Top Qs
Timeline
Chat
Perspective

117th United States Congress

2021–2023 meeting of U.S. legislature From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

117th United States Congress
Remove ads
For a general discussion of the United States government's legislative branch, see United States Congress.

The 117th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It convened in Washington, D.C., on January 3, 2021, during the final weeks of Donald Trump's first presidency and the first two years of Joe Biden's presidency and ended on January 3, 2023.

Quick Facts January 3, 2021 – January 3, 2023, Members ...
Remove ads
Thumb
117th U.S. Congress House of Representatives member pin

The 2020 elections decided control of both chambers. In the House of Representatives, the Democratic Party retained their majority, albeit reduced from the 116th Congress. It was similar in size to the majority held by the Republican Party during the 83rd Congress (1953–1955).

In the Senate, Republicans briefly held the majority at the start; however, on January 20, 2021, three new Democratic senators – Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock of Georgia and Alex Padilla of California – were sworn in, resulting in 50 seats held by Republicans, 48 seats held by Democrats, and two held by independents who caucus with the Democrats. Effectively, this created a 50–50 split, which had not occurred since the 107th Congress in 2001. This was only the third time in U.S. history that the Senate had been evenly split, and the longest-lasting one ever.[1][2]

The new senators were sworn into office by Vice President Kamala Harris, just hours after her inauguration. With Harris serving as the tie breaker in her constitutional role as President of the Senate, Democrats gained control of the Senate, and thereby full control of Congress for the first time since the 111th Congress ended in 2011. Additionally, with the inauguration of Joe Biden as president that same day, Democrats assumed control of the executive branch as well, attaining an overall federal government trifecta, also for the first time since the 111th Congress.

Despite Democrats holding thin majorities in both chambers during a period of intense political polarization, the 117th Congress oversaw the passage of numerous significant bills,[3][4] including the Inflation Reduction Act, American Rescue Plan Act, Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, Postal Service Reform Act, Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, CHIPS and Science Act, Honoring Our PACT Act, Electoral Count Reform and Presidential Transition Improvement Act, and Respect for Marriage Act.[4]

Remove ads

Major events

Thumb
January 6 United States Capitol attack (January 6, 2021)
Thumb
Joe Biden takes the oath of office as the 46th president of the United States
Thumb
President Biden during his 2021 speech to a joint session of Congress, with Vice President Kamala Harris and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi
Thumb
President Biden during the 2022 State of the Union Address
Thumb
Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson shortly after she was confirmed by the United States Senate, joined by President Biden and Vice President Harris.
Further information: 2021 in the United States and 2022 in the United States
Remove ads

Major legislation

Enacted

Thumb
President Biden signed the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 into law, March 11, 2021
Thumb
President Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act into law, June 17, 2021
Thumb
President Biden signed the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act into law, November 15, 2021
Thumb
President Biden signed the Emmett Till Antilynching Act into law, March 29, 2022
Thumb
President Biden signed the Ukraine Democracy Defense Lend-Lease Act of 2022 into law, May 9, 2022
Thumb
President Biden signed the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act into law, June 25, 2022
Thumb
President Biden signed the CHIPS and Science Act into law, August 9, 2022
Thumb
President Biden signed the Honoring Our PACT Act into law, August 10, 2022
Thumb
President Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act into law, August 16, 2022
Thumb
President Biden signed the Respect for Marriage Act into law, December 13, 2022
Thumb
President Biden signed the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023 into law, December 29, 2022
Main article: List of acts of the 117th United States Congress

Proposed (but not enacted)

Main article: List of bills in the 117th United States Congress
House bills
Senate bills
Remove ads

