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House of Representatives
The House of Representatives is the lower house within the US Congress and has the following characteristics:
435 voting members representing districts
One member per congressional district
Members serve two year legislative terms
Elections occur every even year
Members elected by a plurality in most states (also known as first past the post)
Louisiana, Washington and California employ a two-round runoff voting system
The presiding officer is the Speaker of the House - currently Republican Paul Ryan
Republicans currently control the house with a majority of 238 members
The primary role of the House of Representatives is to pass legislation alongside the Senate. Moreover, the House has the power to initiate all revenue bills as well as bills of impeachment of federal officers. The House also has the power to elect the President of the United States in the event that no candidate receives an electoral college majority.