The Constitution mentions the need for a speaker but doesn’t say much more about their duties. But over time, the role of the speaker has grown to be a vast one: They call the House to order ...

The 119th Congress will begin on Friday, ushering in a new era of Republican control in Washington that will start with a high-stakes leadership fight to pick the next House speaker.

Mr. Scott, 53, was a surprise candidate for the speaker nomination last week, garnering 81 votes in the conference against the better-known Mr. Jordan.