Major resolutions

Adopted

  • H.Res. 21: Calling on Vice President Michael R. Pence to convene and mobilize the principal officers of the executive departments of the Cabinet to activate section 4 of the 25th Amendment to declare President Donald J. Trump incapable of executing the duties of his office and to immediately exercise powers as acting president.
  • H.Res. 24 (Second impeachment of Donald Trump): Impeaching Donald John Trump, President of the United States, for high crimes and misdemeanors.
  • S.Res. 5: A resolution honoring the memory of Officer Brian David Sicknick of the United States Capitol Police for his selfless acts of heroism on the grounds of the United States Capitol on January 6, 2021.
  • H.Res. 72 (Removal of Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene from committee assignments): Removing a certain Member from certain standing committees of the House of Representatives
  • H.Res. 134: Condemning the 2021 Myanmar coup d'état.
  • H.Res. 730: Recommending that the House of Representatives find Stephen K. Bannon in contempt of Congress for refusal to comply with a subpoena duly issued by the Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol..
  • H.Res. 789: Censuring Representative Paul Gosar.
  • H.J.Res. 100: To provide for a resolution with respect to the unresolved disputes between certain railroads represented by the National Carriers' Conference Committee of the National Railway Labor Conference and certain of their employees.

Proposed

  • H.Res. 14: Censuring and condemning President Donald J. Trump for attempting to overturn the results of the November 2020 presidential election in the State of Georgia.
  • H.J.Res. 17: Removing the deadline for the ratification of the equal rights amendment.
  • H.Res. 25: Directing the Committee on Ethics to investigate, and issue a report on, whether any and all actions taken by Members of the 117th Congress who sought to overturn the 2020 Presidential election violated their oath of office to uphold the Constitution or the Rules of the House of Representatives, and should face sanction, including expulsion from the House of Representatives.
  • H.Res. 332: Recognizing the duty of the Federal Government to create a Green New Deal.
Remove ads

Party summary

Resignations and new members are discussed in the "Changes in membership" section below.

Senate

  • Senate membership
  • Thumb
    Final (from January 20, 2021)
  • Thumb
    Begin (January 3, 2021 – January 18, 2021)
  • Thumb
    January 18, 2021 – January 20, 2021
More information Party(shading shows control), Total ...

House of Representatives


  • House membership
  • Thumb
    Final (from December 31, 2022)
  • Thumb
    Begin (January 3, 2021 – January 15, 2021)
  • Thumb
    January 15, 2021 – February 7, 2021
  • Thumb
    February 7, 2021 – February 11, 2021
  • Thumb
    February 11, 2021 – March 10, 2021
  • Thumb
    March 10, 2021 – March 16, 2021
  • Thumb
    March 16, 2021 – April 6, 2021
  • Thumb
    April 6, 2021 – April 14, 2021
  • Thumb
    April 14, 2021 – May 11, 2021
  • Thumb
    May 11, 2021 – May 16, 2021
  • Thumb
    May 16, 2021 – June 14, 2021
  • Thumb
    June 14, 2021 – July 30, 2021
  • Thumb
    July 30, 2021 – November 4, 2021
  • Thumb
    November 4, 2021 – January 1, 2022
  • Thumb
    January 1, 2022 – January 18, 2022
  • Thumb
    January 18, 2022 – February 17, 2022
  • Thumb
    February 17, 2022 – March 18, 2022
  • Thumb
    March 18, 2022 – March 31, 2022
  • Thumb
    March 31, 2022 – May 10, 2022
  • Thumb
    May 10, 2022 – May 25, 2022
  • Thumb
    May 25, 2022 – June 14, 2022
  • Thumb
    June 14, 2022 – June 21, 2022
  • Thumb
    June 21, 2022 – July 12, 2022
  • Thumb
    July 12, 2022 – August 3, 2022
  • Thumb
    August 3, 2022 – August 12, 2022
  • Thumb
    August 12, 2022 – August 31, 2022
  • Thumb
    August 31, 2022 – September 13, 2022
  • Thumb
    September 13, 2022 – September 30, 2022
  • Thumb
    September 30, 2022 – November 14, 2022
  • Thumb
    November 14, 2022 – November 28, 2022
  • Thumb
    November 28, 2022 – December 9, 2022
  • Thumb
    December 9, 2022 – December 30, 2022
  • Thumb
    December 30, 2022 – December 31, 2022
More information Party(shading shows control), Total ...
Remove ads

Leadership

Summarize
Perspective

Note: Democrats refer to themselves as a "caucus"; Republicans refer to themselves as a "conference".

