Mary Kevin Niland
Encyclopedia
Mary Kevin Niland is a former Reading Clerk of the United States House of Representatives
, a face familiar to viewers of C-SPAN
, the network which covers House proceedings. The reading clerk reads bills
, motions
, and other papers before the House and keeps track of changes to legislation
made on the floor.
During the vote for Speaker of the United States House of Representatives
at the beginning of each Congress (or when the electronic voting system fails), the Reading Clerk calls the roll
of members for voting viva voce
.
Niland became Democratic
clerk in 1998 at the recommendation of then-House Minority Leader
Dick Gephardt
of Missouri
. She replaced Meg Goetz
. Niland served until 2008, when she became Deputy Chief of Legislative Operations in the Office of the Clerk
. Her successor as Reading Clerk was Jaime Zapata.
Niland's Republican
counterpart is Susan Cole.
Reading Clerk of the United States House of Representatives
The Reading Clerk of the United States House of Representatives reads bills, motions, and other papers before the House and keeps track of changes to legislation made on the floor...
, a face familiar to viewers of C-SPAN
C-SPAN
C-SPAN , an acronym for Cable-Satellite Public Affairs Network, is an American cable television network that offers coverage of federal government proceedings and other public affairs programming via its three television channels , one radio station and a group of websites that provide streaming...
, the network which covers House proceedings. The reading clerk reads bills
Bill (proposed law)
A bill is a proposed law under consideration by a legislature. A bill does not become law until it is passed by the legislature and, in most cases, approved by the executive. Once a bill has been enacted into law, it is called an act or a statute....
, motions
Motion (parliamentary procedure)
In parliamentary procedure, a motion is a formal proposal by a member of a deliberative assembly that the assembly take certain action. In a parliament, this is also called a parliamentary motion and includes legislative motions, budgetary motions, supplementary budgetary motions, and petitionary...
, and other papers before the House and keeps track of changes to legislation
Legislation
Legislation is law which has been promulgated by a legislature or other governing body, or the process of making it...
made on the floor.
During the vote for Speaker of the United States House of Representatives
Speaker of the United States House of Representatives
The Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, or Speaker of the House, is the presiding officer of the United States House of Representatives...
at the beginning of each Congress (or when the electronic voting system fails), the Reading Clerk calls the roll
Recorded vote
A recorded vote is a vote in which the names of those voting for and against a motion may be recorded.In many deliberative bodies , questions may be decided by voice vote, but the voice vote does not allow one to determine at a later date which members voted for and against the motion...
of members for voting viva voce
Viva voce
Viva voce is a Latin phrase literally meaning "with living voice," but most often translated as "by word of mouth."It may also refer to:*Italian for "live voice."*Voice vote in a deliberative assembly...
.
Niland became Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
clerk in 1998 at the recommendation of then-House Minority Leader
Party leaders of the United States House of Representatives
Party leaders of the United States House of Representatives are elected by their respective parties in a closed-door caucus by secret ballot and are also known as floor leaders. The U.S. House of Representatives does not officially use the term "Minority Leader", although the media frequently does...
Dick Gephardt
Dick Gephardt
Richard Andrew "Dick" Gephardt is a lobbyist and former prominent American politician of the Democratic Party. Gephardt served as a U.S. Representative from Missouri from January 3, 1977, until January 3, 2005, serving as House Majority Leader from 1989 to 1995, and as Minority Leader from 1995 to...
of Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
. She replaced Meg Goetz
Meg Goetz
Meg Goetz was the first woman to be appointed as a Reading clerk of the United States House of Representatives, a face familiar to viewers of C-SPAN, the network which covers House proceedings....
. Niland served until 2008, when she became Deputy Chief of Legislative Operations in the Office of the Clerk
Clerk of the United States House of Representatives
The Clerk of the United States House of Representatives is an officer of the United States House of Representatives, whose primary duty is to act as the chief record-keeper for the House....
. Her successor as Reading Clerk was Jaime Zapata.
Niland's Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
counterpart is Susan Cole.