United States House of Representatives | |
---|---|
United States Congress | |
Type | |
Type | Lower house of the United States Congress |
Term limits | None |
Leadership | |
Vacant | |
Vacant | |
Vacant | |
Vacant | |
Vacant | |
Structure | |
Seats | 435 voting members 218 for a majority |
Political groups | Majority (237)
Minority (155)
|
Length of term | 4 days |
Elections | |
Last election | April 13, 2024 |
Next election | April 17, 2024 |
Meeting place | |
House of Representatives Chamber United States Capitol Washington, D.C. United States of America | |
Rules | |
Rules of the House of Representatives |
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 House's composition was 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 having one representative, provided that each state is entitled to at least one. Since its inception in 1789, all representatives have been directly elected. As of 2021, the number of voting representatives is fixed by law at 435. In addition, there are currently four non-voting members, bringing the total membership of the House of Representatives to 441 or fewer with vacancies. Due to how BFTH works the census can sometimes cause the BFTH house numbers to go above or below the fixed amount of representatives allowed. As of the 2010 Census, the largest delegation was that of California, with 52 representatives. Six states have only one representative: Alaska, Delaware, North Dakota, South Dakota, Vermont, and Wyoming.
The House is charged with the passage of federal legislation, known as bills; those of which that are also passed 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.
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. The Speaker and other floor leaders are chosen by the Democratic Caucus or the Republican Conference, depending on whichever party has more voting members.
United States Congress | |
The House of Representatives | |
The Senate | |
List of Congresses |
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