118th United States Congress

118th United States Congress
U.S. House of Representatives · Public domain · source
Number	118th
Caption	The United States Capitol, meeting place of the 118th Congress
Body	United States Congress
Before	117th United States Congress
After	119th United States Congress
Start	January 3, 2023
End	January 3, 2025
Members	100 Senators, 435 Representatives, 6 non-voting delegates
Session1	January 3, 2023 – January 3, 2024
Session2	January 3, 2024 – January 3, 2025
Us-president	Joe Biden
Us-vice-president	Kamala Harris
Senate-president	Kamala Harris
Senate-majority	Democratic
House-majority	Republican
Senate1	Senate
Senate-maj1	Democratic
Senate-min1	Republican
House1	House
House-maj1	Republican
House-min1	Democratic

118th United States Congress convened on January 3, 2023, and is scheduled to conclude on January 3, 2025. It is the first divided Congress since the 115th United States Congress, with the Democratic Party holding a narrow majority in the United States Senate and the Republican Party holding a narrow majority in the United States House of Representatives. This political configuration has defined its legislative output and internal dynamics, marked by significant partisan conflict and challenges in governance.

Membership

The United States Senate consists of 51 members aligned with the Democratic caucus, including three independents who caucus with the Democrats, and 49 Republicans. Notable new senators include Katie Britt of Alabama, the first woman elected to the Senate from that state, and John Fetterman of Pennsylvania. The United States House of Representatives comprises 221 Republicans and 213 Democrats, with one vacancy, following the 2022 midterm elections. The freshman class in the House includes prominent figures such as George Santos of New York, whose tenure was marked by controversy, and Maxwell Frost of Florida, the first member of Generation Z elected to Congress.

Leadership

In the Senate, Chuck Schumer of New York serves as the Majority Leader, while Mitch McConnell of Kentucky serves as the Minority Leader. The President pro tempore is Patty Murray of Washington. In the House, Kevin McCarthy of California was elected Speaker after a historic 15 ballots, though he was later removed from the position in October 2023, the first such removal in U.S. history. He was succeeded by Mike Johnson of Louisiana. The House Majority Leader is Steve Scalise, also of Louisiana, and the House Minority Leader is Hakeem Jeffries of New York, the first African American to lead a major party in Congress.

Major legislation

Legislative productivity has been constrained by partisan division. Major enacted laws include the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023, which resolved the 2023 United States debt-ceiling crisis and established new spending caps. Congress also passed the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024, authorizing funding for the Department of Defense and setting policies for the U.S. military. Other significant bills that became law include the implementation acts related to semiconductor manufacturing and the bipartisan infrastructure law. However, many major Democratic priorities, such as comprehensive voting rights legislation and significant new climate initiatives, failed to advance in the Republican-controlled House.

Committees

Key Senate committees are chaired by Democrats, including the Appropriations Committee under Patty Murray and the Finance Committee under Ron Wyden of Oregon. In the House, Republican chairs wield significant influence, such as Jim Jordan of Ohio leading the Judiciary Committee and James Comer of Kentucky chairing the Oversight and Accountability Committee, which has pursued investigations into the Biden family. The Ways and Means Committee is chaired by Jason Smith of Missouri. These committees have been central to policy debates and oversight activities, particularly regarding the Biden administration.

Political dynamics

The Congress has been characterized by intense intra-party conflict within the House Republican Conference and persistent gridlock between the chambers. The ouster of Speaker Kevin McCarthy by a motion from Matt Gaetz of Florida highlighted the influence of the conservative Freedom Caucus. Key issues dominating the session include federal spending, aid to Ukraine following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, border security, and oversight of the FBI and Department of Justice. The narrow majorities have empowered individual members, making bipartisan compromise essential for must-pass legislation but often difficult to achieve.

Historical significance

The 118th Congress is historically notable for its protracted fight to elect a Speaker, the first removal of a sitting Speaker, and its overall low legislative output relative to modern congresses. It has functioned during a period of high political polarization, with its proceedings deeply influenced by the upcoming 2024 presidential election. The congressional investigations into Hunter Biden and the impeachment inquiry into Joe Biden are significant events, as is the handling of international crises in Israel and Ukraine. Its legacy will likely be defined by its demonstration of governance challenges under slim partisan majorities and a deeply divided political environment.

Category:118th United States Congress Category:2023 in American politics Category:2024 in American politics