[Deschler's Precedents, Volume 1, Chapters 1 - 6]
[Chapter 6.  Officers, Officials, and Employees]
[C. House Officers]
[Â§ 20. Duties of the Doorkeeper]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]


[Page 606-612]
 
                               CHAPTER 6
 
                   Officers, Officials, and Employees
 
                           C. HOUSE OFFICERS
 
Sec. 20. Duties of the Doorkeeper

    Under Rule V clause 1, of the House Houses and 
Manual,(10) the Doorkeeper enforces rules(11) 
relating to privileges of the Hall of the House. Under Rule V clause

[[Page 607]]

2,(12) he allows no person to enter the Hall of the House 
during sessions, and clears the floor of all persons not privileged to 
remain.
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10. See 1 Hinds' Precedents Sec. 260 for the origin of Rule V clause 1.
11. These rules include Rule XXXI House Rules and Manual Sec. 918 
        (1973) relating to the Hall of the House; and Rule XXXII 
        clauses 1, 2, House Rules and Manual Sec. 919-921 (1973), 
        relating to admission to the floor.
12. See 5 Hinds' Precedents Sec. 7295 for the origin of clause 2.
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    Before the 92d Congress, the Doorkeeper was responsible for making 
an inventory of all furniture, books, and other public property in 
committee rooms and other spaces.(13) However, the provision 
containing this directive, former Rule V clause 2, was deleted in the 
general revision of the rules effected by the Legislative 
Reorganization Act of 1970(14) because the duty of taking 
inventories and accounting for custody of furniture and other office 
equipment was placed in the Clerk by the House Office Building 
Commission.(15)
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13. See 1 Hinds' Precedents Sec. 261.
14. 84 Stat. 1140.
15. 34 Stat. 1365.
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    With the Sergeant at Arms, the Doorkeeper enforces the 
rule(16) relating to behavior of Members on the floor. 
Although Jefferson's Manual,(17) states that porters or the 
Sergeant at Arms keeps the doors, this duty is executed by the 
Doorkeeper and his assistants.
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16. Rule XIV clause 7, House Rules and Manual Sec. 763 (1973).
17. House Rules and Manual Sec. 380 (1973).
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    The Speaker in executing his own responsibilities under the rules 
imposes on the Doorkeeper duties in addition to those mentioned above. 
Thus, pursuant to his authority to exercise general control of the Hall 
of the House and corridors thereof under Rule I clause 3, the Speaker 
has directed the Doorkeeper to remove a placard posted by a Member in 
the lobby of the House,(18) or to clear(19) and 
close the galleries.(20)
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18. 6 Cannon's Precedents Sec. 262.
19. See Sec. 20.2, 20.3, infra.
20. See Sec. 20.4, infra.
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    Statutes also impose duties on the Doorkeeper. For example, he 
certifies his payroll each month,(1) and he reports position 
descriptions of all employee positions under the House Radio and 
Television Correspondents' Gallery and the House Periodical Press 
Gallery to the Committee on House Administration.(2)
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 1. 2 USC Sec. 89. A violation of this duty is deemed to be a cause for 
        removal from office (see 2 USC Sec. 90).
 2. 2 USC Sec. 294(b)(1).
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    The Doorkeeper performs supervisory responsibilities, which include 
appointing the superintendent of the Document Room(3) and 
the superintendent of the Publications Distribution Service (folding 
room).(4) The Doorkeeper oversees operations of

[[Page 608]]

a special as assistant,(5) telephone clerks,(6) 
doormen, and the pages that serve the House.(7)
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 3. 44 USC Sec. 739.
 4. 44 USC Sec. 740.
 5. 2 USC Sec. 76a.
 6. 2 USC Sec. 76b.
            The chief telephone clerk is chosen by the majority; the 
        assistant chief telephone clerk is chosen by the minority.
 7. See annotation to Rule V clause 1, House Rules and Manual Sec. 652 
        (1973).
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    With the Clerk of the House, the Secretary of the Senate, and 
Sergeant at Arms of the Senate, the Doorkeeper (a) sells wastepaper and 
useless documents that accumulate in his department,(8) and 
(b) invoices public documents stored in and about the Capitol at the 
convening of each regular session.(9)
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 8. 2 USC Sec. 117.
 9. 44 USC Sec. 741.
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    In the absence of the Clerk and Sergeant at Arms, certain duties 
devolve upon the Doorkeeper including (a) calling the House to order 
before election of a Speaker,(10) (b) sending to Governors 
certificates of the number of Representatives to which each state is 
entitled after each decennial census,(11) and (c) making a 
roll of Representatives-elect before the meeting of each 
Congress.(12)
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10. Rule III clause 1, House Rules and Manual Sec. 639 (1973). See 
        Sec. 20.8, infra, in which the Doorkeeper presided at the 
        commencement of the 80th Congress.
11. 2 USC Sec. 2a(b).
12. 2 USC Sec. 26.
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    When the office of the Doorkeeper is declared vacant because of 
misconduct of an incumbent, the duties of the Doorkeeper devolve upon 
the Sergeant at Arms.(13)
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13. 1 Hinds' Precedents Sec. 288, 289.
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    The Doorkeeper with the aid of his appointees performs services not 
enumerated in the rules or statutes such as furnishing Members with 
printed copies of bills, reports, and other documents; conveying 
messages from Members; and keeping the Hall, galleries, and committee 
rooms in order(14)
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14. 1 Hinds' Precedents Sec. 262, note 
        9.                          -------------------
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Controlling Access to Galleries

