 Representatives who return to the House, after having previously served, are credited with service equal to one less than the total number of terms they served.When a representative has served a prior term of less than two terms (i.e., prior term minus one equals less than one), the member is ranked above all others whose service begins on the same day.At the start of the 65th Congress in 1917, the committee assignments were made by each party and then formally approved by the whole House.