111th Congress, 2nd Session
Cannon House Office Building: A Congressional First
Cannon Room 311
Room 311 in the Cannon building typifies the original appearance of committee hearing rooms. Today Americans are used to highly accessible congressional hearings, available on television and widely reported in the press. Such public hearings became popular with the introduction of spaces like this one. Committee space in the Capitol was cramped, and these well-lit, expansive rooms were a much-needed change. Committees held public hearings that accommodated many more witnesses and observers and that ultimately were opened to radio and television coverage.
The decorations here deliberately remind Representatives and visitors of the grand purpose of American democracy. Eagles adorn the mahogany rostrum and the window valances. Coffered, vaulted ceilings recall the architecture of ancient Greece and Rome. Bundles of rods held together with ribbon, signifying strength in unity, are carved into the rostrum, where committee members gather to discuss issues and forge legislation.
In keeping with its grandeur, Cannon Room 311 was initially occupied by the powerful Ways and Means Committee. After that committee moved to the Longworth House Office Building in 1933, the room was used by several other committees: Armed Services, Internal Security, Post Office and Civil Service, and Small Business. The Committee on Homeland Security now makes its home here.
Cannon Room 311 Collection of the U.S. House of Representatives
