The reading clerk of the United States House of Representatives reads bills, motions, and other papers before the

House A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air c ...

and keeps track of changes to legislation made on the floor. During the vote for

Speaker Speaker most commonly refers to: * Speaker, a person who produces speech * Loudspeaker, a device that produces sound ** Computer speakers Speaker, Speakers, or The Speaker may also refer to: Arts and entertainment * "Speaker" (song), by David ...

at the beginning of each

Congress A congress is a formal meeting of the representatives of different countries, constituent states, organizations, trade unions, political parties, or other groups. The term originated in Late Middle English to denote an encounter (meeting of ...

, or when the electronic voting system fails, the clerk calls the roll of members for a recorded vote.Traditionally, the reading clerks are appointed by the leaders of the majority and minority parties. For instance,

Paul Hays Paul Hays is an American government official who served as the Reading Clerk of the United States House of Representatives from 1988 to 2007. The reading clerk reads bills, motions, and other papers before the House and keeps track of changes to ...

was appointed by the then-Minority Leader

Robert H. Michel Robert Henry Michel (; March 2, 1923 – February 17, 2017) was an American Republican Party politician who was a member of the United States House of Representatives for 38 years. He represented central Illinois' 18th congressional distric ...

, for the Republican party. Beyond this procedure for appointment, the party status has no significance. Reading clerks work for the Office of Legislative Operations, one of nine offices that fall under the jurisdiction of the

clerk of the United States House of Representatives The clerk of the United States House of Representatives is an officer of the United States House of Representatives, whose primary duty is to act as the chief record-keeper for the House. Along with the other House officers, the clerk is elect ...

List of reading clerks

Democratic

Republican

References

External links

Brief snippet about the role on the House's official site

Brief biography from Edward W. Barber. Use at later date to add information. Gives clarification about length of his tenure.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Reading Clerk Of The United States House Of Representatives Employees of the United States House of Representatives