| Reading Clerks of the United States House of Representatives | |
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| United States House of Representatives Office of Legislative Operations | |
| Inaugural holder | Edward W. Barber (Democratic) William K. Mehaffey (Republican) |
The reading clerk of the United States House of Representatives reads bills, motions, and other papers before the House and keeps track of changes to legislation made on the floor. During the vote for Speaker at the beginning of each Congress, or when the electronic voting system fails, the clerk calls the roll of members for a recorded vote.
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Traditionally, the reading clerks are appointed by the leaders of the majority and minority parties. For instance, Paul Hays was appointed by the then-Minority Leader Robert H. Michel, 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 U.S. House of Representatives.
| Reading Clerk | Term |
|---|---|
| Edward W. Barber | 1863–1869 |
| Charles N. Clisbee | 1869–1875 1881–1883 |
| T. O. Walker | 1883–1885 |
| Thomas S. Pettit | 1875–1881 1885–1889 1893–1895 |
| John A. Reeve | 1889–1893 |
| E. L. Lampson | 1895–1911 |
| Patrick Joseph Haltigan | 1911–1937 |
| Roger M. Calloway | 1937–1943 |
| George J. Maurer | 1943–1965 |
| Charles W. Hackney Jr. | 1965–1981 |
| Meg Goetz | 1981–1998 |
| Mary Kevin Niland | 1998–2008 |
| Jaime Zapata | 2008–2009 |
| Joe Novotny[1] | 2010–2021 |
| Tylease Alli[2] | 2021–present |
| Reading Clerk | Term |
|---|---|
| William K. Mehaffey | 1867–1875 |
| Neill S. Brown Jr. | 1875–1889 1893–1895 |
| Azro J. Maxham | 1889–1891 |
| James C. Broadwell | 1891–1893 |
| R. S. Hatcher | 1895–1897 |
| Dennis E. Alward | 1897–1913 |
| H. Martin Williams | 1913–1919 |
| Alney E. Chaffee | 1919–1957 |
| Joe Bartlett | 1957–1978 |
| Bob Berry | 1978–1987 |
| Paul Hays | 1988–2007 |
| Susan Cole[3] | 2007–present |
