111th United States Congress

111th United States Congress
michiel1972 · CC BY-SA 3.0 · source
Congress	111th
Session year	2009
Session num	1st
Start	January 3, 2009
End	January 3, 2011
President	Barack Obama
Vice-president	Joe Biden
House-speaker	Nancy Pelosi
House-majority	Steny Hoyer
House-minority	John Boehner
Senate-president	Joe Biden
Senate-presidentpro	Robert Byrd
Senate-majority	Harry Reid
Senate-minority	Mitch McConnell

111th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It convened in Washington, D.C. from January 3, 2009, to January 3, 2011, during the first two years of the presidency of Barack Obama. The Democratic Party maintained control of both the House of Representatives and the Senate, with Nancy Pelosi serving as Speaker of the United States House of Representatives and Harry Reid as Majority Leader of the United States Senate. The Congress also included notable members such as John McCain, Hillary Clinton, and Joe Lieberman.

● Composition and Elections

The 111th United States Congress was composed of 435 members of the United States House of Representatives and 100 members of the United States Senate. The Democratic Party held a majority in both chambers, with 257 members in the House of Representatives and 59 members in the Senate, including two Independents who caucused with the Democrats, Bernie Sanders and Joe Lieberman. The Republican Party held 178 seats in the House of Representatives and 41 seats in the Senate. Notable members of the Congress included Ted Kennedy, John Kerry, Dianne Feinstein, and Orrin Hatch. The Congress also saw the election of new members, including Al Franken, Kirsten Gillibrand, and Michael Bennet.

● Major Events

The 111th United States Congress witnessed several significant events, including the inauguration of Barack Obama as the President of the United States, the 2008 presidential election, and the 2010 Senate elections. The Congress also responded to the Late-2000s recession, passing the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 to stimulate economic growth. Additionally, the Congress addressed the issue of Health care reform in the United States, with the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act being passed in 2010. Other notable events included the Fort Hood shooting, the Times Square car bombing attempt, and the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The Congress also held hearings on various topics, including the Financial crisis of 2007–2008 and the War in Afghanistan (2001–2021), with testimony from experts such as Ben Bernanke, Timothy Geithner, and Robert Gates.

● Major Legislation

The 111th United States Congress passed several significant pieces of legislation, including the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, and the Dodd–Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. The Congress also passed the Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal Act of 2010, which allowed LGBT individuals to serve openly in the United States Armed Forces. Other notable legislation included the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009, the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, and the 21st Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act. The Congress also considered legislation related to Climate change, including the American Clean Energy and Security Act, with input from experts such as Al Gore and Nancy Sutley.

● Party Summary

The 111th United States Congress was composed of 257 Democrats and 178 Republicans in the House of Representatives, and 59 Democrats and 41 Republicans in the Senate. The Democratic Party maintained control of both chambers, with Nancy Pelosi serving as Speaker of the United States House of Representatives and Harry Reid as Majority Leader of the United States Senate. Notable Democrats included Barack Obama, Joe Biden, Hillary Clinton, and Ted Kennedy, while notable Republicans included John McCain, Mitch McConnell, and John Boehner. The Congress also included two Independents, Bernie Sanders and Joe Lieberman, who caucused with the Democrats.

● Leadership

The 111th United States Congress was led by Nancy Pelosi as Speaker of the United States House of Representatives and Harry Reid as Majority Leader of the United States Senate. The Democratic Party leadership in the House of Representatives included Steny Hoyer as Majority Leader and Jim Clyburn as Majority Whip, while the Republican Party leadership included John Boehner as Minority Leader and Eric Cantor as Minority Whip. In the Senate, the Democratic Party leadership included Dick Durbin as Majority Whip and Chuck Schumer as Vice Chairman of the Senate Democratic Caucus, while the Republican Party leadership included Mitch McConnell as Minority Leader and Jon Kyl as Minority Whip. Other notable leaders included Robert Byrd as President pro tempore of the United States Senate and Joe Biden as President of the United States Senate.

Category:United States Congress