Editing Speaker of the United States House of Representatives (section)

== Other functions ==
[[File:OFFICE OF THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE, WASHINGTON D.C..jpg|thumb|upright=.90|Speaker's office in the [[U.S. Capitol]], during the term of [[Dennis Hastert]] (1999–2007)]]
In addition to being the political and parliamentary leader of the House of Representatives and representing their congressional district, the speaker also performs various other administrative and procedural functions, such as:
* Oversees the officers of the House: the [[Clerk of the United States House of Representatives|clerk]], the [[Sergeant-at-Arms of the United States House of Representatives|sergeant-at-arms]], the [[Chief Administrative Officer of the United States House of Representatives|chief administrative officer]], and the [[Chaplain of the United States House of Representatives|chaplain]];
* Serves as the chairperson of the [[House Office Building Commission]];<ref name=RL97-780>{{cite web| last=Heitshusen| first=Valerie| url=https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/RL/97-780| title=The Speaker of the House: House Officer, Party Leader, and Representative| work=CRS Report for Congress RL97-780| publisher=[[Congressional Research Service]], [[Library of Congress]]| location=Washington, D.C.| date=May 16, 2017| access-date=January 22, 2019| archive-date=January 14, 2021| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210114194706/https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/RL/97-780| url-status=live}}</ref>
* Appoints the House's [[Parliamentarian of the United States House of Representatives|parliamentarian]],<ref>{{cite web| title=Parliamentarians of the House| url=https://history.house.gov/People/Office/Parliamentarians/| website=history.house.gov| publisher=United States House of Representatives| access-date=January 22, 2019| archive-date=January 14, 2021| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210114194656/https://history.house.gov/People/Office/Parliamentarians/| url-status=live}}</ref> [[Historian of the United States House of Representatives|historian]], general counsel, and inspector general;<ref>{{cite web| last=Forte| first=David F.| title=Essays on Article I: Speaker of the House| url=https://www.heritage.org/constitution/#!/articles/1/essays/10/speaker-of-the-house| work=The Heritage Guide to The Constitution| publisher=The Heritage Foundation| access-date=January 22, 2019| archive-date=August 22, 2020| archive-url=https://archive.today/20200822232208/https://www.heritage.org/constitution/%23!/amendments/8/essays/161/cruel-and-unusual-punishment#!/articles/1/essays/10/speaker-of-the-house| url-status=live}}</ref>
* Administers the House audio and video broadcasting system;
*In consultation with the minority leader, can devise a system of drug testing in the House.<ref name="RL97-780" /> This option has never been exercised;<ref>{{Cite web|title=Will members of Congress ever drug-test themselves? They've certainly tried|url=https://www.rollcall.com/2019/02/22/will-members-of-congress-ever-drug-test-themselves-theyve-certainly-tried/|access-date=November 15, 2020|website=Roll Call|date=February 22, 2019|language=en|archive-date=November 16, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201116104807/https://www.rollcall.com/2019/02/22/will-members-of-congress-ever-drug-test-themselves-theyve-certainly-tried/|url-status=live}}</ref>
* Receives reports or other communications from the president, government agencies, boards, and commissions;<ref name=RL97-780/> and
* Receives, along with the [[President pro tempore of the United States Senate|president ''pro tempore'' of the Senate]], written declarations that a U.S. president is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office, or is able to resume them, under Sections 3 and 4 of the [[Twenty-fifth Amendment]].<ref>{{cite web| last=Neale| first=Thomas H.| title=Presidential Disability Under the Twenty-Fifth Amendment: Constitutional Provisions and Perspectives for Congress| work=CRS Report for Congress R45394| publisher=[[Congressional Research Service]], the [[Library of Congress]]| location=Washington, D.C.| date=November 5, 2018| url=https://fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R45394.pdf| access-date=January 22, 2019| archive-date=November 8, 2018| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181108153228/https://fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R45394.pdf| url-status=live}}</ref>

Additionally, the speaker is second in the [[United States presidential line of succession|presidential line of succession]] under the [[Presidential Succession Act]] of 1947, immediately after the vice president and before the president ''pro tempore'' of the Senate (who is followed by members of the president's [[Cabinet of the United States|Cabinet]]). Thus, if both the presidency and vice-presidency were vacant simultaneously, then the speaker would become [[Acting president of the United States|acting president]], after resigning from the House and as speaker.<ref name=Neale2005CRS>{{cite web| last=Neale| first=Thomas H.| url=https://fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/RL32969.pdf| title=Presidential Succession: An Overview with Analysis of Legislation Proposed in the 109th Congress| work=CRS Report for Congress RL32969| pages=4–6| publisher=[[Congressional Research Service]], the [[Library of Congress]]| location=Washington, D.C.| date=June 29, 2005| access-date=January 22, 2019| archive-date=January 14, 2021| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210114194624/https://fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/RL32969.pdf| url-status=live}}</ref>

Ratification of the Twenty-fifth Amendment in 1967, with its mechanism for filling an intra-term vice-presidential vacancy, has made calling on the speaker, president ''pro tempore'', or a cabinet member to serve as acting president unlikely to happen, except in the aftermath of a catastrophic event.<ref name=Neale2005CRS/> However, only a few years after it went into effect, in 1973, at the height of [[Watergate]], Vice President [[Spiro Agnew]] resigned. With Agnew's unexpected departure and the state of [[Richard Nixon]]'s presidency, Speaker [[Carl Albert]] was suddenly first in line to become acting president. The vacancy continued until [[Gerald Ford]] was sworn in as vice president.<ref>{{cite news| title=Speaker Albert Was Ready to Be President| last=Gup| first=Ted| date=November 28, 1982| url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1982/11/28/speaker-albert-was-ready-to-be-president/84ebaa61-9cf1-4817-836e-a993e7e0e980/| newspaper=The Washington Post| access-date=January 22, 2019| archive-date=January 14, 2021| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210114194754/https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1982/11/28/speaker-albert-was-ready-to-be-president/84ebaa61-9cf1-4817-836e-a993e7e0e980/| url-status=live}}</ref> Albert was also next in line from the time Ford assumed the presidency following [[Richard Nixon's resignation speech|Nixon's resignation from office]] in 1974, until Ford's choice to succeed him as vice president, [[Nelson Rockefeller]], was confirmed by Congress.<ref name=Neale2005CRS/>