First Day of a New Congress: A Guide to Proceedings on the House Floor

[brooklynite]

https://sgp.fas.org/crs/misc/RL30725.pdf

Article 1, Section 2 of the Constitution sets a term of office of two years for all Members of the House. One House ends at the conclusion of each two-year Congress, and the newly elected Representatives must constitute a new House at the beginning of the next Congress. Consequently, the House must choose its Speaker and officers and adopt the chamber’s rules of procedure every two years.

The Constitution mandates that Congress convene at noon on January 3, unless the preceding Congress by law designated a different day. Although no officers will have been elected when the House first convenes, officers from the previous Congress perform certain functions, such as conducting the election of the Speaker.

The House follows a well-established first-day routine. The proceedings include—
 a call to order by the Clerk of the House;
 a prayer led by the Chaplain and the Pledge of Allegiance led by the Clerk;
 a quorum call ordered by the Clerk;
 the election of the Speaker, ordered by the Clerk and conducted with the assistance of tellers;
 remarks by the Speaker-elect, followed by his or her swearing-in by the dean of the House;
 the oath of office for the newly elected and re-elected Members, administered by the Speaker;
 adoption of the rules of the House for the new Congress;
 adoption of various administrative resolutions and unanimous consent
agreements; and
 announcement of the Speaker’s policies on certain floor practices.

On opening day, the House often adopts resolutions assigning some or many of its Members to committees. This process regularly continues over several more weeks. The committee assignment process occurs primarily within the party groups—the Republican Conference and the Democratic Caucus. Other routine organizational business may also be taken up on the House floor on the first day, such as adoption of a resolution to allow a judge or a Member of Congress to administer the oath of office to one or more Members-elect who are absent.

Some resolutions on opening day are dependent on specific circumstances and do not occur at the beginning of each new Congress. At the outset of a new Congress following a presidential election, the House and Senate must adopt a resolution agreeing to meet to count the electoral votes cast for President and Vice President.

[electric_blue68]

1. From govinfo.gov

Answer I got re: House functioning w/o a Speaker?

div class="excerpt"]

"Vacancy

The Office of Speaker may be declared vacant by resolution, which
may be offered as a matter of privilege. Manual Sec. 315; 6 Cannon
Sec. 35. Under rule I clause 8(b)(3), adopted in the 108th Congress,
the Speaker is required to deliver to the Clerk a list of Members in
the order in which each shall act as Speaker pro tempore in the case
of a vacancy in the Office of Speaker. The Member acting as Speaker
pro tempore under this provision may exercise such authorities of the
Office of Speaker as may be necessary and appropriate pending the
election of a Speaker or Speaker pro tempore. A vacancy in the Office
may exist by reason of the physical inability of the Speaker to
discharge the duties of the Office."

[Deuxcents]

3. Thanks for this info

[electric_blue68]

4. YW. 👍 I learned, too.

[brooklynite]

5. This rule applies ONCE there is a Speake...

…and once ther Speaker has sworn in the members.

[electric_blue68]

7. Yes, ty. another poster pointed that out to me in a different thread

[Deuxcents]

2. I wonder what Madame Pelosi will think .. wish we could know.

She ran a tight ship n protocol was enforced but this coming session looks like a train wreck..so far

[Vinca]

6. This should be interesting. Wonder what time the festivities begin.