Government

What does the do?

Updates published annually

The House of Representatives (the House) is one of two chambers of the legislative branch responsible for creating and passing federal laws. It has 435 voting members, each representing a district within one of the 50 states. Members serve two-year terms and can be re-elected an unlimited number of times. As one of the chambers of Congress, the House introduces and votes on bills, drafts budget and appropriatons legislation, conducts investigations, and initiates impeachment proceedings against federal officials. It was established in 1789.

In FY 2024,

$1.96B

was spent by the House of Representatives
In FY 2024,

61.4%

of Congress spending was by the House of Representatives

How much does the House of Representatives spend?

The House of Representatives spent a net total of $1.96 billion in fiscal year (FY) 2024. This was 61.4% of the $3.19 billion spent by Congress, which itself was 0.047% of all federal spending. The HOUSE ranked first among CONG subdivisions in net spending.
Net spending is the difference between agency spending and any financial accounts generating funds from the agency’s own activities, like fees or rent. When these funds offset all spending, net spending appears negative. Some agencies tend to operate with positive net spending while others will register negative net spending sometimes or often.

The House of Representatives ranked first among Congress divisions in net spending in 2024.

CONG net spending by division, FY 2024

Like the overall federal budget, agency spending may shift over time due to population growth, changes in policy and programs, and emerging problems to address. Adjusting for inflation, the House of Representatives' federal spending has increased from $1.26 billion in 1980 to $1.96 billion in 2024.

The House of Representatives’s federal spending in FY 2024 was higher than in FY 1980.

Yearly federal net spending by HOUSE, adjusted for inflation (2024 dollars), FYs 1980–2024

Since 1980, the House of Representatives' spending has increased 55%, while overall spending has increased 193.7%.
As a percentage of the overall federal budget, a positive number means agency net spending made up some positive share of total federal spending; a negative number means that net generated funds offset a portion of total spending. HOUSE spending grew less than overall federal spending since 1980, which means that its share of the federal budget decreased. In 2024, HOUSE accounted for 0.029% of overall federal spending.

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Major legislation, internal or global economic conditions, and acute events like the COVID-19 pandemic can affect spending year to year. For example, the federal budget fluctuated during the pandemic, rising from $5.3 trillion (in 2023 dollars) in 2019 to $7.7 trillion in 2020 and $7.8 trillion in 2021.

The House of Representatives’s share of federal spending in FY 2024 was lower than in FY 1980.

Net spending by HOUSE as a share of federal spending, FYs 1980–2024

Most federal spending can be categorized as direct or indirect. Direct spending refers to money the federal government spends on budget items such as federal programs, employee salaries, and debt interest. Indirect spending refers to federal transfers to state and local governments.
In FY 2024, all of the House of Representatives' spending was direct.
The chart below outlines all net HOUSE spending.

How did the House of Representatives spend its budget in 2024?

Federal government net spending isolated to HOUSE, FY 2024

Who leads the House of Representatives?

The House of Representatives is led by the speaker of the House. This individual is elected by the members of the House. The Speaker does not require presidential appointment or Senate confirmation. The Speaker is second in the presidential line of succession, after the Vice President. There is no fixed term for this position, but a new election is held at the start of each new Congress or when a vacancy occurs.

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Methodology

USAFacts standardizes data, in areas such as time and demographics, to make it easier to understand and compare.

Page sources

USAFacts endeavors to share the most up-to-date information available. We sourced the data on this page directly from government agencies; however, the intervals at which agencies publish updated data vary.

  • Office of Personnel Management

    FedScope

  • Office of Management and Budget and US Department of the Treasury

    Budget of the US Government and Monthly Treasury Statement

    Office of Management and Budget and US Department of the Treasury logo