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117th 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 presidency and the first two years of Joe Biden's presidency and ended on January 3, 2023.

117th United States Congress
116th ←
→ 118th
United States Capitol (2021)
January 3, 2021 – January 3, 2023
Members100 senators
435 representatives
6 non-voting delegates
Senate majorityRepublican
(until January 20, 2021)
Democratic
(from January 20, 2021)
Senate PresidentMike Pence (R)[a]
(until January 20, 2021)
Kamala Harris (D)
(from January 20, 2021)
House majorityDemocratic
House SpeakerNancy Pelosi (D)
Sessions
1st: January 3, 2021 – January 3, 2022
2nd: January 3, 2022 – January 3, 2023
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 fourth time in U.S. history that the Senate has been evenly split—the first being in the 47th Congress (1881–1883)—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]

Major events

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

Major legislation

Enacted

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

Proposed (but not enacted)

House bills
Senate bills

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 removal from the House of Representatives.
  • H.Res. 332: Recognizing the duty of the Federal Government to create a Green New Deal.

Party summary

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

Senate

  • Senate membership
  • Final (from January 20, 2021)
  • Begin (January 3, 2021 – January 18, 2021)
  • January 18, 2021 – January 20, 2021
 Party
(shading shows control)
TotalVacant
DemocraticIndependent
(caucusing with
Democrats)
Republican
End of previous Congress462521000
Begin (January 3, 2021)[b]46251991
January 18, 2021[c]45982
January 20, 2021[c][d][e]48[f]2501000
Final voting share50.0%50.0% 
Beginning of the next Congress483491000

House of Representatives

  • House membership
  • Final (from December 31, 2022)
  • Begin (January 3, 2021 – January 15, 2021)
  • January 15, 2021 – February 7, 2021
  • February 7, 2021 – February 11, 2021
  • February 11, 2021 – March 10, 2021
  • March 10, 2021 – March 16, 2021
  • March 16, 2021 – April 6, 2021
  • April 6, 2021 – April 14, 2021
  • April 14, 2021 – May 11, 2021
  • May 11, 2021 – May 16, 2021
  • May 16, 2021 – June 14, 2021
  • June 14, 2021 – July 30, 2021
  • July 30, 2021 – November 4, 2021
  • November 4, 2021 – January 1, 2022
  • January 1, 2022 – January 18, 2022
  • January 18, 2022 – February 17, 2022
  • February 17, 2022 – March 18, 2022
  • March 18, 2022 – March 31, 2022
  • March 31, 2022 – May 10, 2022
  • May 10, 2022 – May 25, 2022
  • May 25, 2022 – June 14, 2022
  • June 14, 2022 – June 21, 2022
  • June 21, 2022 – July 12, 2022
  • July 12, 2022 – August 3, 2022
  • August 3, 2022 – August 12, 2022
  • August 12, 2022 – August 31, 2022
  • August 31, 2022 – September 13, 2022
  • September 13, 2022 – September 30, 2022
  • September 30, 2022 – November 14, 2022
  • November 14, 2022 – November 28, 2022
  • November 28, 2022 – December 9, 2022
  • December 9, 2022 – December 30, 2022
  • December 30, 2022 – December 31, 2022
 Party
(shading shows control)
TotalVacant
DemocraticIndependentRepublicanLibertarian
End of previous Congress233119514305
Begin (January 3, 2021)[g][h]222021104332
January 15, 2021[i]2214323
February 7, 2021[j]2104314
February 11, 2021[h]2114323
March 10, 2021[k]2204314
March 16, 2021[l]2194305
April 6, 2021[m]2184296
April 14, 2021[g]2124305
May 11, 2021[i]2194314
May 16, 2021[n]2114305
June 14, 2021[l]2204314
July 30, 2021[j]2124323
November 4, 2021[k][n]2212134341
January 1, 2022[o]2124332
January 18, 2022[m]2224341
February 17, 2022[p]2114332
March 18, 2022[q]2104323
March 31, 2022[r][s]2212094305
May 10, 2022[t]2084296
May 25, 2022[u]2204287
June 14, 2022[o]2094296
June 21, 2022[s]2104305
July 12, 2022[r]2114314
August 3, 2022[v]2104305
August 12, 2022[p]2114314
August 31, 2022[w]2194305
September 13, 2022[q][u][t]2212124332
September 30, 2022[x]2204323
November 14, 2022[v]2134332
November 28, 2022[y]2194323
December 9, 2022[z]2184314
December 30, 2022[aa][ab]2174305
December 31, 2022[ac]2164296
Final voting share50.3%0.0%49.7%0.0% 
Non-voting members402[ad]060
Beginning of the next Congress212022204341

Leadership

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

Senate leadership

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

Presiding

Majority (Democratic) leadership

Minority (Republican) leadership

Demographics

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).
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).

Members

Senate members

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.

