The first day of a Congress is mainly business, with a side of tradition. Since 1999, this gavel, known as the Clerk’s Gavel, is taken out of storage for a single day to begin, or “gavel in,” the new Congress. The next order of business is the election of the Speaker of the House, to whom the Clerk of the House then hands over the duty of presiding.
History, Art & Archives, U.S. House of Representatives, “Gavel of the Clerk of the House,” https://history.house.gov/Collection/Listing/2005/2005-015-000/ (November 13, 2026)
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