The 119th Congress is set to commence at noon ET on Friday as per the Constitution. The first crucial task for the House of Representatives is to elect the Speaker of the House, a key Constitutional officer in the legislative branch of the government.
It is important to note that only the House has the authority to vote for the Speaker, and until this selection is made, no other business can be conducted. The House cannot even swear-in its Members until the Speaker is elected and sworn-in. Once the Speaker takes the oath, they then proceed to swear-in the remaining members collectively. Following this, the House must establish a rules package that will govern its day-to-day operations.
Only after the rules package is adopted can the House move forward with its legislative duties, such as debating bills, voting on proposed legislation, and forming committees for hearings.
In the event that the House fails to elect a Speaker on the initial ballot, the process will continue to a second ballot and subsequent rounds until a Speaker is chosen.
These procedural steps are essential in ensuring the smooth functioning of the House of Representatives and laying the groundwork for the legislative work that lies ahead in the 119th Congress.
