<P> The Constitution provides that the House may choose its own Speaker . Although not explicitly required by the Constitution, every Speaker has been a member of the House . The Constitution does not specify the duties and powers of the Speaker, which are instead regulated by the rules and customs of the House . Speakers have a role both as a leader of the House and the leader of their party (which need not be the majority party; theoretically, a member of the minority party could be elected as Speaker with the support of a fraction of members of the majority party). Under the Presidential Succession Act (1947), the Speaker is second in the line of presidential succession behind the Vice President . </P> <P> The Speaker is the presiding officer of the House but does not preside over every debate . Instead, s / he delegates the responsibility of presiding to other members in most cases . The presiding officer sits in a chair in the front of the House chamber . The powers of the presiding officer are extensive; one important power is that of controlling the order in which members of the House speak . No member may make a speech or a motion unless s / he has first been recognized by the presiding officer . Moreover, the presiding officer may rule on a "point of order" (a member's objection that a rule has been breached); the decision is subject to appeal to the whole House . </P> <P> Speakers serve as chairs of their party's steering committee, which is responsible for assigning party members to other House committees . The Speaker chooses the chairmen of standing committees, appoints most of the members of the Rules Committee, appoints all members of conference committees, and determines which committees consider bills . </P> <P> Each party elects a floor leader, who is known as the Majority Leader or Minority Leader . The Minority Leader heads their party in the House, and the Majority Leader is their party's second - highest - ranking official, behind the Speaker . Party leaders decide what legislation members of their party should either support or oppose . </P>

Who is responsible for assigning committee members in the house of representatives
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