House of Reprehensibles (House of Representatives nickname)
The United States House of Representatives is one of two houses (along with the Senate) of the United States Congress; there are also state houses of representatives. The derogatory nickname of “House of Reprehensibles” has been cited in print since at least 1856 and 1875. American newspaper columnist Walter Winchell (1897-1972) made a famous and controversial use of “House of Reprehensibles” in January 1944.
Wikipedia: United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two houses of the United States Congress (a bicameral legislature). It is frequently referred to as The House. The other house is the Senate.
The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the United States Constitution. The major power of the House is to pass federal legislation that affects the entire country, although its bills must also be passed by the Senate and further agreed to by the U.S. President before becoming law (unless both the House and Senate re-pass the legislation with a two-thirds majority in each chamber). The House has some exclusive powers: the power to initiate revenue bills, to impeach officials (impeached officials are subsequently tried in the Senate), and to elect the U.S. President in case there is no majority in the Electoral College.
Chronicling America
15 March 1856, Vermont Phoenix (Brattleboro, VT), pg. 2, col. 3:
“There he goes again,” said Mrs. Partington in the Legislature, as a member stood up for the fifth time to speak on a question. == ‘There he goes like a soda fountain, and just as fluidly as water. Now, Isaac, mind him, and see if you can’t become a speaker of the house of reprehensibles sometimes.”
Google Books
Eli Perkins (at Large):
His Saying and Doings
By Melville De Lancey Landon
New York, NY: J. B. Ford Company
1875
Pg. 216:
When “Eli Perkins ” delivered his great lecture in the Illinois House of Reprehensibles, there was a great rush—hundreds of people left the building, and they said if he had repeated it the next night they would have—left the city.—Chicago Times.
7 August 1941, San Marino (CA) Tribune, “The House of Reprehensibles,” pg. 2, col. 2:
The House of Reprehensibles has passed a bill to give $20 a month to the widow of every veteran of World War 1, regardless of the cause of his death, likewise whether he ever saw active service.
Google News Archive
27 January 1944, Spartanburg (SC) Herald, Walter Winchell column, pg. 4, col. 3:
We wish you’d clip and mail this story to Cong. Rankin at the House of Reprehensibles, Washington, D. C.
5 December 1975, Gazette Telegraph (Colorado Springs, CO), “With Some Reservation” by Injun Woody, pg. 1-B, col. 8:
About a month ago the House of Reprehensibles made another of its big baloney gestures — it voted to not increase the ‘temporary debt’ ceiling.
30 March 1992, Boston (MA) Herald, Howie Carr column, pg. 6, col. 1:
But it was educational. For the first time, I understood what real-world institution the U.S. House of Reprehensibles most closely resembles.
Kindergarten.
Google Books
On the Air:
The Encyclopedia of Old-Time Radio
By John Dunning
New York, NY: Oxford University Press
1998
Pg. 709:
He (Walter Winchell—ed.) sometimes referred to Congress as “the House of Reprehensibles,” and he got in trouble with his sponsor and network (one of many such troubles) when he characterized as “damn fools” voters who had returned isolationists to office.
Twitter
engineman55
@engineman55
John (BIG RINO) Boner pushes RepublicRAT SPENDING Bill through House Of Reprehensibles! You thought Republicans won?
9:42 PM - 11 Dec 2014
LewRockwell.com Blog
11:59 am on June 12, 2015
What’s This Guy Doing in DC’s Sewer?
Becky Akers
From the website of Rep. Thomas Massey (R-KY):
(...)
Boy, Tom, I bet you’re lonely there in the House of Reprehensibles, aren’t you?