One half of the United States Congress, the House of Representatives is the “lower house” of the legislative branch of the federal government. Made up of 435 members, the House provides representation based on population, giving more clout to larger states. The primary duty of the House is to adopt legislation that changes federal law. But it also performs several other key functions. The authority to initiate tax increases or spending proposals rests with the House, along with the power to elect the President in case of a tie in the Electoral College. However, there is not a direct vote for President. Instead, each state is given one vote, no matter how many representatives it has. Impeachment proceedings also begin in the House, which decides whether Presidents or other federal officials should be indicted and tried by the Senate. In controlling the “purse strings” of Congress, the House often is criticized for wasteful spending, especially on “pork” projects that benefit constituents in representatives’ districts. Members of the House have also been known to get into serious scandals and controversies involving bribery and prostitution, among other troubles.
Prior to the adoption of the US Constitution, the newly created federal government operated under the Articles of Confederation, which established a unicameral (one house) legislative body in which each state held one vote. Leaders from the original 13 colonies realized that this system would not work long-term for the nation, and in 1787, a Constitutional Convention was held. A great debate ensued between representatives of large states (i.e. Virginia) and small states (New Jersey) over how Congress should be structured according to the Constitution. Eventually, representatives to the convention agreed on the Connecticut Compromise, or “Great Compromise,” which set forth a bicameral Congress consisting of a House of Representatives and a Senate.
The House (commonly called the “lower house”) would consist of varying members from each state based on population, while the Senate provided equal representation from each state. Members of the House would serve only two-year terms, while senators were given six-year terms.
When it was first established, the House consisted of 65 members, one for every 30,000 citizens. After the first national census the number rose to 105, and it grew steadily as the population increased and new states were added. In 1910 Congress fixed the membership at 435, and the decision was made to require a reapportionment every 10 years that shifted the number of representatives each state sent to Washington, DC, depending on changes in population.
While the House shares many of the same functions as the Senate, it diverges from its upper house counterpart in some key areas. Stemming from controversies that arose during England’s control of the colonies regarding unfair taxation, the House was given the so-called “power of the purse”—meaning, all actions involving the spending or raising of revenue would originate in the lower house.
The House also was given the power to elect the President in the event of a tie. Twice in its history the House has decided the winner of a presidential contest. In 1800, the campaign between Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr was thrown in the House of Representatives, and after dozens of ballots, members selected Jefferson as President. In 1824, a four-way race involving Andrew Jackson, John Quincy Adams, William Crawford and Henry Clay resulted in none of the candidates winning a majority of the electoral votes. The outcome was then decided in the House, where Adams was chosen as President.
House members were also given the responsibility of deciding whether the president, or other federal officials, should be impeached (removed from office). The House may approve articles of impeachment by a simple majority vote, however conviction rests with the Senate, which requires a two-thirds vote. In its long history, the House has impeached 16 officials (with only seven convicted):
- William Blount, senator from Tennessee; charges dismissed for want of jurisdiction, Jan. 14, 1799.
- John Pickering, judge of the U.S. District Court for New Hampshire; removed from office March 12, 1804.
- Samuel Chase, associate justice of the Supreme Court; acquitted March 1, 1805.
- James H. Peck, judge of the U.S. District Court for Missouri; acquitted Jan. 31, 1831.
- West H. Humphreys, judge of the U.S. District Court for the middle, eastern, and western districts of Tennessee; removed from office June 26, 1862.
- Andrew Johnson, president of the United States; acquitted May 26, 1868.
- William W. Belknap, secretary of war; acquitted Aug. 1, 1876.
- Charles Swayne, judge of the U.S. District Court for the northern district of Florida; acquitted Feb. 27, 1905.
- Robert W. Archbald, associate judge, U.S. Commerce Court; removed Jan. 13, 1913.
- George W. English, judge of the U.S. District Court for eastern district of Illinois; resigned Nov. 4, 1926; proceedings dismissed.
- Harold Louderback, judge of the U.S. District Court for the northern district of California; acquitted May 24, 1933.
- Halsted L. Ritter, judge of the U.S. District Court for the southern district of Florida; removed from office April 17, 1936.