Sec. 20.1 The distribution of tickets for seats in the gallery during 
    special occasions is the responsibility of the Doorkeeper of the 
    House.

    On Feb. 28, 1945,(15) a Member raised an inquiry 
concerning distribution of gallery tickets to minority members:
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15. 91 Cong. Rec. 1594, 79th Cong. 1st Sess.
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        Mr. [Clare E.] Hoffman [of Michigan]: Mr. Speaker, I would like 
    to make an inquiry of the Chair, although

[[Page 609]]

    I do not know that it is a parliamentary inquiry. Heretofore, when 
    tickets have been distributed, there were a certain number of step 
    tickets. Does the minority get any of those, or do they all go to 
    the majority?
        The Speaker Pro Tempore: (16) That is a double-edged 
    question. . . . The Chair does not undertake to answer the 
    question, because no matter how it is answered, it is put in such 
    manner as would make it appear that tickets have been distributed 
    in the past contrary to the understanding of the Chair. That matter 
    is left with the Doorkeeper. who is an officer of the House. . . .
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16. John W. McCormack (Mass.).
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Sec. 20.2 The Doorkeeper executes the Speaker's directive to clear the 
    galleries issued in response to a Member's point of order.

    On Jan. 18, 1972,(17) the Speaker, Carl Albert, of 
Oklahoma, during a speech by a Member, Bella S. Abzug, of New York, 
discussing her resolution to censure the President's conduct of the war 
in Indochina, twice admonished spectators that expressions of approval 
were not permitted under the rules. When all persons in one gallery 
stood and displayed signs indicating approval of proceedings on the 
floor, the Speaker ordered the galleries cleared.
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17. 118 Cong. Rec. 9, 92d Cong. 2d Sess.
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        The Speaker: The Chair reminds our guests in the galleries that 
    the Chair must enforce the rules of the House and that 
    demonstrations from the galleries will not be permitted. . . .

                               Point of Order

        Mr. [Durward G.] Hall, [of Missouri]: Mr. Speaker, I demand 
    that the gallery be cleared.
        The Speaker: The Chair will not tolerate demonstrations of 
    approval or disapproval in the galleries.
        Mr. Hall: Mr. Speaker, I make a point of order that our guests 
    and those in the galleries are not in order. I request that the 
    gallery be cleared.
        The Speaker: The gentleman's point is well taken. The galleries 
    will be cleared.

    Parliamentarian's Note: The Doorkeeper cleared the gallery pursuant 
to the Speaker's directive. See 2 Hinds' Precedents Sec. 1352 for an 
instance in 1836 wherein the Speaker had ordered the galleries cleared.

Sec. 20.3 The Doorkeeper executed the Speaker's order to clear certain 
    spectator galleries but not others, as announced at the 
    commencement of the day's sitting.

    On May 9, 1972,(18) the Speaker, Carl Albert, of 
Oklahoma, ordered some spectator galleries to be cleared.
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18. 118 Cong. Rec. 16287, 92d Cong. 2d Sess
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        The Speaker: The Chair desires to make the announcement that 
    the

[[Page 610]]

    Chair did not order the clearing of the galleries except those on 
    the Chair's left, where there was disorder.

    Parliamentarian's Note: This order was given because some persons 
protesting the President's announcement on May 8, 1972, to mine the 
North Vietnamese harbor caused disorder in the galleries.

Sec. 20.4 The Doorkeeper executes the Speaker's order to close the 
    galleries in anticipation of disturbances.

