An Overview of the 117th Congress

The 117th Congress was sworn in on Sunday, starting a new chapter in Congressional history. The 117th Congress is the most diverse in U.S. history, with a record number of women, racial minorities, and members of the LGBTQ community. This Congress also includes a record number of Republican women.

On January 6, 2020, members will meet in a joint session to count the votes of the Electoral College.

Representative Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) was reelected as Speaker of the House with 220 votes. Representative Yvette Herrell (R-NM) became the first Republican Native American woman in Congress. Representative Marilyn Strickland (D-WA) is the first Black woman to represent Washington in Congress. She is also one of the first Korean American women elected to Congress, along with Representatives Young Kim (R-CA) and Michelle Steel (R-CA).

Furthermore, Senator Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) is the first woman to represent Wyoming in the Senate, and Representative Madison Cawthorn (R-NC), 25, is now the youngest person in Congress. Representatives Mondaire Jones (D-NY) and Ritchie Torres (D-NY) are the first two gay Black and Afro-Latino members of Congress, respectively.

This year, several progressive Democrats ousted incumbents to join the ranks of Congress, including Representatives Cori Bush (D-MO) and Jamaal Bowman (D-NY).

A few seats have yet to be filled, including those that will be decided by a runoff Senate election in Georgia between Republican candidates David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler against Democrats Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock. Results from the 22nd district in New York are also being recounted after a tight race between Democratic Representative Anthony Brindisi and former Representative Claudia Tenney.

For more information and a full analysis on the 117th Congress, including rules changes voted on by the Chambers, readers can check out the First Branch Forecast.