- Harry E. Claiborne, judge of the U.S. District Court for the district of Nevada; removed from office Oct. 9, 1986.
- Alcee L. Hastings, judge of the U.S. District Court for the southern district of Florida; removed from office Oct. 20, 1988.
- Walter L. Nixon, judge of the U.S. District Court for Mississippi; removed from office Nov. 3, 1989.
- William J. Clinton, president of the United States; acquitted Feb. 12, 1999.
(In 1974, the House began impeachment proceedings against President Richard Nixon based on actions stemming from the Watergate controversy. However, Nixon resigned from office before the full House could vote on the articles of impeachment.)
In December 1998, the Republican-dominated House voted to impeach President Clinton on charges of perjury, obstruction of justice and abuse of power that arose from scandals involving his sexual relations with Monica Lewinsky and Paula Jones. Only five Democratic House members voted to impeach Clinton. It was only the second impeachment of a President in American history, following that of Andrew Johnson in 1868. Clinton was acquitted by the Senate in February 1999.
The most powerful member of the House is the Speaker. This leadership post did not evolve into the force it is today until the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The rise of the Speaker’s influence began in the 1890s, during tenure of Republican Thomas Brackett Reed. Known as “Czar Reed,” he ruled the House with the philosophy that “the best system is to have one party govern and the other party watch.”
Other key leadership posts that developed during this time were the Majority Leader and Minority Leader. Each was created in 1899. While the Minority Leader was the head of the minority party, the Majority Leader remained subordinate to the Speaker.
The Speaker’s dominance over the House peaked during the rein of Republican Joseph Gurney Cannon, 1903 to 1911. At that time, the powers of the Speaker included chairmanship of the influential Rules Committee and the ability to appoint members of other House committees. These powers were curtailed in the “Revolution of 1910” led by Democrats and dissatisfied Republicans who opposed Cannon’s heavy-handed tactics.
For much of the 20th Century, the Democratic Party dominated the House. During the administration of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, Democrats often controlled two-thirds of the seats. Republicans enjoyed brief periods of House control until 1954, when Democrats again took over and maintained dominance for the next 40 years.
Democratic control came to an end in 1994 when Republicans led by Newt Gingrich (R-GA) used its “ Contract with America” campaign to sweep their way into power, much to the surprise of Democrats and many analysts. Speaker Gingrich promised to impose radical changes in the structure and size of the federal government—from downsizing the budget and eliminating federal agencies to imposing term limits—but most of these never materialized.
Republicans managed to control the House until 2006, when voter dissatisfaction over the war in Iraq and numerous ethics scandals involving Republicans resulted in the Democrats returning to power. Leading the Democrats was Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), who was elected the first woman Speaker in House history in January 2007.
Congressional Sex Scandals in History
1974-1994 (by Ken Rudin, Washington Post)
The House of Representatives is made up of 435 members elected from throughout the country. Representatives, commonly referred to as a Congressman or Congresswoman, serve for two-year terms from districts within a specific state, such as 1st District, Arkansas. They must run for re-election before their terms expire, and unlike many lawmakers in state legislatures, members of the House are not subject to term limits that restrict how many times they can run for office.
The House of Representatives is first and foremost charged with adopting new laws that govern the United States. Most new laws start out as bills—documents that go through varying degrees of review and changes (called amendments) by lawmakers. Once a bill (also called a “measure”) is first introduced, it is assigned a number, preceded by the letters “HR” (for House of Representatives) and then printed where it is available for review not only by lawmakers but also by the public.
Bills are then assigned to at least one committee that examines what the proposed new law intends to do. If a committee does not approve the bill, or simply take no action on it, the bill “dies” and cannot be considered any further. This does not mean, however, that the “meat” of the bill won’t resurface in another bill as lawmakers are wont to do to keep pushing a proposal in the hopes of getting it adopted one way or another.
Bills that pass their initial committee may be subject to review by a second or third committee, depending on the subject matter of the bill. For new laws that will affect the raising or spending of money, bills have to go through one or more of the House’s finance committees, such as Appropriations. Once a bill is approved by all committees that see it, it is sent to the “floor”—meaning the chamber where the entire House of Representatives meets. If it is approved by a majority of members, it is then sent to the Senate, where the committee process begins all over again.
