History of United States House of Representatives in Timeline
The United States House of Representatives is the lower chamber of the U.S. Congress, working alongside the Senate to create federal laws. Both houses must approve a bill before it is sent to the President to be signed into law or vetoed. The House possesses unique powers, including the ability to introduce revenue-related legislation, impeach federal officials, and choose the President if the Electoral College fails to produce a majority winner. Its powers are defined under Article One of the U.S. Constitution.
1903: Joseph Gurney Cannon's Speakership Begins
In 1903, Joseph Gurney Cannon, a Republican, began his term as Speaker of the House, during which the speakership reached its zenith.
1910: Committee chairmanship determined by seniority
From 1910 to 1975, committee and subcommittee chairmanship in the House was determined purely by seniority.
1910: Committee chairs were powerful
From 1910 to the 1970s, committee chairs in the House of Representatives were powerful.
1910: "Revolution of 1910" Curtailed Speaker's Powers
In 1910, Democrats and dissatisfied Republicans enacted reforms, known as the "Revolution of 1910", which curtailed the powers of Speaker Cannon, including his chairmanship of the Rules Committee and ability to appoint members of other House committees.
1911: End of Cannon's Speakership
In 1911, Joseph Gurney Cannon's term as Speaker of the House came to an end. During his term from 1903 to 1911, the powers of the speakership were at their zenith.
1911: House Members Fixed at 435
In 1911, the number of voting House members was fixed at 435.
1911: Apportionment Act of 1911
The Apportionment Act of 1911 led to the establishment of 435 representatives, which has remained the standard since 1913.
1929: Reapportionment Act of 1929
The Reapportionment Act of 1929 officially capped the number of voting members in the House of Representatives at 435.
1933: Democratic Party Domination Begins
In 1933, the Democratic Party began its period of dominance in the House of Representatives during Franklin D. Roosevelt's administration.
1938: Largest shift of political power between the parties since 1938 elections.
Republicans regained control of the House of Representatives in 2010 elections with the largest shift of political power between the parties since the 1938 elections.
1945: End of Roosevelt Administration
In 1945, the Franklin D. Roosevelt administration came to an end, marking the end of the period when the Democratic Party dominated the House of Representatives, often winning over two-thirds of the seats.
1947: Presidential Succession Act
In 1947, the Presidential Succession Act was enacted, placing the Speaker of the House second in the line of presidential succession, after the Vice President.
1955: Democrats Maintain Control of the House
From 1955, the Democratic Party maintained control of the House of Representatives.
1960: 1960 Census Led to Reapportionment
The reapportionment following the 1960 United States census led to the number of representatives returning to 435 in 1963.
1963: Number Returns to 435
In 1963, the number of representatives returned to 435 after the reapportionment based on the 1960 census.
1965: Voting Rights Act of 1965
Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 prohibits redistricting plans that are intended to, or have the effect of, discriminating against racial or language minority voters.
1967: Uniform Congressional District Act Passed
In 1967, Congress passed the Uniform Congressional District Act, mandating that all representatives be elected from single-member districts. The act was motivated by fears of at-large plurality districts and the desire to prevent vote dilution of racial minorities in southern states.
1967: Multi-member Districts
In 1967, only two states (Hawaii and New Mexico) used multi-member districts.
1967: Adoption of the Twenty-fifth Amendment
In 1967, the Twenty-fifth Amendment was adopted, requiring both House and Senate confirmation to fill a vacancy in the office of the Vice President.
1974: Democrats' Best Midterm Performance Since 1974
The 2018 elections became the best midterm performance for the Democrats since 1974, when they retook control of the House.
1975: Rules changed to permit party caucuses to elect chairs
In 1975, the rules of the House were changed to permit party caucuses to elect committee chairs, shifting power to party leaders.
March 1979: House sittings broadcast on C-SPAN
Since March 1979, sittings of the House of Representatives have been broadcast live on television via C-SPAN.
1980: Michael Myers Expelled
In 1980, Democrat Michael Myers of Pennsylvania was expelled from the House of Representatives after his criminal conviction for accepting bribes.
1984: Davis v. Bandemer Case
In 1984, in the case of Davis v. Bandemer, the Supreme Court held that districts gerrymandered for partisan ends could be struck down based on the Equal Protection Clause, but the Court did not articulate a standard for impermissible partisan gerrymandering.
1989: Wright's Resignation
In 1989, Speaker of the House Wright resigned following an ethics complaint brought by Gingrich.
1994: Republican Revolution
After the Republican Revolution of 1994, Gingrich became the Speaker of the House, succeeding Democrat Tom Foley.
1994: Creation of the Chief Administrative Officer position
Following the 1994 midterm elections, the 104th Congress created the position of Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) for the House of Representatives, replacing the positions of doorkeeper and director of non-legislative and financial services. The CAO assumed responsibilities of the House Information Services.
1995: Term limits set for committee chairs
In 1995, Republicans under Newt Gingrich set a limit of three two-year terms for committee chairs in the House.
1995: End of Democratic Control of the House
In 1995, the Democratic Party lost control of the House of Representatives, ending a period of dominance that had lasted since 1955.
1996: Balanced Budget Agreement
In 1996, President Bill Clinton and the Gingrich-led House agreed on the first balanced federal budget in decades, along with a substantial tax cut, after Republicans maintained control in the 1996 election.
