From the Congressional Glossary – Including Legislative and Budget Terms
Clerk of the House
Chief administrative officer of the House of Representatives, responsible principally for administrative support of the legislative process in the House. Selected by the House per the Constitution, Article I. Section 2. Duties correspond to those of the Secretary of the Senate.
In addition to the duties involved in organizing the House and presiding over its activities at the commencement of each Congress, the Clerk is charged with a number of legislative functions; some of these, such as the constitutional requirement of maintaining the House Journal (Article I. Section 5.), have been in existence from the time of the first Congress, whereas others have been added over the years because of changes in procedure and organization.
Along with the other House officers, the Clerk is elected every 2 years when the House organizes for a new Congress. The majority and minority caucuses nominate candidates for the House officer positions after the election of the Speaker. The full House adopts a resolution to elect the officers, who will begin serving the House Membership after they have taken the oath of office.
House clerk reads rules ahead of impeachment House vote | Trump’s first impeachment
Also see: Secretary of the Senate (CongressionalGlossary.com); § 4.110, Administrative Offices of the House, in Congressional Deskbook.
More
- Clerk of the House – web site
- “Clerk of the House: Legislative and Administrative Duties,” CRS Report 98-761 (3-page PDF
) - “House Administrative Officers and Officials98-401 (4-page PDF)
- “Lobbying Registration and Disclosure: The Role of the Clerk of the House and the Secretary of the Senate,” CRS Report RL34377 (17-page PDF)
- “Enrollment of Legislation: Relevant Congressional Procedures,” CRS Report RL34480 (10-page PDF)
- Clerk of the United States House of Representatives – Wikipedia
Courses
- Congressional Operations Briefing – Capitol Hill Workshop
- Drafting Federal Legislation and Amendments
- Writing for Government and Business: Critical Thinking and Writing
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Publications
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Citizen’s Handbook to Influencing Elected Officials: A Guide for Citizen Lobbyists and Grassroots Advocates
Congressional Procedure
CongressionalGlossary.com, from TheCapitol.Net
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