    On May 10, 1972,(19) the Speaker, Carl Albert, of 
Oklahoma, ordered the galleries to be closed.
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19. 118 Cong. Rec. 16576, 92d Cong. 2d Sess.
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        The Speaker: The Chair desires to make a statement.
        The Chair has received intelligence from the police force and 
    other responsible authorities that there will be disturbances in 
    the gallery today. On the basis of this information and their 
    recommendation the Chair has ordered that the galleries be closed 
    to the public for the time being.

    Parliamentarian's Note: This decision, made after consultation with 
the Majority and Minority Leaders and the Parliamentarian, was based on 
reports from the Capitol Police that certain persons would demonstrate 
in the gallery against the Indochina war. The galleries were closed by 
the Doorkeeper from the commencement of business at 12:00 meridian 
until 2:52 p.m. when they were reopened.

Sec. 20.5 The Doorkeeper confiscated the film of a visitor who was 
    ordered to leave the gallery for photographing the Members while in 
    session.

    On Feb. 22, 1942,(20) a visitor was ordered to remove 
himself or his camera because he was taking pictures from the gallery.
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20. 88 Cong. Rec. 2152, 77th Cong. 2d Sess.
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        The Speaker [Sam Rayburn, of Texas]: The Chair understands 
    there is a camera in the gallery. Whoever has that camera will 
    remove the camera or remove themselves and the camera immediately. 
    That is a violation of the rules of the House.

    The film in the camera of the person taking the pictures was 
confiscated by the Doorkeeper.

Closing or Locking Doors

Sec. 20.6 Upon a personal instruction by the Speaker during a call of 
    the House under former Rule XV clause 2, the Doorkeeper locked all 
    exits from the House Chamber and removed doorknobs from cloakroom 
    doors to prevent Members from leaving during a call of the House.

[[Page 611]]

    On Oct. 8, 1968,(1) the Speaker ordered the doors to the 
Chamber closed and locked during a call of the House under former Rule 
XV clause 2, and instructed the Doorkeeper to enforce the rule and let 
no Members leave the Hall.
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 1. 114 Cong. Rec. 30093, 90th Cong. 2d Sess.
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    The Chair personally instructed the Doorkeepers to lock all exits 
from the House Chamber and to prohibit Members from leaving during the 
call of the House. Doors leading from the Chamber to the Speaker's 
lobby, as well as those opening from the cloakrooms to the north 
corridor in the House wing were locked. Doorknobs were removed in the 
cloakrooms to prevent doors being opened.

        The Speaker [John W. McCormack, of Massachusetts]: The 
    Doorkeeper will close the doors, the Sergeant at Arms will notify 
    absent Members, and the Clerk will call the roll.
        Mr. [John H.] Dent [of Pennsylvania]: Mr. Speaker, a point of 
    order, which relates to the call of the roll. . . .
        . . . The point of order is the doors were ordered closed, and 
    the doors to the outside of the Chamber are open in the cloakrooms.
        The Speaker: The Chair has given instructions to close all 
    doors and allow no Members out.

    Parliamentarian's Note: The Speaker's order to lock the doors was 
permitted under former Rule XV clause 2; the rule in its present form 
refers merely to the doors being ``closed'' when so ordered by the 
Speaker. Rule XV clause 2(b).

Sec. 20.7 When proceedings under a call of the House pursuant to Rule 
    XV clause 2 are dispensed with, doors to the Chamber are reopened 
    by the Doorkeeper without further instructions from the Chair.

    On Oct. 8, 1968,(2) a Member raised a parliamentary 
inquiry concerning doors locked during a call of the House:
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 2. 114 Cong. Rec. 30093, 90th Cong. 2d Sess
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        Mr. [Craig] Hosmer [of California]: Mr. Speaker, I have a 
    parliamentary inquiry. 
        The Speaker [John W. McCormack, of Massachusetts]: The 
    gentleman will state it.
        Mr. Hosmer: Mr. Speaker, a point of order having been made of 
    no quorum, a quorum having been called, and a quorum having been 
    found present, and the further proceedings under the call having 
    been dispensed with, does that mean that the doors of the House are 
    now unlocked?
        The Speaker: The gentleman is correct.

Doorkeeper as Presiding Officer

Sec. 20.8 In the absence of the Clerk and Sergeant at Arms,

[[Page 612]]

    the Doorkeeper calls the House to order when a Congress convenes 
    and presides until a Speaker is elected and takes the chair.

    On Jan. 3, 1947,(3) the Doorkeeper, Ralph R. Roberts, 
called the House to order at the commencement of the 80th Congress and 
presided until a Speaker was elected because the Clerk of the 79th 
Congress had died and the Sergeant at Arms was absent.
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 3. 93 Cong Rec. 33-35, 80th Cong. 1st Sess.
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