House of Representatives

A house is a building that serves as the residence of a family or group. The term is also used for a group of people who share living accommodations, such as an apartment complex or dormitory. Houses may be built from a variety of materials, including wood, brick, masonry, concrete, steel, and other modern construction techniques. In addition to serving as dwellings, houses may be used for commercial or recreational purposes. The size of a house can vary significantly, with buildings that serve as private homes being smaller than those that are intended for use by large groups, such as apartments or hotels.

The word House can also refer to a place of worship or a person’s primary home. The word can also be used as an adjective, describing something that is familiar or comfortable. A person’s home can be their childhood place of residence, their spouse’s home, or the house they own now. It can even refer to a temporary dwelling, such as a tent or a boat.

House is a term for the lower chamber of most legislative assemblies. The United States Congress is one such legislature, and its House of Representatives consists of 435 voting members. The Constitution sets the number of representatives, and Congress has regularly increased it in order to seat new states or to accommodate population growth. House elections are held in every even-numbered year.

Many of the House’s functions are performed by twenty standing committees, each of which has jurisdiction over a specific set of issues. The committees review and amend bills, oversee the executive branch of government, and investigate matters that come to their attention. They have wide-ranging powers, and their decisions can block legislation from the floor of the House.

The House of Representatives is led by a speaker, who is chosen annually by the members of the House. The speaker is second in line to the presidency after the vice president, and they have significant powers within the House. The presiding officer controls the order in which members speak, and they can rule on a point of order raised by a member (an objection that a specific rule has been broken).

Other important officers include the clerk of the House, who maintains public records and prepares documents. The clerk is assisted by a staff, and the House has also employed junior officials (known as pages until their discontinuance in 2011). The chaplain leads the House in prayer at the start of each day’s session, and the sergeant at arms is responsible for routine law enforcement on the House premises. The House also has an elected treasury secretary, a chief administrative officer, and an assistant speaker for foreign affairs.