Changes in membership

Senate changes
State
(class)		Vacated byReason for changeSuccessorDate of successor's
formal installation[ah]
Georgia
(2)		VacantDavid Perdue's (R) term expired January 3, 2021, before a runoff election could be held.
Successor elected January 5, 2021.[b]		Jon Ossoff
(D)		January 20, 2021
California
(3)		Kamala Harris
(D)		Incumbent resigned on January 18, 2021, to become U.S. Vice President.
Successor appointed January 20, 2021, to complete the term ending January 3, 2023, and later elected to finish in the final weeks of the Congress and a full six-year term.[79]		Alex Padilla
(D)		January 20, 2021
Georgia
(3)		Kelly Loeffler
(R)		Appointee lost election to finish the term.
Successor elected January 5, 2021, for the remainder of the term ending January 3, 2023.		Raphael Warnock
(D)		January 20, 2021
House changes
DistrictVacated byReason for changeSuccessorDate of successor's
formal installation[ah]
New York 22VacantAnthony Brindisi's (D) term expired January 3, 2021, and the seat remained vacant due to the result of the 2020 election being disputed.
On February 5, 2021, a judge declared a winner.[80]		Claudia Tenney
(R)		February 11, 2021[81][33]
Louisiana 5VacantMember-elect Luke Letlow (R) died from COVID-19 on December 29, 2020, before his term started.
A special election was held on March 20, 2021.[30]		Julia Letlow
(R)		April 14, 2021[31]
Louisiana 2Cedric Richmond
(D)		Resigned January 15, 2021, to become Senior Advisor to the President and director of the Office of Public Liaison.[82][83]
A special election was held on March 20, 2021, and a runoff was held on April 24.[82]		Troy Carter
(D)		May 11, 2021
Texas 6Ron Wright
(R)		Died from COVID-19 on February 7, 2021.[36]
A special election was held on May 1, 2021, and a runoff was held on July 27.[84][85]		Jake Ellzey
(R)		July 30, 2021[37]
Ohio 11Marcia Fudge
(D)		Resigned March 10, 2021, to become U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development.[86]
A special election was held on November 2, 2021.		Shontel Brown
(D)		November 4, 2021
New Mexico 1Deb Haaland
(D)		Resigned March 16, 2021, to become U.S. Secretary of the Interior.[87]
A special election was held on June 1, 2021.[87]		Melanie Stansbury
(D)		June 14, 2021
Florida 20Alcee Hastings
(D)		Died from pancreatic cancer on April 6, 2021.
A special election was held on January 11, 2022.[88]		Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick
(D)		January 18, 2022
Ohio 15Steve Stivers
(R)		Resigned May 16, 2021, to become the president and CEO of the Ohio Chamber of Commerce.[89]
A special election was held on November 2, 2021.		Mike Carey
(R)		November 4, 2021
California 22Devin Nunes
(R)		Resigned January 1, 2022, to become the CEO of Trump Media & Technology Group.[45]
A special election was held on June 7, 2022.[90]		Connie Conway
(R)		June 14, 2022
Minnesota 1Jim Hagedorn
(R)		Died from kidney cancer on February 17, 2022.
A special election was held on August 9, 2022.[91]		Brad Finstad
(R)		August 12, 2022
Alaska at-largeDon Young
(R)		Died on March 18, 2022.
A special election was held on August 16, 2022.[92]		Mary Peltola
(D)		September 13, 2022
Nebraska 1Jeff Fortenberry
(R)		Resigned March 31, 2022, due to criminal conviction.
A special election was held on June 28, 2022.[93]		Mike Flood
(R)		July 12, 2022
Texas 34Filemon Vela Jr.
(D)		Resigned March 31, 2022, to join Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld.
A special election was held on June 14, 2022.[53]		Mayra Flores
(R)		June 21, 2022
New York 23Tom Reed
(R)		Resigned May 10, 2022, to join Prime Policy Group.
A special election was held on August 23, 2022.[55]		Joe Sempolinski
(R)		September 13, 2022[56]
New York 19Antonio Delgado
(D)		Resigned May 25, 2022, to become lieutenant governor of New York.
A special election was held on August 23, 2022.[57]		Pat Ryan
(D)		September 13, 2022[56]
Indiana 2Jackie Walorski
(R)		Died in a car collision on August 3, 2022.
A special election was held on November 8, 2022.[94]		Rudy Yakym
(R)		November 14, 2022
Florida 13Charlie Crist
(D)		Resigned August 31, 2022, to focus on the 2022 Florida gubernatorial election.[60]Vacant until the next Congress
Florida 22Ted Deutch
(D)		Resigned September 30, 2022, to become CEO of the American Jewish Committee.[61]Vacant until the next Congress
Virginia 4Donald McEachin
(D)		Died November 28, 2022, from colorectal cancer.[62]Vacant until the next Congress
California 37Karen Bass
(D)		Resigned December 9, 2022, to become the Mayor of Los Angeles.[63]Vacant until the next Congress
North Carolina 1G. K. Butterfield
(D)		Resigned December 30, 2022, to accept a lobbying position.[64]Vacant until the next Congress
Pennsylvania 18Mike Doyle
(D)		Resigned December 31, 2022, to join K&L Gates.[65]Vacant until the next Congress

