§ 25. — Oath of Speaker, Members, and Delegates.
[Laws in effect as of January 24, 2002]
[Document not affected by Public Laws enacted between
January 24, 2002 and December 19, 2002]
[CITE: 2USC25]
TITLE 2--THE CONGRESS
CHAPTER 2--ORGANIZATION OF CONGRESS
Sec. 25. Oath of Speaker, Members, and Delegates
At the first session of Congress after every general election of
Representatives, the oath of office shall be administered by any Member
of the House of Representatives to the Speaker; and by the Speaker to
all the Members and Delegates present, and to the Clerk, previous to
entering on any other business; and to the Members and Delegates who
afterward appear, previous to their taking their seats.
The Clerk of the House of Representatives of the Eightieth and each
succeeding Congress shall cause the oath of office to be printed,
furnishing two copies to each Member and Delegate who has taken the oath
of office in accordance with law, which shall be subscribed in person by
the Member or Delegate, who shall thereupon deliver them to the Clerk,
one to be filed in the records of the House of Representatives, and the
other to be recorded in the Journal of the House and in the
Congressional Record; and such signed copies, or certified copies
thereof, or of either of such records thereof, shall be admissible in
evidence in any court of the United States, and shall be held conclusive
proof of the fact that the signer duly took the oath of office in
accordance with law.
(R.S. Sec. 30; Feb. 18, 1948, ch. 53, 62 Stat. 20.)
Codification
R.S. Sec. 30 derived from act June 1, 1789, ch. 1, Sec. 2, 1 Stat.
23.
The last paragraph of this section, which permitted Members and
Delegates of the House of Representatives of the Eightieth Congress to
subscribe and deliver two signed copies of the printed oath of office at
any time before the expiration of the Eightieth Congress, was omitted.
Amendments
1948--Act Feb. 18, 1948, added last two paragraphs to provide a way
by which any Member of House of Representatives can establish by record
evidence the fact that the Member took the oath of office and so became
a Member.
