Along with the other House officers, the Clerk is elected every two years when the
House organizes for a new Congress. The majority and minority caucuses nominate
candidates for the House officer positions after the election of the Speaker. The
full House adopts a resolution to elect the officers, who will begin serving the House
Membership after they have taken the oath of office.
The Clerk of the House
The Honorable Karen L. Haas
Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives
Karen Lehman Haas, a native of Catonsville, MD, was sworn in as Clerk of the House of Representatives on January 5, 2011. She is the 34th individual to serve as Clerk.
This is Ms. Haas’ second occupancy of this position—in 2005, Speaker J. Dennis Hastert appointed Ms. Haas as Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives, and she served until he completed his term in 2007.
As Clerk, Ms. Haas plays a central role in the daily operations and legislative activities of the House.
Ms. Haas began her service on Capitol Hill in 1984, when she worked for then-Minority Leader Robert H. Michel. For nearly 11 years, she served as his Executive Legislative Assistant.
Following a brief leave to work in the private sector, Ms. Haas returned to Capitol Hill in June 1999 to serve as Floor Assistant to Speaker Hastert. In this capacity, she coordinated the daily House Floor activity, including the appointment of presiding officers and activities related to the Speaker’s chair.
Following her first term as Clerk, she served as Minority Staff Director for the House Small Business Committee.
Ms. Haas attended public schools in Maryland and received a bachelor's degree from the University of Maryland, College Park, with a major in political science and a minor in economics. She resides in Maryland with her husband and two children.
Deputy Clerks
Robert Reeves
Deputy Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives
Gigi Kelaher
Senior Advisor to the Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives
Contact Information