The first Speaker of the House of Representatives in the United States was Frederick Augustus Conrad Muhlenberg, who served during the First Congress from 1789 to 1791.

Born on January 1, 1750, in Trappe, Pennsylvania.

A Lutheran minister by profession, he later transitioned into politics.

Muhlenberg was a member of the Continental Congress and played an important role in the early governance of the United States.

He served in the Pennsylvania General Assembly before being elected to the first U.S. Congress in 1789.

Elected as the first Speaker of the House on April 1, 1789, during the first session of the newly formed United States Congress.

He served two non-consecutive terms as Speaker: 1789–1791 and 1793–1795.

Muhlenberg cast the deciding vote in favor of the Jay Treaty in 1794, a controversial move at the time but ultimately helped avert war with Great Britain.

After leaving Congress, Muhlenberg returned to Pennsylvania and remained active in state politics.

He died on June 4, 1801, in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

The largest federal bill ever signed into law regarding page count is the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023, also known as the 2023 Omnibus Spending Bill, signed by President Joe Biden on December 29, 2022.

Details of the Largest Federal Bill:

Page Count: The bill is approximately 4,155 pages long, making it the longest-length piece of legislation in U.S. history.

Purpose: The bill appropriated $1.7 trillion in federal funding for the fiscal year 2023, covering government operations and avoiding a government shutdown.

Provisions:

Funding for defense, domestic programs, and disaster relief.

Support for Ukraine amid the ongoing conflict with Russia.

Reforms to the Electoral Count Act in response to concerns about the 2020 presidential election certification process.

Health care provisions, environmental measures, and numerous local projects.

Why Was It So Large?

Omnibus Nature: Omnibus bills bundle multiple pieces of legislation and funding measures into a single document. This approach often results in extremely lengthy bills.

Comprehensive Coverage: It covered funding for all federal agencies, programs, and various legislative priorities for the fiscal year.

Complexity of Modern Governance: Modern legislation includes detailed provisions, amendments, and appropriations, reflecting the complexity of government functions.

Historical Context:

Prior to the 2023 Omnibus Bill, other lengthy federal bills included:

Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (COVID-19 Relief Package):

Approximately 5,593 pages, though only about 1,000 pages pertained to actual legislation. The rest were supplemental documents.

Affordable Care Act (ACA), 2010:

Known as "Obamacare," it had 2,300 pages, making it one of the largest standalone bills.