House of Representatives

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BICENTENNIAL HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 25 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES XI APR 1989 20515 *** DC

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HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES First Day of Issue: April 4, 1989 First Issue Location: Washington, D.C. The stamp featured on this Maximum Card celebrates the Two Hundredth Anniversary of the House of Representa- tives. Following ratification of the Constitution, the House first convened in 1789 with sixty-five members. By 1913, membership had grown to four hundred thirty-five. The House has remained at that number since, with the exception of a temporary expansion in 1959 to four hundred thirty-seven members when Hawaii and Alaska were admitted to the Union. The number of Representa- tives from a state is based on population, and is reappor- tioned after each census to maintain fair distribution. Representatives conduct business in committees and subcommittees, the most important of which are Ways and Means, Appropriations, and Rules. The House pro- cesses ten to fifteen thousand bills yearly, and enacts a large number of public and private laws. It also has the power to elect the President, should the electoral college fail to do so, and the House alone has the power to impeach the President and other high-ranking officials. No. 89-13 GELIN CONSTITUTION We the People a +1621-2811 *1661-2861 "BICENTENNIAL" ©1989 The Maximum Card Collection A Division of Unicover Corporation Cheyenne, WY 82008-0007 Original painting by David K. Stone An Official Maximum Card of the Commission on the Bicentennial of the United States Constitution