A bill must pass both bodies in the same form before it can be presented to the President for signature into law. If the Senate changes the language of the measure, it must return to the House for concurrence or additional changes. This back-and-forth negotiation may occur on the House floor, with the House accepting or rejecting Senate amendments or complete Senate text. Often a conference committee will be appointed with both House and Senate members. This group will resolve the differences in committee and report the identical measure back to both bodies for a vote. Conference committees also issue reports outlining the final version of the bill.
Only after it is approved by both the House and Senate is a bill sent to the President for approval or veto.
In addition to bills, the House considers joint resolutions, concurrent resolutions and simple resolutions. Joint resolutions may originate either in the House or Senate. There is little difference between a bill and a joint resolution. Both are subject to the same procedure, except for a joint resolution proposing an amendment to the US Constitution. For joint resolutions that seek to amend the Constitution, two-thirds of both the House and Senate must adopt it before being sent to individual states for ratification. They are not presented to the President for approval.
Concurrent resolutions are for changing the operations of both the House and Senate. These too are not presented to the President for action.
Simple resolutionsare often used by the House to simply make a declaration of sorts, such as expressing concern over a problem without taking formal action by introducing a bill.
Key Distinctions from the Senate
Although the House and Senate can both introduce legislation, the authority to initiate tax increases or revenue expenditures rests with the lower house of Congress. Bills that perform either of these functions are first introduced in the House, although the Senate must approve such measures before they can be submitted to the President.
Another important power held by the House of Representatives involves the election of the President. In the event that a tie occurs in the Electoral College, members of the House are required to vote and decide the winner of the election. However, there is not a direct vote. Instead, each state is given one vote, no matter how many representatives it has.
Impeachment of federal officials also begins in the House. Alhough it is the Senate that votes to convict or acquit, no President or federal judge can be removed from office without the House first voting to approve articles of impeachment (similar to an indictment in criminal law). The Senate then decides whether an official has committed “high crimes and misdemeanors.”
House Leadership:
The top official in the House is the Speaker. The position is filled at the start of each two-year term in a vote by the full House membership. The selection of the Speaker is generally determined by the majority party, and thus the Speaker is always a leading member of that party. The Speaker’s broad powers and privileges allow the majority to control the House’s legislative agenda.
The Speaker wields considerable power over the House. The position sets the rules of the House and adjudicates when procedural conflicts arise. Behind the scenes, the Speaker’s powers are even broader—appointing committee chairs, influencing the referral of bills to the committees, and deciding the timetables of bills. Bills favored by the Speaker will leave committee more quickly and come to an early vote.
The Speaker also plays a vital role in succeeding the President in the event he or she dies or is unable to carry out their duties. In this event, the Vice President assumes command of the Oval Office, but if the Vice President cannot, then the Speaker of the House takes control.
Citizens Against Government Waste
Pork
One of the things that the House of Representatives is most famous for is pork. Officially known as earmarks, “pork-barrel spending” refers to special projects that benefit a representative’s home district. Each year, Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW), a non-profit organization that seeks to eliminate government waste, mismanagement and inefficiency, publishes the “ Pig Book Summary” (PDF) which highlights the biggest pork projects approved by Congress.
According to CAGW, in FY 2008, Congress approved 11,610 projects (the second highest total ever) to be added to 12 appropriations bills worth $17.2 billion. The 11,610 projects represented a 337% increase over the 2,658 projects in FY 2007, while the $17.2 billion is a 30% increase over the previous year’s total of $13.2 billion.
Among the findings by CAGW were:
Alaska led the nation with $556 per capita ($380 million). The runners up were Hawaii with $221 per capita ($283 million) and North Dakota with $208 per capita ($133 million).
More than $3.5 million was approved for six projects by House Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee member Sam Farr (D-CA), including: $1,869,819 for the US Agricultural Research Station in Salinas; $425,997 for the Monterey Bay Sanctuary; $380,319 for sustainable agriculture research; and $222,432 for greenhouse lettuce germplasm.
