117th United States Congress
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| 117th United States Congress | |
|---|---|
 Beyond My Ken · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source | |
| Name | 117th United States Congress |
| Term start | January 3, 2021 |
| Term end | January 3, 2023 |
| Vice president | Kamala Harris |
| Pro tempore | Patrick Leahy |
| Speaker | Nancy Pelosi (until Jan 3, 2023) |
| House majority | Democratic Party (United States) |
| Senate majority | Divided (organized under Democratic Party (United States) with tie-breaking Vice President of the United States) |
| Sessions | 1st (2021), 2nd (2022) |
117th United States Congress convened from January 3, 2021, to January 3, 2023, overlapping the end of the Donald Trump era and the first two years of the Joe Biden presidency. The period encompassed major national events including the aftermath of the 2020 United States presidential election, the certification challenges tied to the January 6 United States Capitol attack, and federal responses to the COVID-19 pandemic. This Congress passed and debated high-profile measures affecting infrastructure, social policy, and foreign affairs while operating under a narrowly divided United States Senate and a Democratic majority in the United States House of Representatives.
Membership
The chamber composition featured a 50–50 split in the United States Senate with two independents caucusing with the Democratic Party (United States), and a Democratic majority in the United States House of Representatives that was slimmer than in the previous Congress. Key Senate members included majority leader Chuck Schumer, minority leader Mitch McConnell, and freshman senators such as Jon Ossoff and Raffensperger-adjacent figures; historic members included senior senators Dianne Feinstein, Patrick Leahy, and Bernie Sanders. The House roster contained prominent members such as Speaker Nancy Pelosi, minority leader Kevin McCarthy, Progressive Caucus leaders like Pramila Jayapal and centrist figures such as Steny Hoyer and Jim Clyburn. Representatives involved in major committee roles included Adam Schiff, Jerrold Nadler, Kay Granger, and Richard Neal. Delegates and non-voting members included representatives from Puerto Rico, Guam, and the District of Columbia.
Leadership and Committee Chairs
Senate leadership was led by Chuck Schumer as majority leader and Mitch McConnell as minority leader; committee chairs included Sherrod Brown (Banking), Ron Wyden (Finance), Patty Murray (Health, Education, Labor and Pensions), and Bernie Sanders (Budget). In the House, Nancy Pelosi served as Speaker with Steny Hoyer as majority leader and James Clyburn as majority whip; Republican leadership featured Kevin McCarthy as minority leader and deputies including Steve Scalise and Liz Cheney prior to her removal from leadership. Committee chairmanships featured Maxine Waters (Financial Services), Richard Neal (Ways and Means), Earl Blumenauer and others across policy panels, while oversight and impeachment-related work involved chairs Jerrold Nadler (Judiciary) and Adam Schiff (Intelligence). Select committee leadership included members of the House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack, such as Bennie Thompson and Liz Cheney prior to her ouster from GOP leadership.
Major Legislation and Actions
Major enacted measures included the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, and budgetary resolutions tied to Build Back Better proposals, alongside tax and spending legislation under the Congressional Budget Office and congressional budgeting processes. Emergency authorizations and oversight targeted federal pandemic responses directed by agencies like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and National Institutes of Health, and appropriations impacted agencies including the Department of Defense and Department of Health and Human Services. Foreign policy actions included sanctions votes referencing Russia after the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, arms sales oversight connected to Israel and Saudi Arabia, and hearings addressing relationships with China and the People's Liberation Army. High-profile oversight actions encompassed the second impeachment of Donald Trump, the January 6th investigative work, and confirmation hearings for Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court of the United States.
Party Control and Bipartisanship Dynamics
The Senate’s 50–50 partisan division with Kamala Harris as tie-breaker gave Chuck Schumer procedural control but required outreach to Mitch McConnell and moderate senators such as Joe Manchin and Susan Collins to advance legislation. House Democrats managed a narrow majority challenged by internal factions between the Progressive Caucus (United States Congress)—including members like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Ilhan Omar—and moderates such as Katherine Clark and Collin Peterson. Republican dynamics involved tensions between establishment figures Kevin McCarthy and insurgent conservatives aligned with Donald Trump; disputes led to leadership changes and strategic recalibrations. Bipartisan coalitions formed for the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, involving cross-party negotiation with senators including Joe Biden's working allies and GOP senators like Rob Portman and Mitt Romney.
Elections and Membership Changes
Special elections and the 2022 midterm elections altered membership, with notable races in states such as Georgia, Pennsylvania, and Arizona. The January 5, 2021, Georgia Senate runoffs resulted in victories for Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock, flipping control of the Senate. House turnover included retirements by long-serving members such as Nita Lowey and defeats of incumbents in competitive districts like those in Texas and New York. Resignations, deaths, and appointments produced changes including replacements in state-level appointments and special elections for seats vacated by members who joined administration roles in the Biden administration, or left for private-sector positions and state offices.
Congressional Operations and Procedural Developments
Procedural developments included revised rules for remote voting and proxy voting in the House during COVID-19 pandemic surges, Senate cloture and budget reconciliation maneuvers overseen by the Senate Parliamentarian, and the use of the budget reconciliation process for parts of the Build Back Better agenda. Ethics and oversight reforms were debated in the wake of the January 6 attack and impeachment actions, involving the House Ethics Committee and Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. Security upgrades at the United States Capitol and interbranch coordination with the Department of Justice and Federal Bureau of Investigation followed investigations into the Capitol breach. Congressional technology and accessibility initiatives touched on modernization efforts in the Architect of the Capitol and committee staff restructuring to adapt to hybrid session practices.