C. William Ramseyer

Christian William Ramseyer (March 13, 1875 - November 1, 1943) was a U.S. Representative from Iowa's no longer existing 6th congressional district.

Born near Collinsville, Ohio, Ramseyer moved to Davis County, Iowa, in 1887 and settled near Pulaski.He attended the public schools.He was graduated from the Southern Iowa Normal School in 1897 and from Iowa State Teachers College, Cedar Falls, Iowa, in 1902.He taught school for nine years.He was principal and later superintendent of the Bloomfield High School.He was graduated from the law department of the University of Iowa at Iowa City in 1906.He was admitted to the bar the same year and commenced the practice of law in Bloomfield, Iowa.He served as prosecuting attorney of Davis County 1911-1915.

Ramseyer was elected as a Republican to the Sixty-fourth and to the eight succeeding Congresses (March 4, 1915-March 3, 1933).He was an unsuccessful candidate for renomination in 1932 to the Seventy-third Congress.He served as commissioner for the United States Court of Claims, Washington, D.C., from 1933 until his death in Washington, D.C., on November 1, 1943.He was interred in Odd Fellows Cemetery, Bloomfield, Iowa.

Congressman Ramseyer originated what is now known as the Ramseyer Rule (Clause 3(e) of Rule XIII of the [Rules of the House of Representatives] ) that requires bills to show exactly how a bill would change existing law. Bills reported out of full House committees now include 'ramseyering' which shows repealed or deleted portions of existing law surrounded in boldface brackets, and new additions to law shown in italic typeface. These conventions have been adopted by many other legislative bodies. A ramseyer document shows only those provisions of existing federal statutes which are amended by the bill (as reported) and is included in the House report filed by the full committee. The ramseyer document precedes House floor action. The accompanying bill could be considered and may be amended followed by a recorded vote on the House floor by all members of the U.S. House of Representatives.

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