Twenty-four projects by Alan Mollohan (D-WV), Chairman of the House Subcommittee on Science, Justice, Commerce and Realted Agencies, totaled $4.6 million, including: $846,000 for a distance learning program at Fairmont State University; $540,500 for an independent verification and validation research program through NASA; $282,000 for the Micronauts Education Simulator at Wheeling Jesuit University; and $188,000 for the Glenville State College Anti-Recidivism Prisoner Education Program.
More than $121 million was directed to 44 projects by House Defense Appropriations
Subcommittee Chairman John Murtha (D-PA), including $23,000,000 for the National Drug Intelligence Center (NDIC). According to CAGW, “Murtha became infuriated by Rep. Mike Rogers’ (R-MI) motion to remove the NDIC earmark. According to Rogers, Murtha warned, ‘I hope you don’t have any earmarks in the defense appropriations bills because they are gone and you will not get any earmarks now and forever.…That’s the way I do it.’ Since 1992, more than $509 million has been used to fund NDIC, which is administered by the Department of Justice (DOJ.). But DOJ has asked Congress to shutdown the NDIC because its operations are duplicative. This project helped Murtha win CAGW’s 2007 Porker of the Year award.
House Appropriations Committee member Ray LaHood (R-IL) got $196,800 approved for green building technologies at Lakeview Museum in Peoria. CAGW cited a February 2, 2008, Rockford Register Star article in which LaHood said, “The reason I went on the Appropriations Committee, the reason other people go on the Appropriations Committee is they know that it puts them in a position to know where the money is at, to know the people who are doling the money out and to be in the room when the money is being doled out.”
Salaries
Members of the House earn $165,200 annually, according to the Congressional Research Service (PDF). This means that approximately $72 million is spent each year to pay for the salaries of the 435 lawmakers.
In addition to paying lawmakers, millions are spent paying for the large number of staff employed by congressmen and congresswomen. In 2006, each member was entitled to spend a total of $831,252 to pay for up to 18 staffers to man offices in Washington, DC, and in home districts.
House members are also each given $194,980 a year to cover such things as travel, office rentals in home districts and other expenses.
Then there are the staffers who support House committees. These personnel can earn a maximum of about $162,000 a year.
Other House personnel include the chief administrative officer, clerk of the House, sergeant at arms, legislative counsel, law revision counsel, parliamentarian, inspector general, director of interparliamentary affairs, director of emergency planning, preparedness and operations, general counsel to House, and chaplain. All of these positions can earn up to $163,700 a year.
Sex Scandals Dog Florida Congressional Seat
In October 2008, it was revealed that Rep. Tim Mahoney (D-FL) had paid a former mistress more than $120,000 in hush money. A former aide to Mahoney, Patricia Allen, was threatening to sue the Congressman after their affair ended. Two years earlier, the freshman Democrat replaced disgraced Rep. Mark Foley (R-FL), who was forced to leave his seat thanks to a sex scandal of his own involving House pages. Mahoney actually met Allen during the campaign for Foley’s seat, a campaign in which Mahoney promised “a world that is safer, more moral.” A Mahoney spokesman said that Allen resigned and that she “has not received any special payments from campaign funds.”
House Rejects, Then Approves Financial Bailout Plan
In a moment of historic importance, the House of Representatives rejected a $700 billion rescue of the financial industry in late September 2008. The vote came in stunning defiance of President George W. Bush and Congressional leaders of both parties, who said the bailout was needed to prevent a widespread financial collapse. The failure was blamed on Republicans, 133 of whom turned against President Bush to join 95 Democrats in opposition.
Stock markets plunged in response to the ‘no’ vote. The vote was called a “catastrophic political defeat” for President Bush, who went on television to gather political support for the recovery plan and lobbied House Republicans personally.
Four days later, the House reversed course and approved a somewhat modified version of the bailout plan. The change in vote was prompted by fears of a global economic meltdown and “inducements” that were added to the legislation by the Senate. Changes to the plan included a portfolio of $150 billion in popular tax provisions, including credits for the production of solar, wind and other renewable energy, and an adjustment to spare middle-class families from paying the alternative minimum tax. In the end, 33 Democrats and 24 Republicans who had voted no the first time switched sides to support the plan.