Senate leadership

Senate President
Thumb
Mike Pence (R),
until January 20, 2021
Thumb
Kamala Harris (D),
from January 20, 2021
Senate President pro tempore
Thumb
Chuck Grassley (R),
until January 20, 2021
Thumb
Patrick Leahy (D),
from January 20, 2021

Presiding

Democratic leadership

(minority until January 20, 2021, majority thereafter)

Republican leadership

(majority until January 20, 2021, minority thereafter)

House leadership

House Speaker
Thumb
Nancy Pelosi (D)

Presiding

See also: 2021 Speaker of the United States House of Representatives election

Majority (Democratic) leadership

Minority (Republican) leadership

Remove ads

Demographics

Thumb
There are 57 African American members of the US House (blue), 47 Hispanics and Latinos (red), 5 Native Americans (yellow), 18 Asian Americans (green), and 314 Whites/European American (gray). 117th Congress (2021–2023).
Thumb
There are 3 African American members of the US Senate (blue), 7 Hispanics or Latinos (red), 0 Native Americans, 2 Asian Americans (green), and 88 European Americans (gray). 117th Congress (2021–2023).
Remove ads

Members

Summarize
Perspective

Senate members

For year of birth, when first took office, prior background, and education, see List of current United States senators.

The numbers refer to their Senate classes. All class 1 senators are in the middle of their term (2019–2025), having been elected in 2018 and facing re-election in 2024. Class 2 senators are at the beginning of their term (2021–2027), having been elected in 2020 and facing re-election in 2026. Class 3 senators are at the end of their term (2017–2023), having been elected in 2016 and facing re-election in 2022.

House members

All 435 seats for voting members, along with the six non-voting delegates were filled by election in November 2020.

Further information: List of current members of the United States House of Representatives
Remove ads

Changes in membership

See also: List of special elections to the United States Senate, List of special elections to the United States House of Representatives, 2021 United States House of Representatives elections, and 2022 United States House of Representatives elections § Special elections
More information State (class), Vacated by ...
More information District, Vacated by ...
Remove ads

Committees

Summarize
Perspective

Section contents: Senate, House, Joint

Senate committees

Main article: List of United States Senate committees

Prior to the passing of an organizing resolution on February 3, 2021, chairs of Senate committees remained the same as in the 116th Congress. Where the chair had retired (as in the Agriculture, Budget, and HELP committees), the chair was vacant.[97]

More information Committee, Chair ...

House committees

Main article: List of United States House of Representatives committees
More information Committee, Chair ...

Joint committees

Main article: List of current United States congressional joint committees
More information Committee, Chair ...