1998: Bill Clinton impeached
In 1998, U.S. President Bill Clinton was impeached by the House of Representatives; the trial ended in acquittal.
2003: 2003 Texas Redistricting
In 2003, Texas redistricted at a time other than after the census.
2003: Prescription drug benefit vote
In 2003, the vote on the prescription drug benefit in the House of Representatives was open for three hours, from 3:00 to 6:00 a.m., to receive additional votes needed to pass the legislation.
2004: Vieth v. Jubelirer Ruling
In 2004, the Court ruled in Vieth v. Jubelirer that due to the lack of standards for adjudicating claims of partisan gerrymandering, such claims were nonjusticiable, effectively overruling Davis.
October 2005: Extended vote on refinery construction facilitation
In October 2005, a vote on facilitating refinery construction was kept open for forty minutes in the House of Representatives.
2006: Democrats regain control of the House
In the 2006 elections, the Democrats won control of the House of Representatives, and Nancy Pelosi was elected as the first female speaker.
2009: Employee salary capped at $168,411
In 2009, the salary for each of the House members' employees was capped at $168,411.
2010: Republicans regained control of the House of Representatives
In 2010, Republicans regained control of the House of Representatives with the largest shift of political power between the parties since the 1938 elections.
2010: Personnel allowance set at $944,671 per member
In 2010, the personnel allowance for each member of the House of Representatives was $944,671. Each member was allowed to employ no more than 18 permanent employees.
2011: Limitations on Delegate Voting
Before 2011, non-voting delegates were allowed to vote in committees and the Committee of the Whole when their votes would not be decisive. The District of Columbia and the territories of Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and the U.S. Virgin Islands are each represented by one non-voting delegate.
2011: Discontinuation of the page program
In 2011, the House of Representatives discontinued the page program, which had been overseen by the clerk.
2011: MRA allowance averages $1.4 million
In 2011, the MRA (Members' Representational Allowance) averaged $1.4 million per member, with a range from $1.35 to $1.67 million. This allowance, calculated using three components, can be used to fund any expense, including personnel expenses.
January 2012: Travel allowance rate ranges from $0.41 to $1.32 per mile
In January 2012, members of the House of Representatives were allowed a sum for travel calculated using a formula based on mileage between Washington, D.C., and the furthest point in their district. The rate ranged from $0.41 to $1.32 per mile based on distance.
January 1, 2014: ACA Impact on Health Plans
Effective January 1, 2014, Section 1312(d)(3)(D) of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) altered the health plans available to members of Congress and certain congressional staff, limiting them to those created under the ACA or offered through a health care exchange.
December 2014: Annual Salary Set
Since December 2014, the annual salary of each representative is $174,000, with the Speaker of the House earning $223,500 and party leaders earning $193,400.
2014: Members of Congress and their staff Health Benefits Access
Before 2014, members of Congress and their staff had access to essentially the same health benefits as federal civil servants; they could voluntarily enroll in the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP), an employer-sponsored health insurance program, and were eligible to participate in other programs, such as the Federal Flexible Spending Account Program (FSAFEDS).
2015: Genuinely Contested Electoral Process
In 2015, it was calculated that about 40 seats (about 9% of the total) were chosen through a genuinely contested electoral process, fewer than how many would be without partisan gerrymandering.
2018: Democrats Retake the House
In the 2018 elections, Democrats retook control of the House of Representatives, marking their best midterm performance since 1974.
2019: Donald Trump impeached
In 2019, U.S. President Donald Trump was impeached by the House of Representatives; the trial ended in acquittal.
2019: Rucho v. Common Cause Ruling
In 2019, the Supreme Court held in Rucho v. Common Cause that partisan gerrymandering claims are per se nonjusticiable and present political questions rather than legal ones.
2020: California has largest delegation
As of the 2020 census, California had the largest delegation in the House of Representatives with 52 representatives. Six states have only one representative apiece: Alaska, Delaware, North Dakota, South Dakota, Vermont, and Wyoming.
2020: Average District Size After 2020 Census
As of the reapportionment based on the 2020 United States census, each district represents an average of 761,169 people.
November 2021: Members Censured
As of November 2021, 24 members have been censured by the House of Representatives.
2021: Donald Trump impeached again
In 2021, U.S. President Donald Trump was impeached for a second time by the House of Representatives; the trial ended in acquittal.
2022: State Level Election Systems
As of 2022, election systems for the House are set at the state level. First-past-the-post or plurality voting is used in 46 states, ranked-choice or instant-runoff voting is in two states, and two-round systems are in two states.
2022: Republicans Retook Control of the House
In the 2022 elections, Republicans took back control of the House, winning a slim majority.
2023: Average Age of US House of Representatives
As of 2023, the average age of members of the US House of Representatives is 58, which is older than comparable chambers in the other G7 nations.
2023: George Santos Expelled
In 2023, Republican George Santos was expelled from the House after being implicated in fraud by a federal indictment and a House Ethics Committee investigation.
November 2024: Restroom Restrictions Announced in the House
In November 2024, following the election of transgender representative Sarah McBride, House speaker Mike Johnson announced that restrooms in the House would be restricted based on "biological sex", prompting criticism as transphobic bullying. McBride announced she would comply with the rule.
April 22, 2026: Balance of power as of April 22, 2026
Balance of power as of April 22, 2026 in United States House of Representatives.
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