Ohio Congressman Convicted of Accepting Bribes
Rep. Robert Ney (R-OH) pled guilty in October 2006 to corruption charges arising from the influence-peddling investigation of lobbyist Jack Abramoff. Ney emerged from a month of alcoholism treatment to appear in federal court in Washington, where he admitted performing official acts for lobbyists in exchange for campaign contributions, expensive meals, luxury travel and skybox sports tickets. Ney also admitted taking thousands of dollars in gambling chips from an international businessman who sought his help with the State Department. Ney was the eighth person convicted in the federal investigation into Abramoff’s activities. A federal task force that included a dozen Justice Department prosecutors also investigated Abramoff's dealings with other congressional offices, including that of Rep. John Doolittle (R-CA).
Congressman Convicted of Accepting Bribes
Former Congressman Randy “Duke” Cunningham (R-CA) was sentenced in March 2006 to eight years and four months in federal prison for taking $2.4 million in bribes from at least three defense contractors. The sentence was the highest ever for a former member of Congress. The 64-year-old Cunningham pled guilty to conspiracy to commit bribery, mail fraud, wire fraud and tax evasion. He also pleaded guilty to a separate tax-evasion violation for failing to disclose income in 2004. Hours after entering the pleas, Cunningham resigned from Congress in tears. It was also reported that some of Cunningham’s bribes may have been in the form of prostitutes hired by a defense contractor seeking to win a federal contract.
Crooked congressman going to prison
(CNN)
Health Care Reform
In April 2008, Democratic and Republican members of Congress debated the state of health care in America and ways it can be made more affordable and accessible. Julie Rovner of National Public Radio moderated the event, which was sponsored by the House Democratic Caucus and the House Republican Conference in cooperation with the Democratic Leadership Council and the Congressional Institute.
Democrat side: (Xavier Becerra, Marion Berry, Kathy Castor, Allyson Schwartz)
According to Rep. Kathy Castor (D-FL), another 8.5 million Americans lost access to health insurance since 2001, bringing the grand total to 74 million in the country as a whole. Up
to 9 million children do not have access to pediatricians. The premiums for family coverage now are up 78% since 2001. Family coverage now costs a family over $12,000 per year. Out of pocket costs are rising. Co-pays are going up and premiums are going up. “In addition to all of that, President Bush and the Republican colleagues have undermined, continue to undermine, our health care safety nets in this country.”
Castor insists Democrats want to create comprehensive solutions to provide quality, affordable health care. They want to spend more money to improve the primary care system, strengthen community health centers and make prevention education a priority. They argue that these changes will help reduce long-term costs facing the health care system.
They want changes that won’t force uninsured people into emergency rooms. They also want more access to online prescriptions for Americans and the right to negotiate fair drug prices for Medicare.
Republican side: (Charles Boustany, Shelley Moore Capito, Nathan Deal, John Shadegg)
Republicans don’t disagree that there is a serious problem with health care. But they insist on market-based solutions to fix things, not greater government involvement or more mandates. Rep. John Shadegg (R-AZ) says that restoring tax fairness is essential. Individuals should be allowed to purchase health care coverage under the same tax treatment given to those who receive their care through their employer. This will help all Americans obtain affordable health care coverage. Today’s workers need to know that if they leave their employer they do not risk losing their coverage.
Further, individuals and small businesses should be allowed to take advantage of additional pooling mechanisms so they can purchase group coverage with the same cost saving benefits that large employers now enjoy. Medical liability reform is essential. Too often the interests of trial lawyers are put in front of the interests of patients and doctors. The Department of Health and Human Services estimated that over $125 billion could be saved if “reasonable medical liability reforms were adopted.” Americans should be able to have a health savings account (HSA) so they can put money aside for their ordinary health care expenses.
Recently housed Democrats further restricted HSAs. Republicans argue that patients, not Congress, should decide whether an HSA is right for them. “These reforms will lead to real patient choice. Not a government program. Not more rules and regulations.”
Other Suggestions:
Impacts of Health Care Reform: Projections of Costs and Savings
(by Kenneth F. Thorpe, National Coalition on Health Care Reform (PDF)
Speakers of the House
Frederick A.C. Muhlenberg (1789-1791; 1793-1795)
Jonathan Trumbull (1791-1793)
Jonathan Dayton (1797-1799)
Theodore Sedgwick (1799-1802)
Nathaniel Macon (1801-1807)
Joseph B. Varnum (1807-1811)
Henry Clay (1811-1814: 1815-1820; 1823-1825)
Langdon Cheves (1814-1815)
John W. Taylor (1820-1821)
Philip P. Barbour (1821-1823)
Andrew Stevenson (1831-1834)
John Bell (1834-1835)
James K. Polk (1835-1839). Polk was elected President of the United States in 1845.