Officers and officials

Senate officers and officials

House officers and officials

Legislative branch agency directors

See also

Notes

  1. U.S. Vice President Mike Pence's term as President of the Senate ended at noon January 20, 2021, when Kamala Harris's term began.
  2. The Congress began with 51 Republicans, 48 Democrats (including 2 independents who caucus with the Democrats) and 1 vacancy in the Senate. Georgia's class 2 seat was vacant from the start until Democrat Jon Ossoff was seated January 20, 2021. Georgia's class 3 Republican interim appointee Kelly Loeffler served until Democrat Raphael Warnock was seated also on January 20.[27]
  3. In California: Kamala Harris (D) resigned January 18, 2021, to become U.S. Vice President.
    Alex Padilla (D) was appointed to complete the unexpired term and began serving January 20.[28]
  4. In Georgia: Kelly Loeffler (R) lost a special election to finish the term.
    Jon Ossoff (D) and Raphael Warnock (D) began their service January 20, 2021.[29][30]
  5. Kamala Harris (D) became U.S. Vice President January 20, 2021, with the tie-breaking vote. The Senate elected Patrick Leahy to serve as President pro tempore also began on January 20.
  6. In Arizona: Kyrsten Sinema declared that she left the Democratic Party to become an independent politician on December 9, 2022.[19] She was still recognized as a Democrat by the Senate throughout the Congress, and did not formally switch her affiliation until the beginning of the 118th Congress.[31]
  7. In Louisiana's 5th district: member-elect Luke Letlow (R) died December 29, 2020, before the term started, and Julia Letlow (R) was elected March 20, 2021. She was sworn in on April 14.[32][33]
  8. In New York's 22nd district: the term began with the previous election disputed; Claudia Tenney was declared the winner[34] and was sworn in February 11, 2021.[35]
  9. In Louisiana's 2nd district: Cedric Richmond (D) resigned January 15, 2021, and Troy Carter (D) was elected April 14, 2021. He was sworn in on May 11.[36][37]
  10. In Texas's 6th district: Ron Wright (R) died February 7, 2021, and Jake Ellzey (R) was elected July 27, 2021. He was sworn in on July 30.[38][39]
  11. In Ohio's 11th district: Marcia Fudge (D) resigned March 10, 2021, and Shontel Brown (D) was elected November 2, 2021. She was sworn in on November 4.[40][41]
  12. In New Mexico's 1st district: Deb Haaland (D) resigned March 16, 2021, and Melanie Stansbury (D) was elected June 1, 2021. She was sworn in on June 14.[42][43]
  13. In Florida's 20th district: Alcee Hastings (D) died April 6, 2021, and Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D) was elected January 11, 2022. She was sworn in on January 18.[44][45]
  14. In Ohio's 15th district: Steve Stivers (R) resigned May 16, 2021, and Mike Carey (R) was elected November 2, 2021. He was sworn in on November 4.[46][41]
  15. In California's 22nd district: Devin Nunes (R) resigned January 1, 2022, and Connie Conway (R) was elected on June 7, 2022. She was sworn in on June 14.[47][48]
  16. In Minnesota's 1st district: Jim Hagedorn (R) died February 17, 2022, and Brad Finstad (R) was elected August 9, 2022. He was sworn in on August 12.[49][50]
  17. In Alaska's at-large district: Don Young (R) died March 18, 2022, and Mary Peltola (D) was elected August 16, 2022. She was sworn in on September 13.[51][52]
  18. In Nebraska's 1st district: Jeff Fortenberry (R) resigned March 31, 2022, and Mike Flood (R) was elected June 28, 2022. He was sworn in on July 12.[53][54]
  19. In Texas's 34th district: Filemon Vela Jr. (D) resigned March 31, 2022, and Mayra Flores (R) was elected June 14, 2022. She was sworn in on June 21.[55][56]
  20. In New York's 23rd district: Tom Reed (R) resigned May 10, 2022, and Joe Sempolinski (R) was elected August 23, 2022. He was sworn in on September 13.[57][58]
  21. In New York's 19th district: Antonio Delgado (D) resigned May 25, 2022, and Pat Ryan (D) was elected August 23, 2022. He was sworn in on September 13.[59][58]
  22. In Indiana's 2nd district: Jackie Walorski (R) died August 3, 2022, and Rudy Yakym (R) was elected November 8, 2022. He was sworn in on November 14.[60][61]
  23. In Florida's 13th district: Charlie Crist (D) resigned August 31, 2022.[62]
  24. In Florida's 22nd district: Ted Deutch (D) resigned September 30, 2022.[63]
  25. In Virginia's 4th district: Donald McEachin (D) died November 28, 2022.[64]
  26. In California's 37th district: Karen Bass (D) resigned December 9, 2022.[65]
  27. In North Carolina's 1st district: G. K. Butterfield (D) resigned December 30, 2022.[66]
  28. Congress had already adjourned by the time of this resignation
  29. In Pennsylvania's 18th district: Mike Doyle (D) resigned December 31, 2022.[67]
  30. Includes a New Progressive Party member who is also affiliated as a Republican.
  31. Caucuses with Democrats.
  32. The Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (DFL) is the Minnesota affiliate of the U.S. Democratic Party and its members are counted as Democrats.
  33. Miller-Meeks was provisionally seated with the rest of the 117th Congress, pending the challenge by her opponent Rita Hart.[79] Hart withdrew her challenge on March 31, 2021.[80]
  34. When seated or oath administered, not necessarily when service began.
  35. Wild was named chair when Ted Deutch resigned from office on September 30, 2022.
  36. Guest was named ranking member when Jackie Walorski died in office on August 3, 2022.[98]
  37. The Joint Taxation Committee leadership rotate the chair and vice chair and the ranking members between the House and Senate at the start of each session in the middle of the congressional term. The first session leadership is shown here.

References

External links

Loading related searches...

Wikiwand - on

Seamless Wikipedia browsing. On steroids.

Remove ads