letters declining to serve in the House from Reps. Jackson has previously resigned from the th Congress November 21, Speaker pro tempore, "Resignation from the House of Representatives," letters, Congressional Record , daily edition, vol.
For background on Rep. Jackson Jr. Jim DeMint. In the th Congress, the Clerk announced receipt of a letter of resignation since the election from Rep. The Clerk [Lorraine C. In the th Congress, the Clerk announced that he had received a letter from Rep. The Clerk [Jeffrey J. At the beginning of the th Congress, the Clerk announced the death of Rep. Robert Matsui of California since the last regular election for Representatives.
Trandahl], "Announcement by the Clerk," Congressional Record , vol. In the th Congress, the Clerk announced the death of Rep. Julian Dixon of California since the last regular election for Representatives. Prior to conducting the election of the Speaker, the retiring Clerk of the House addressed the chamber on opening day in Anderson," address to House, Congressional Record , vol. Although the Speaker has always been a Member of the House, this is not a constitutional requirement.
In the th Congress, 13 individuals 3 of whom were not Representatives-elect in addition to the party nominees received votes for Speaker, with 1 receiving 12 votes, 1 receiving 3 votes, 2 receiving 2 votes, and 9 receiving 1 vote each. In the th Congress, 10 individuals in addition to the party nominees received votes for Speaker, with 1 receiving 3 votes, 2 receiving 2 votes, and 7 receiving 1 vote each; 3 of the other individuals receiving votes were not Representatives-elect.
In the th Congress, 7 other Members-elect received votes for Speaker, with 5 receiving 1 vote each, 1 receiving 2 votes, and 1 receiving 11 votes. All votes cast in the th and th Congresses were for the party nominees.
In the th , th , and th Congresses, there was one other Member-elect in each Congress who received a vote for Speaker. All votes cast in the th Congress were for the party nominees.
At the commencement of the th Congress, 2 former Members and a Member-elect, in addition to the 2 party nominees, received votes; the former Members each received a vote and the Member-elect received 2 votes. Some Representatives also vote present or do not vote in the election of a Speaker. At the commencement of the th Congress, the chair of the Democratic Caucus rose to "a question of the highest constitutional privilege" to offer a resolution calling for the postponement of the election of the Speaker until the completion of a pending investigation.
His resolution proposed the election of an interim Speaker, but was ruled out of order by the Clerk. The appeal of the Clerk's ruling was tabled by vote of the House. See Rep. Vic Fazio, House debate, Congressional Record , vol. Tellers are Members or clerks who count, or record and count, votes cast.
See "Election of Speaker," Congressional Record , daily edition, vol. The Speaker is elected by a majority, not a plurality, of votes cast by Members-elect. Independent Members might vote for the candidate of the party with which they have chosen to caucus. In the th , th , and th Congresses, Rep. In the th Congress, both party nominees for Speaker voted for themselves.
See "Election of Speaker," Congressional Record , vol. In the th Congress Speaker election, Rep. Gordon R. Other early legislation raised revenues by setting duties on imported goods; established the Departments of State, War, and Treasury and a temporary post office department ; created a Federal judiciary; set compensation for government officials; provided for lighthouses; authorized expenses for negotiating with Indian tribes; and reenacted the Northwest Ordinance of At the end of the first session, an attempt to locate a capital-or seat of government-failed.
Serving in Congress in the 18th century was a distinct honor, but also a hardship.
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