Sergeant at Arms of the United States House of Representatives

The sergeant at arms of the United States House of Representatives is an officer of the House with law enforcement, protocol, and administrative responsibilities. The sergeant at arms is elected at the beginning of each Congress by the membership of the House.

Sergeant at Arms of the U.S. House of Representatives
Seal of the House of Representatives
Incumbent
William McFarland[1]
since January 7, 2023
NominatorSpeaker of the House
AppointerElected by the House
Term lengthTwo years
Inaugural holderJoseph Wheaton
Websitewww.house.gov/the-house-explained/officers-and-organizations/sergeant-at-arms

Duties

In one of its first resolutions, the 1st United States Congress (April 14, 1789) established the role of Sergeant at Arms of the United States House of Representatives.

Security

As the chief law enforcement officer of the House, the sergeant at arms is responsible for security in the House wing of the United States Capitol, the House office buildings, and on adjacent grounds. Under the direction of the speaker of the House or other presiding officer, the sergeant at arms plays an integral role in maintaining order and decorum in the House chamber.

The sergeant at arms is also responsible for ensuring the safety and security of members of Congress, the congressional staff, visiting dignitaries, and tourists. Toward this end, the sergeant at arms works in concert with the Senate sergeant at arms and the Architect of the Capitol. These three officials, along with the chief of the Capitol Police ex officio, comprise the Capitol Police Board.

In 2015, at a House committee hearing chaired by Candice Miller, then House Sergeant at Arms Paul D. Irving said that he gave considerable time to ensuring House members' safety and their staff, and visitors to the House, including threat and intelligence monitoring and analysis by reviewing threats and intelligence directed to House members. He said that he monitored events at the Capitol complex, such as demonstration activity, committee hearings, head of state visits, and major events taking place on the complex. He said that on a daily basis, he dealt with the Senate sergeant at arms about security for the Capitol complex.[2]

Protocol and ceremony

Sergeant at Arms Wilson "Bill" Livingood announces President Barack Obama at the 2011 State of the Union.

Through custom and precedent, the sergeant at arms performs a number of protocol and ceremonial duties. These duties include leading formal processions at ceremonies such as presidential inaugurations, joint sessions of Congress (such as the State of the Union address, prior to 2007), formal addresses to the Congress, greeting and escorting visiting foreign dignitaries, conveying articles of impeachment from the House to the Senate, and to supervise congressional funeral arrangements. In this capacity, the sergeant at arms is most famous for announcing the arrival of the president, a responsibility that he took over from the doorkeeper of the United States House of Representatives when the latter position was abolished in 1995. Custom dictates that he announce the arrival of the Supreme Court, the president's cabinet, and finally the president by proclaiming, "Mister (or Madam) Speaker, the President of the United States!"

Unruliness

For daily sessions of the House, the sergeant at arms carries the silver and ebony mace of the United States House of Representatives in front of the speaker in procession to the rostrum. When the House is in session, the mace stands on a pedestal to the speaker's own right. When the body resolves itself into a Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union, the sergeant at arms moves the mace to a lowered position, more or less out of sight. In accordance with the Rules of the House, on the rare occasions when a member becomes unruly, the sergeant at arms, on order of the speaker, lifts the mace from its pedestal and presents it before the offenders, thereby restoring order.

Other

The sergeant at arms also performs administrative services in support of the members, staff, and visitors associated with the security and other operations of the House.

If a quorum is not present, those representatives who are present may vote to order the sergeant at arms to try to round up absent representatives.

In addition to serving on the Capitol Police Board, the sergeant at arms served with the Senate sergeant at arms and the Architect of the Capitol on the Capitol Guide Board. This board oversaw the Capitol Guide Service, which provided tours of the Capitol to visitors and special services to tourists.

Deputy sergeants at arms

The deputy sergeants at arms act as assistants to the sergeant at arms. The sergeant at arms has the duty of making the important decisions under his/her power, while the deputy sergeant at arms often executes the decisions. The deputy sergeant at arms that served under Paul Irving was Timothy Blodgett.

