Claim: The United States House of Representatives is given the task of passing federal legislation.

The United States House of Representatives is the lower chamber of the United States Congress which , along with the Senate , composes the legislature of the United States .   The composition and powers of the House are established by Article One of the United States Constitution . The House is composed of representatives who sit in congressional districts which are allocated to each of the 50 states on a basis of population as measured by the U.S. Census , with each district entitled one representative . Since its inception in 1789 , all representatives are elected popularly . The total number of voting representatives is fixed by law at 435 . As of the 2010 Census , the largest delegation is that of California , with fifty-three representatives ; seven states have the smallest delegation possible , a single representative : Alaska , Delaware , Montana , North Dakota , South Dakota , Vermont , and Wyoming .   The House is charged with the passage of federal legislation , known as bills , which , after concurrence by the Senate , are sent to the President for consideration . In addition to this basic power , the House has certain exclusive powers which include the power to initiate all bills related to revenue , the impeachment of federal officers , who are sent to trial in the Senate , and in cases wherein no candidate receives a majority of electors for President , the duty falls upon the House to elect one of the top three recipients of electors for that office , with one vote given to each state for that purpose .   The presiding officer is the Speaker of the House , who is elected by the members thereof and is therefore traditionally the leader of the controlling party . He or she and other floor leaders are chosen by the Democratic Caucus or the Republican Conferences , depending on whichever party has more voting members . The House meets in the south wing of the United States Capitol .