Robert M.T. Hunter (1839-1841)
John White (1841-1843)
John W. Jones (1843-1845)
John W. Davis (1845-1847)
Robert C. Winthrop (1847-1849)
Howell Cobb (1849-1851)
Linn Boyd (1851-1856)
Nathaniel P. Banks (1856-1857)
James L. Orr (1857-1860)
William Pennington (1860-1861)
Galusha A. Grow (1861-1863)
Schuyler Colfax (1863-1869)
Theodore M. Pomeroy (1869). Pomeroy served as Speaker for one day on March 3, 1869.
James G. Blaine (1869-1875) Blaine ran for President in 1884 and was defeated by Grover Cleveland.
Michael C. Kerr (1875-1876)
Samuel J. Randall (1876-1881)
J. Warren Keifer (1881-1883)
John G. Carlisle (1883-1889)
Thomas B. Reed (1889-1891; 1895-1899)
Charles F. Crisp (1891-1895)
David B. Henderson (1899-1903)
Joseph G. Cannon (1903-1911)
James Beauchamp Clark (1911-1919)
Frederick H. Gillett (1919-1925)
Nicholas Longworth (1925-1931)
John Nance Garner (1931-1933) Garner served as Franklin D. Roosevelt’s vice-president from 1933 until 1941. It was Garner who famously described the vice-presidency as “not worth a bucket of warm piss.”
Henry T. Rainey (1933-1935)
Joseph W. Byrns (1935-1936)
William B. Bankhead (1936-1940)
Sam Rayburn (1940-1947; 1949-1953; 1955-1963)
Joseph W. Martin, Jr. (1947-1949; 1953-1955)
John W. McCormack (1963-1971)
Carl B. Albert (1971-1977)
Thomas “Tip” O'Neill, Jr. (1977-1987)
James C. Wright, Jr. (1987-1989)
Thomas S. Foley (1989-1995)
Newt Gingrich (1995-1999)
Dennis Hastert (1999-2007)
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Annual Budget: $1.33 billion
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United States House of Representatives
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Pelosi, Nancy
Speaker of the House
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A native of Baltimore, Maryland, Nancy Pelosi has served as Speaker of the House since January 2007, becoming the first woman to hold the position in House history.
Pelosi received her AB degree from Trinity College in Washington, DC, in 1962.
Pelosi hails from a political family. Her father, Thomas D'Alesandro, Jr., was a Congressman from Maryland and a mayor of Baltimore. After moving to San Francisco, Pelosi worked her way up in Democratic politics and was elected party chair for Northern California in January 1977. During this time she became close to Congressman Phillip Burton (D-CA), one of the most powerful Democrats in California and the House.
In 1981, Pelosi was elected the chair of the California State Democratic Party, serving until 1983. From 1985 to 1986, she served as finance chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. Pelosi was first elected to Congress in 1987 by special election to fill the vacancy left by the death of Rep. Sala Burton. Pelosi has been reelected 10 times since.
Before becoming House Speaker, Pelosi served as minority whip and minority leader.
Shortly after becoming Speaker, Pelosi was criticized by House Republicans for using a larger military plane than the previous Speaker, Dennis Hastert (R-IL), when flying home to her district in San Francisco. Pelosi said the change was recommended by the House sergeant-at-arms, who oversees security for House members. The White House saw nothing wrong in the decision. “This is a silly story, and I think it’s been unfair to the speaker,” White House spokesman Tony Snow said.
In April 2007, Pelosi was again derided by Republicans for visiting Syria, not only because the trip was opposed by President George W. Bush but because of her decision to wear a head scarf and abaya while visiting a mosque.
And following the failed vote on September 29, 2008, to pass a $700 billion bailout plan, Republicans again took aim at Pelosi, saying she had been too partisan in a floor speech prior to the vote.
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