Committees

Section contents: Senate, House, Joint

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.[95]

CommitteeChairRanking Member
Aging (Special)Bob Casey Jr. (D-PA)Tim Scott (R-SC)
Agriculture, Nutrition and ForestryDebbie Stabenow (D-MI)John Boozman (R-AR)
AppropriationsPatrick Leahy (D-VT)Richard Shelby (R-AL)
Armed ServicesJack Reed (D-RI)Jim Inhofe (R-OK)
Banking, Housing and Urban AffairsSherrod Brown (D-OH)Pat Toomey (R-PA)
BudgetBernie Sanders (I-VT)Lindsey Graham (R-SC)
Commerce, Science and TransportationMaria Cantwell (D-WA)Roger Wicker (R-MS)
Energy and Natural ResourcesJoe Manchin (D-WV)John Barrasso (R-WY)
Environment and Public WorksTom Carper (D-DE)Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV)
Ethics (Select)Chris Coons (D-DE)James Lankford (R-OK)
FinanceRon Wyden (D-OR)Mike Crapo (R-ID)
Foreign RelationsBob Menendez (D-NJ)Jim Risch (R-ID)
Health, Education, Labor and PensionsPatty Murray (D-WA)Richard Burr (R-NC)
Homeland Security and Governmental AffairsGary Peters (D-MI)Rob Portman (R-OH)
Indian Affairs (Permanent Select)Brian Schatz (D-HI)Lisa Murkowski (R-AK)
Intelligence (Select)Mark Warner (D-VA)Marco Rubio (R-FL)
International Narcotics Control (Permanent Caucus)Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI)Chuck Grassley (R-IA)
JudiciaryDick Durbin (D-IL)Chuck Grassley (R-IA)
Rules and AdministrationAmy Klobuchar (D-MN)Roy Blunt (R-MO)
Small Business and EntrepreneurshipBen Cardin (D-MD)Rand Paul (R-KY)
Veterans' AffairsJon Tester (D-MT)Jerry Moran (R-KS)

House committees

CommitteeChairRanking Member
AgricultureDavid Scott (D-GA)Glenn Thompson (R-PA)
AppropriationsRosa DeLauro (D-CT)Kay Granger (R-TX)
Armed ServicesAdam Smith (D-WA)Mike Rogers (R-AL)
BudgetJohn Yarmuth (D-KY)Jason Smith (R-MO)
Climate Crisis (Select)Kathy Castor (D-FL)Garret Graves (R-LA)
Economic Disparity and Fairness in Growth (Select)Jim Himes (D-CT)Bryan Steil (R-WI)
Education and LaborBobby Scott (D-VA)Virginia Foxx (R-NC)
Energy and CommerceFrank Pallone (D-NJ)Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA)
EthicsSusan Wild (D-PA)[ai]Michael Guest (R-MS)[aj]
Financial ServicesMaxine Waters (D-CA)Patrick McHenry (R-NC)
Foreign AffairsGregory Meeks (D-NY)Mike McCaul (R-TX)
Homeland SecurityBennie Thompson (D-MS)John Katko (R-NY)
House AdministrationZoe Lofgren (D-CA)Rodney Davis (R-IL)
Intelligence (Permanent Select)Adam Schiff (D-CA)Mike Turner (R-OH)
JudiciaryJerry Nadler (D-NY)Jim Jordan (R-OH)
Modernization of Congress (Select)Derek Kilmer (D-WA)William Timmons (R-SC)
Natural ResourcesRaúl Grijalva (D-AZ)Bruce Westerman (R-AR)
Oversight and ReformCarolyn Maloney (D-NY)Jim Comer (R-KY)
RulesJim McGovern (D-MA)Tom Cole (R-OK)
Science, Space and TechnologyEddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX)Frank Lucas (R-OK)
Small BusinessNydia Velázquez (D-NY)Blaine Luetkemeyer (R-MO)
Transportation and InfrastructurePeter DeFazio (D-OR)Sam Graves (R-MO)
Veterans' AffairsMark Takano (D-CA)Mike Bost (R-IL)
Ways and MeansRichard Neal (D-MA)Kevin Brady (R-TX)

Joint committees

CommitteeChairVice ChairRanking MemberVice Ranking Member
EconomicRep. Don Beyer (D-VA)Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-NM)Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT)Rep. David Schweikert (R-AZ)
Inaugural Ceremonies (Special)
until January 20, 2021		Sen. Roy Blunt (R-MO)Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA)Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA)Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN)
LibraryRep. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA)Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN)Sen. Roy Blunt (R-MO)Rep. Rodney Davis (R-IL)
PrintingSen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN)Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA)Rep. Rodney Davis (R-IL)Sen. Roy Blunt (R-MO)
Taxation[ak]Rep. Richard Neal (D-MA)Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR)Sen. Mike Crapo (R-ID)Rep. Kevin Brady (R-TX)

Officers and officials

Senate officers and officials

House officers and officials

Legislative branch agency directors

See also

Notes

References

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