117th United States Congress

117th United States Congress
Beyond My Ken · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Congress	117th
Start	January 3, 2021
End	January 3, 2023
Before	116th United States Congress
After	118th United States Congress
Session1	January 3, 2021 – January 3, 2022
Session2	January 3, 2022 – January 3, 2023
Pro tem	Patrick Leahy
Senate majority	Democratic
Senate minority	Republican
House speaker	Nancy Pelosi
House majority	Democratic
House minority	Republican
Senators	100
House reps	435 (+6 non-voting)
Senate majority leader	Chuck Schumer
Senate minority leader	Mitch McConnell
House majority leader	Steny Hoyer
House minority leader	Kevin McCarthy

117th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the federal government, convening from January 3, 2021, to January 3, 2023. It was convened during the final weeks of the Trump administration and the first two years of the Biden administration. The Democratic Party held a narrow majority in both the Senate and the House of Representatives, though control of the Senate shifted following the 2021 Georgia runoff elections and was maintained by the tie-breaking vote of Vice President Kamala Harris.

Membership

The Senate was composed of 50 Republicans, 48 Democrats, and 2 independents—Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Angus King of Maine—who caucused with the Democrats, creating a 50-50 partisan division. The House of Representatives consisted of 222 Democrats and 213 Republicans following the 2020 elections, one of the slimmest majorities in modern history. Notable new senators included Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock from Georgia, whose victories shifted the chamber's balance. The House welcomed a diverse freshman class, including Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia and Cori Bush of Missouri.

Major legislation

Significant enacted legislation included the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, a $1.9 trillion economic stimulus package responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, a bipartisan $1.2 trillion bill funding improvements to roads, bridges, and broadband, was signed into law in November 2021. The CHIPS and Science Act, aimed at boosting domestic semiconductor manufacturing and scientific research, passed in 2022. Furthermore, the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, a major climate, healthcare, and tax bill, was passed via the budget reconciliation process. Other notable laws were the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act and the First Step Act implementation reforms.

Leadership

In the Senate, Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York served as Majority Leader, while Republican leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky was the Minority Leader. The President pro tempore was Patrick Leahy of Vermont. In the House, Nancy Pelosi of California was re-elected Speaker, with Steny Hoyer of Maryland as Majority Leader and Kevin McCarthy of California as Minority Leader.

Committees

Key Senate committees were chaired by Democrats, including Ron Wyden on the Finance Committee, Bernie Sanders on the Budget Committee, and Bob Menendez on the Foreign Relations Committee. Influential House committees were led by figures such as Adam Smith on the Armed Services Committee, Maxine Waters on the Financial Services Committee, and Jerrold Nadler on the Judiciary Committee. The Select Committee on the January 6 Attack was established under Chairman Bennie Thompson.

Major events

The congress opened days before the attack on the United States Capitol, which delayed the certification of the 2020 presidential election results. It oversaw the second impeachment trial of Donald Trump, where he was acquitted by the Senate. The U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan and the subsequent fall of Kabul in August 2021 prompted significant congressional scrutiny. Other major events included multiple debates over the debt-ceiling, the Supreme Court decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, and the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Elections and appointments

The 2022 midterm elections determined the composition of the succeeding 118th United States Congress, with Republicans winning a narrow majority in the House. During the term, the Senate confirmed Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court, the first Black woman to serve as a justice. It also confirmed numerous members of President Biden's Cabinet, including Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin. Several special elections were held to fill vacancies, including for the seat of the late Senator John McCain's successor.