Speaker of the United States House of Representatives

The Speaker of the House is the presiding officer of the United States House of Representatives. The office was established in 1789 by Article I, Section 2 of the United States Constitution, which states in part, "The House of Representatives shall choose their Speaker..." The Constitution does not require that the Speaker be an elected House Representative, though every Speaker so far has been an elected Member of the House. The current House Speaker is 2012 Vice presidential nominee and Wisconsin Representative Paul Ryan, the 54th person to hold the office since its creation in 1789.

Speaker of the United States House of Representatives

The Speaker of the House is the presiding officer of the United States House of Representatives. The office was established in 1789 by Article I, Section 2 of the United States Constitution, which states in part, "The House of Representatives shall choose their Speaker..." The Constitution does not require that the Speaker be an elected House Representative, though every Speaker so far has been an elected Member of the House. The current House Speaker is 2012 Vice presidential nominee and Wisconsin Representative Paul Ryan, the 54th person to hold the office since its creation in 1789.