The 119th Congress begins tomorrow. Here is what to know for the 2025 session.
Washington — The 119th Congress begins Friday with Republicans in full management of the Home and Senate for the primary time since 2019.
Nonetheless, there’s the potential for sparks to fly within the Home if Republicans revolt towards Speaker Mike Johnson through the management vote, which is predicted to happen shortly after 12 p.m.
Within the Senate, Republicans will formally take the reins after flipping the bulk within the November elections.
Here is what to know as the brand new Congress convenes in Washington:
When do the brand new members of Congress get sworn in?
The brand new time period of Congress, which lasts two years, begins Friday, when Home members are anticipated to be sworn in. However first, they’re going to need to elect a speaker, which has not come simple for a divided Republican Social gathering within the final two elections to choose their chief.
It took former Home Speaker Kevin McCarthy, a California Republican, 15 rounds to win the gavel in 2023, delaying the swearing-in of recent members by a number of days. McCarthy was ousted months later, and it took Republicans three weeks to coalesce behind Johnson. The Louisiana Republican is hoping to proceed as speaker, however is dealing with some opposition inside his personal social gathering after one other messy combat final month over authorities funding.
The Senate swears in members when it convenes Friday after which strikes on to different enterprise.
How does the speaker’s election work?
Sometimes, a member from every social gathering will nominate a candidate for speaker forward of a vote of all incoming members on the Home flooring. These candidates had been decided in November, when each events individually determined who they might assist for management.
Johnson gained the backing of Republicans for an additional time period. Minority Chief Hakeem Jeffries, a New York Democrat, will probably be nominated by his social gathering. Members should not required to vote for these candidates and will select to assist another person or nobody.
Throughout the roll name vote, members will state aloud who they favor for speaker. The candidate with the vast majority of votes forged wins the speakership. If no candidate wins on the primary spherical, the vote is repeated till somebody secures the bulk.
What’s the new steadiness of energy within the Home and the Senate?
Republicans flipped management of the Senate within the November elections and can have 53 seats. Democrats, together with independents who caucus with them, will management 47.
Within the Home, Republicans held on to their majority, profitable 220 seats. Democrats gained 215. However President-elect Donald Trump tapped three Republican members for positions in his administration, slicing into the social gathering’s already slender margins till particular elections are held within the coming months. Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida additionally stated he wouldn’t take his seat, giving Republicans a 219 to 215 edge.
Johnson will want 218 votes to win the speaker’s election if all members are current and voting.
What do Republicans need to accomplish first?
Republicans’ prime priorities embody immigration and border safety, power coverage and lengthening tax cuts from Trump’s first time period. However whether or not Republicans can shortly accomplish their objectives is dependent upon how unified the social gathering is. They plan to make use of a course of known as finances reconciliation, which might give them the power to move giant parts of their agenda with a easy majority, avoiding the 60-vote threshold wanted for many laws within the Senate.
“It should take plenty of work to construct a consensus amongst all of the Republicans to get it finished,” Johnson instructed Fox Information on Monday.
Trump has additionally known as for the debt ceiling to be elevated, which limits how a lot the federal government can borrow to pay its payments. With out a rise, it is prone to complicate Republicans’ legislative priorities.
Who’re the brand new Home members becoming a member of Congress in 2025?
Greater than 60 new members are becoming a member of the Home this week. They’re:
- Yassamin Ansari, a Democrat from Arizona
- Tom Barrett, a Republican from Michigan
- Michael Baumgartner, a Republican from Washington
- Nick Begich, a Republican from Alaska
- Wesley Bell, a Democrat from Missouri
- Sheri Biggs, a Republican from South Carolina
- Rob Bresnahan, a Republican from Pennsylvania
- Janelle Bynum, a Democrat from Oregon
- Gil Cisneros Jr., a Democrat from California
- Herb Conaway, a Democrat from New Jersey
- Jeff Crank, a Republican from Colorado
- Maxine Dexter, a Democrat from Oregon
- Troy Downing, a Republican from Montana
- Sarah Elfreth, a Democrat from Maryland
- Gabe Evans, a Republican from Colorado
- Julie Fedorchak, a Republican from North Dakota
- Cleo Fields, a Democrat from Louisiana
- Shomari Figures, a Democrat from Alabama
- Laura Friedman, a Democrat from California
- Brandon Gill, a Republican from Texas
- Laura Gillen, a Democrat from New York
- Craig Goldman, a Republican from Texas
- Maggie Goodlander, a Democrat from New Hampshire
- Adam Grey, a Democrat from California
- Abe Hamadeh, a Republican from Arizona
- Mike Haridopolos, a Republican from Florida
- Pat Harrigan, a Republican from North Carolina
- Mark Harris, a Republican from North Carolina
- Jeff Hurd, a Republican from Colorado
- Brian Jack, a Republican from Georgia
- Julie Johnson, a Democrat from Texas
- Mike Kennedy, a Republican from Utah
- Kimberlyn King-Hinds, a Republican from the Northern Mariana Islands (non-voting member)
- Brad Knott, a Republican from North Carolina
- George Latimer, a Democrat from New York
- Sam Liccardo, a Democrat from California
- Ryan Mackenzie, a Republican from Pennsylvania
- John Mannion, a Democrat from New York
- Sarah McBride, a Democrat from Delaware
- April McClain-Delaney, a Democrat from Maryland
- Kristen McDonald Rivet, a Democrat from Michigan
- Addison McDowell, a Republican from North Carolina
- John McGuire, a Republican from Virginia
- Mark Messmer, a Republican from Indiana
- Dave Min, a Democrat from California
- Tim Moore, a Republican from North Carolina
- Riley Moore, a Republican from West Virginia
- Kelly Morrison, a Democrat from Minnesota
- Johnny Olszewski, a Democrat from Maryland
- Bob Onder Jr., a Republican from Missouri
- Nellie Pou, a Democrat from New Jersey
- Emily Randall, a Democrat from Washington
- Josh Riley, a Democrat from New York
- Luz Rivas, a Democrat from California
- Pablo Hernandez Rivera, a Democrat from Puerto Rico (non-voting member)
- Derek Schmidt, a Republican from Kansas
- Jefferson Shreve, a Republican from Indiana
- Lateefah Simon, a Democrat from California
- Marlin Stutzman, a Republican from Indiana
- Suhas Subramanyam, a Democrat from Virginia
- David Taylor, a Republican from Ohio
- Derek Tran, a Democrat from California
- Sylvester Turner, a Democrat from Texas
- Eugene Vindman, a Democrat from Virginia
- George Whitesides, a Democrat from California
Who’re the brand new senators becoming a member of Congress in 2025?
Ten new senators are becoming a member of the higher chamber this 12 months. They embody 4 Democrats and 6 Republicans.
- Angela Alsobrooks, a Democrat from Maryland
- Jim Banks, a Republican from Indiana
- Lisa Blunt Rochester, a Democrat from Delaware
- John Curtis, a Republican from Utah
- Ruben Gallego, a Democrat from Arizona
- Jim Justice, a Republican from West Virginia
- David McCormick, a Republican from Pennsylvania
- Bernie Moreno, a Republican from Ohio
- Tim Sheehy, a Republican from Montana
- Elissa Slotkin, a Democrat from Michigan
Two different new senators, Democrats Adam Schiff of California and Andy Kim of New Jersey, changed their outgoing predecessors early, and had been sworn in in December to have an edge on seniority.
