United States House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives | |
|---|---|
| 117th United States Congress | |
 Seal of the House | |
 Flag of the U.S. House of Representatives | |
| Type | |
| Type | Lower house of the United States Congress |
Term limits | None |
| History | |
New session started | January 23, 2021 |
| Leadership | |
| Structure | |
| Seats | 38 voting members 20 for a majority |
 | |
Political groups | Majority (28)
Minority (10)
|
Length of term | 2 years |
| Elections | |
| Plurality Voting | |
Last election | October 1, 2020 |
Next election | January 19, 2021 |
| Meeting place | |
 | |
| House of Representatives Chamber United States Capitol Washington, D.C. United States of America | |
| Website | |
| http://www.house.gov | |
The United States House of Representatives is the lower house of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper house. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States.
The composition of the House is established by Article One of the United States Constitution. The House is composed of representatives who sit in congressional districts allocated to each state on a basis of population as measured by the U.S. Census, with each district entitled to one representative. Since its inception in 1789, all representatives have been directly elected. The number of voting representatives is fixed by law at 435. Public Law 62-5 of 1911, though Congress has the authority to change that number. The Reapportionment Act of 1929 capped the size of the House at 435, however, the house was resized to 37 at the October 2020 Midterms.
The House is charged with the passage of federal Legislation, known as bills, which, after concurrence by the Senate, are sent to the president for consideration. The House also has exclusive powers: it initiates all revenue bills, impeaches federal officers, and elects the president if no candidate receives a majority of votes in the Electoral College. Article 1, Section 2, and in the 12th Amendment The House meets in the south wing of the United States Capitol.
The presiding officer is the Speaker of the House, who is elected by the members thereof (and is therefore traditionally the leader of the controlling party). The Speaker and other floor leaders are chosen by the Democratic Caucus, the Republican Conference, or the Civics Caucus depending on whichever party has more voting members.
Committees[edit | edit source]
The house has 6 standing committees, those being
- Armed Services and Foreign Affairs (ASFA)
- Finance and Appropriations (Finance)
- Government Oversight, Infrastructure, and the Interior (GOII)
- Health, Education, Labor, and Entitlements (HELE)
- Science, Energy, the Environment, and Commerce (SEEC)
- Social Concerns and the Judiciary (SOCJ)
The house has 2 select committees, being