Why is the position of Speaker of the House so important?
Why is the position of Speaker of the House so important?
The Speaker of the House is responsible for 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 …
Is the Speaker of the House the most powerful?
As presiding officer of the House of Representatives, the speaker holds a variety of powers over the House and is ceremonially the highest-ranking legislative official in the US government.
How long is the term of the Speaker of the House?
The House elects a new speaker by roll call vote when it first convenes after a general election for its two-year term, or when a speaker dies, resigns or is removed from the position intra-term.
What is the term limit for a member of Congress?
Senate Joint Resolution 21, if approved by two-thirds of the Members of both the Senate and the House of Representatives, and if ratified by three-fourths of the States, will limit Senators to two terms and Members of the House of Representatives to six terms.
Who held the House and Senate under Obama?
The apportionment of seats in the House was based on the 2000 U.S. Census. In the November 2008 elections, the Democratic Party increased its majorities in both chambers, giving President Obama a Democratic majority in the legislature for the first two years of his presidency.
Who was the Senate majority leader under Obama?
President Obama met Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and House Speaker John Boehner in the days preceding the deadline but was unable to come to an agreement to pass a budget.
Who controlled the Senate in 2008?
Going into these elections, the Senate consisted of 49 Democrats, 49 Republicans, and two Independents who caucused with the Democrats, giving the Democratic caucus the slightest 51–49 majority. Of the seats up for election in 2008, 23 were held by Republicans and 12 by Democrats.
Has any party ever had a supermajority in the Senate?
It was the first time either party held a filibuster-proof 60% super majority in both the Senate and House chambers since the 89th United States Congress in 1965, and last time until the 111th United States Congress in 2009. …
Who controlled the Senate in 2012?
Senate elections The Democrats ended up retaining majority control of the Senate, picking up two net seats. One of the Democratic winners was Wisconsin’s Tammy Baldwin, who became the first openly LGBT member of the US Senate.
Who controlled Senate in 2016?
2016 United States Senate elections
| Leader | Mitch McConnell | Harry Reid (retired) |
| Party | Republican | Democratic |
| Leader’s seat | Kentucky | Nevada |
| Seats before | 54 | 44 |
| Seats after | 52 | 46 |
Who had the House in 2012?
2012 United States House of Representatives elections
| Leader | John Boehner | Nancy Pelosi |
| Party | Republican | Democratic |
| Leader since | January 3, 2007 | January 3, 2003 |
| Leader’s seat | Ohio 8th | California 12th |
| Last election | 242 seats, 51.7% | 193 seats, 44.9% |
Who controlled the US Senate in 2010?
2010 United States Senate elections
| Leader | Harry Reid | Mitch McConnell |
| Party | Democratic | Republican |
| Leader’s seat | Nevada | Kentucky |
| Seats before | 57 | 41 |
| Seats after | 51 | 47 |
Who controlled the House and Senate in 2009?
Democrats controlled the 111th Congress (2009–2011) with majorities in both houses of Congress alongside the country’s first African-American president, Democrat Barack Obama.
Who controlled the Senate in 2014?
The 2014 elections gave the Republicans control of the Senate and the House for the first time since the 109th Congress. With 248 seats in the House of Representatives and 54 seats in the Senate, this Congress began with the largest Republican majority since the 71st Congress of 1929–1931.
Who controlled the Senate in 2013?
It first met in Washington, D.C. on January 3, 2013, and it ended on January 3, 2015. Senators elected to regular terms in 2008 were in the last two years of those terms during this Congress. The Senate had a Democratic majority, while the House had a Republican majority.