Speaker of the United States House of Representatives

Speaker of the United States House of Representatives
Seal of the speaker of the House
Incumbent
Mike Johnson
since October 25, 2023
United States House of Representatives
Style
  • Mr. Speaker (informal – male)
  • Madam Speaker (informal – female)
  • The Honorable (formal)
StatusPresiding officer
SeatUnited States Capitol, Washington, D.C.
NominatorParty caucus / conference (primarily)
AppointerHouse of Representatives
Term lengthAt the House's pleasure; elected at the beginning of the new Congress by a majority of the representatives-elect, and upon a vacancy during a Congress.
Constituting instrumentConstitution of the United States, article I, § 2, cl. 5
FormationMarch 4, 1789 (1789-03-04)
First holderFrederick Muhlenberg
SuccessionSecond (3 U.S.C. § 19)
Salary$223,500 annually
Websitewww.speaker.gov

    The speaker of the United States House of Representatives, commonly known as the speaker of the House or House speaker, is the presiding officer of the United States House of Representatives, the lower chamber of the United States Congress. The office was established in 1789 by Article I, Section II, of the U.S. Constitution. By custom and House rules, the speaker is the political and parliamentary leader of the House and is simultaneously its presiding officer, de facto leader of the body's majority party, and the institution's administrative head. Speakers also perform various other administrative and procedural functions. Given these many roles and responsibilities, the speaker usually does not personally preside over debatesthat duty is instead delegated to members of the House from the majority partynor regularly participate in floor debates.

    The Constitution does not explicitly require the speaker to be an incumbent member of the House of Representatives, although every speaker thus far has been, and as a member the speaker also represents their district and retains the right to vote. The speaker is second in the United States presidential line of succession, after the vice president and ahead of the president pro tempore of the Senate.

    The 56th and current speaker of the House is Mike Johnson, a Republican from Louisiana.