Speaker First Serves On Rules Committee

In 1858, just before the outbreak of the Civil War, the Speaker gained an important power when the House changed its rules to permit him to serve as the chair of the House Rules Committee.

This was a notable change because, until that point, the Speaker had not even served on committees--much less acted as a committee chair. Even more significantly, the Rules Committee was (and remains) one of the most important committees in the House. As its name implies, the Rules Committee is responsible for writing the rules under which the House operates, as well as the terms of debate on particular pieces of legislation. By giving the Speaker the ability to chair this committee, it significantly increased his ability to block legislation that he opposed (and to expedite legislation that she/he favored). This was a major expansion of power for the Speaker.