List of sergeants at arms

No.ImageSergeant at ArmsState or territoryTerm of serviceCongress
1Joseph WheatonRhode IslandMay 12, 1789 – October 27, 18071st9th
2Thomas DunnMarylandOctober 27, 1807 – December 5, 182410th18th
3John O. DunnDistrict of ColumbiaDecember 6, 1824 – December 3, 183318th22nd
4Thomas Beverly RandolphVirginiaDecember 3, 1833 – December 15, 183523rd24th
5Roderick DorseyMarylandDecember 15, 1835 – June 8, 184124th27th
6Eleazor M. TownsendConnecticutJune 8, 1841 – December 7, 184327th28th
7Newton LaneKentuckyDecember 7, 1843 – December 8, 184728th30th
8Nathan SargentVermontDecember 8, 1847 – January 15, 185030th31st
9Adam J. GlossbrennerPennsylvaniaJanuary 15, 1850 – February 3, 186031st36th
10Henry William HoffmanMarylandFebruary 3, 1860 – July 5, 186136th37th
11Edward BallOhioJuly 5, 1861 – December 8, 186337th38th
12Nehemiah G. OrdwayNew HampshireDecember 8, 1863 – December 6, 187538th43rd
13John G. ThompsonOhioDecember 6, 1875 – December 5, 188144th46th
14George W. HookerVermontDecember 5, 1881 – December 4, 188347th
15John P. LeedomOhioDecember 4, 1883 – December 2, 188948th50th
16Adoniram J. HolmesIowaDecember 2, 1889 – December 8, 189151st
17Samuel S. YoderOhioDecember 8, 1891 – August 7, 189352nd
18Herman W. SnowIllinoisAugust 7, 1893 – December 2, 189553rd
19Benjamin F. RussellMissouriDecember 2, 1895 – December 4, 189954th55th
20Henry CassonWisconsinDecember 4, 1899 – April 4, 191156th61st
21Uriah Stokes JacksonIndianaApril 4, 1911 – June 22, 191262nd
22Charles F. RiddellIndianaJuly 18, 1912 – April 7, 191362nd
23Robert B. GordonOhioApril 7, 1913 – May 19, 191963rd65th
24Joseph G. RodgersPennsylvaniaMay 19, 1919 – December 7, 193166th71st
25Kenneth RomneyMontanaDecember 7, 1931 – January 3, 194772nd79th
26aWilliam F. RussellPennsylvaniaJanuary 3, 1947 – January 3, 194980th
27Joseph H. CallahanKentuckyJanuary 3, 1949 – January 3, 195381st82nd
26bWilliam F. RussellPennsylvaniaJanuary 3, 1953 – July 7, 195383rd
28Lyle O. SnaderIllinoisJuly 8, 1953 – September 15, 195383rd
29William R. BonsellPennsylvaniaSeptember 15, 1953 – January 5, 195583rd
30Zeake W. Johnson Jr.TennesseeJanuary 5, 1955 – September 30, 197284th92nd
31Kenneth R. HardingVirginiaOctober 1, 1972 – February 29, 198092nd96th
32Benjamin J. GuthrieVirginiaMarch 1, 1980 – January 3, 198396th97th
33Jack Russ[3]MarylandJanuary 3, 1983 – March 12, 199298th102nd
34Werner W. BrandtVirginiaMarch 12, 1992 – January 4, 1995102nd103rd
35Wilson LivingoodVirginiaJanuary 4, 1995 – January 17, 2012104th112th
36Paul D. IrvingFloridaJanuary 17, 2012 – January 7, 2021112th117th
Timothy Blodgett (acting)New YorkJanuary 11, 2021 – March 26, 2021117th
37William J. WalkerIllinois March 26, 2021 – January 7, 2023117th
38William McFarlandMaryland January 7, 2023 – present118th

See also

References

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