If there is no Speaker of the House, the House of Representatives cannot conduct legislative work, including voting on pending legislation like spending bills. The Speaker of the House is responsible for scheduling floor votes on pending legislation, giving the post a powerful gatekeeping role. The House committees can still conduct business, but the House cannot conduct votes on legislation until a new Speaker is elected. The Speaker pro tempore position was intended to allow the House to continue to function as normal, even without an elected Speaker, but in practice, its a major disruption to House business. If an impasse over choosing someone for the Speaker position ensues, the House could grant the Speaker pro tempore time-limited authority to preside over debate and votes on ordinary bills, but that would take a majority vote. Until a Speaker is elected, members of the House of Representatives cannot be sworn in.