116th United States Congress

116th United States Congress
Congress	116th
Start	January 3, 2019
End	January 3, 2021
Before	115th United States Congress
After	117th United States Congress
Pro tem	Chuck Grassley
Speaker	Nancy Pelosi
Majority leader	Mitch McConnell (Senate), Steny Hoyer (House)
Minority leader	Chuck Schumer (Senate), Kevin McCarthy (House)
Members	100 senators, 435 representatives, 6 non-voting delegates
Sessionstart1	January 3, 2019
Sessionend1	January 3, 2021

116th United States Congress was the meeting of the legislative branch of the federal government from January 3, 2019, to January 3, 2021. It convened in Washington, D.C. during the final two years of the first term of President Donald Trump. The Democratic Party controlled the House of Representatives, while the Republican Party maintained its majority in the Senate.

Major legislation

The 116th Congress passed several significant bills, including the First Step Act, a bipartisan criminal justice reform measure. It also enacted the United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement (USMCA), which replaced NAFTA after extensive negotiations. Major appropriations bills included the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020 and substantial emergency spending in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, such as the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act). Other notable laws were the John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019 and the Great American Outdoors Act.

Leadership

In the Senate, Mitch McConnell of Kentucky served as Majority Leader, with John Thune as Majority Whip. The Democratic minority was led by Chuck Schumer of New York, with Dick Durbin as Whip. Chuck Grassley of Iowa presided as President pro tempore. In the House, Nancy Pelosi of California was elected Speaker, with Steny Hoyer of Maryland as Majority Leader. The Republican minority was led by Kevin McCarthy of California.

Party summary

At its start, the Senate consisted of 53 Republicans, 45 Democrats, and two independents (Bernie Sanders and Angus King) who caucused with the Democrats. The House began with 235 Democrats, 199 Republicans, and one vacancy. This composition shifted slightly due to special elections and party switches, such as Representative Justin Amash leaving the Republican conference to become an independent.

Major events

Key events included the longest government shutdown in U.S. history from December 2018 into January 2019. The Congress oversaw the impeachment of President Donald Trump by the House in December 2019 on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress; he was acquitted by the Senate in February 2020. The global COVID-19 pandemic dominated the latter half of the term, leading to unprecedented economic relief legislation. The period also included widespread protests following the killing of George Floyd and the presidential election.

Committees

Significant Senate committees were chaired by Republicans, including Jim Risch on the Foreign Relations Committee, Richard Shelby on the Appropriations Committee, and Lindsey Graham on the Judiciary Committee. In the House, Democratic chairs included Adam Schiff on the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, Maxine Waters on the Financial Services Committee, and Jerrold Nadler on the Judiciary Committee. The Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress was also established.

Members

The Senate included notable figures such as Mitt Romney of Utah, the only Republican senator to vote to convict Donald Trump during the impeachment trial. Freshman senators included Rick Scott of Florida and Josh Hawley of Missouri. The House saw a historic influx of new members, including the youngest woman ever elected, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, and the first two Muslim women, Ilhan Omar of Minnesota and Rashida Tlaib of Michigan. Other prominent representatives were Liz Cheney of Wyoming and Hakeem Jeffries of New York.

Category:116th United States Congress Category:2019 in American politics Category:2020 in American politics