118th United States Congress

The 118th United States Congress is the current 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., on January 3, 2023, and will end on January 3, 2025, during the final two years of President Joe Biden's initial term.

For a general discussion of the United States government's legislative branch, see United States Congress.

118th United States Congress
117th ←
→ 119th
A photo of the United States Capitol, with a sunrise in the background.
United States Capitol (2023)
January 3, 2023 – January 3, 2025
Members100 senators
435 representatives
6 non-voting delegates
Senate majorityDemocratic
Senate PresidentKamala Harris (D)
House majorityRepublican
House Speaker
Sessions
1st: January 3, 2023 – present
A small pin held onto an article of clothing with a Congressional seal on it
118th Congress House member pin

In the 2022 midterm elections, the Republican Party won control of the House for the first time since the 115th Congress, while the Democratic Party gained one seat in the Senate, giving them a 51–49 majority (with a caucus of 48 Democrats and three independents). This marks the first split Congress since the 116th, and the first Republican House–Democratic Senate split since the 113th. With Republicans winning the House, the 118th Congress ended the federal government trifecta Democrats held in the 117th.[1]

This congress also features the first female Senate president pro tempore (Patty Murray), the first Black party leader (Hakeem Jeffries) in congressional history, and the longest-serving Senate party leader (Mitch McConnell).

The 118th Congress has been viewed as enduring intense gridlock. It began with a multi-ballot election for Speaker of the House, which had not happened since the 68th Congress in 1923. Kevin McCarthy was eventually elected speaker on the 15th ballot. After relying on Democratic votes to get out of a debt ceiling crisis and government shutdown threats, McCarthy became the first speaker to ever be removed from the role during a legislative session, following a successful motion to vacate the office on October 3, 2023.[2] Following three failed attempts by various representatives to fill the post, on October 25, Mike Johnson was elected as speaker.

Major events
President Joe Biden during his 2023 State of the Union Address with Vice President Kamala Harris and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy
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Major legislation

Enacted
Main article: List of acts of the 118th United States Congress
  • March 20, 2023: COVID-19 Origin Act of 2023, S. 619
  • June 3, 2023: Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023, H.R. 3746
  • June 3, 2023: NOTAM Improvement Act of 2023, H.R. 346
  • June 14, 2023: Veterans' COLA Act of 2023, S. 777
  • June 30, 2023: CADETS Act, S. 467
  • July 18, 2023: Fiscal Year 2023 Veterans Affairs Major Medical Facility Authorization Act, S. 30
  • July 25, 2023: Providing Accountability Through Transparency Act of 2023, S. 111
  • July 28, 2023: Pala Band of Mission Indians Land Transfer Act of 2023, H.R. 423
  • August 7, 2023: United States-Taiwan Initiative on 21st-Century Trade First Agreement Implementation Act H.R. 4004
  • September 22, 2023: Securing the U.S. Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network Act H.R. 2544
  • September 30, 2023: Making continuing appropriations for fiscal year 2024, and for other purposes H.R. 5680
  • October 6, 2023: Protecting Hunting Heritage and Education Act, H.R. 5110
  • October 6, 2023: To strengthen benefits for children of Vietnam veterans born with spina bifida, and for other purposes. S. 112

Proposed (but not enacted)
Main article: List of bills in the 118th United States Congress
House bills
  • H.R. 1: Lower Energy Costs Act (passed House, pending before the Senate as of March 30, 2023)
  • H.R. 5: Parents Bill of Rights Act (passed House, pending before the Senate as of March 27, 2023)
  • H.R. 7: No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion and Abortion Insurance Full Disclosure Act of 2023 (House committee consideration as of January 9, 2023)
  • H.R. 21: Strategic Production Response Act (passed House, pending before the Senate as of January 30, 2023)
  • H.R. 22: Protecting America's Strategic Petroleum Reserve from China Act (passed House, pending before the Senate as of January 25, 2023)
  • H.R. 23: Family and Small Business Taxpayer Protection Act (passed House, pending before the Senate as of January 25, 2023)
  • H.R. 25: FairTax Act of 2023 (House committee consideration as of January 9, 2023)
  • H.R. 26: Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act (passed House, pending before the Senate as of January 25, 2023)
  • H.R. 51: Washington, D.C., Admission Act (House committee consideration as of January 9, 2023)
  • H.R. 82: Social Security Fairness Act of 2023 (House committee consideration as of January 9, 2023)
  • H.R. 277: Regulations from the Executive in Need of Scrutiny Act (passed House, pending before the Senate as of June 20, 2023)
  • H.R. 734: Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act of 2023 (passed House, pending before the Senate as of April 25, 2023)
  • H.R. 2811: Limit, Save, Grow Act of 2023 (partially incorporated into Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023)
Senate bills
  • S. 316: A bill to repeal the authorizations for use of military force against Iraq. (passed Senate, pending before the House as of March 30, 2023)
  • S. 326: VA Medicinal Cannabis Research Act (Senate rejected cloture motion on April 26, 2023)
  • S. 686: RESTRICT Act (Senate committee consideration as of March 7, 2023)
  • S. 701: Women's Health Protection Act of 2023 (placed on Legislative Calendar on March 9, 2023)
  • S. 870: Fire Grants and Safety Act (pending before the House as of April 24, 2023)
  • S. 916: Junk Fee Prevention Act (Senate committee consideration as of March 22, 2023)

Major resolutions

Adopted

Proposed

Vetoed
  • H.J.Res. 27: Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Department of the Army, Corps of Engineers, Department of Defense and the Environmental Protection Agency relating to "Revised Definition of 'Waters of the United States'".
  • H.J.Res. 30: Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Department of Labor relating to "Prudence and Loyalty in Selecting Plan Investments and Exercising Shareholder Rights".
  • H.J.Res. 39: Disapproving the rule submitted by the Department of Commerce relating to "Procedures Covering Suspension of Liquidation, Duties and Estimated Duties in Accord With Presidential Proclamation 10414".
  • H.J.Res. 42: Disapproving the action of the District of Columbia Council in approving the Comprehensive Policing and Justice Reform Amendment Act of 2022.
  • H.J.Res. 45: Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Department of Education relating to "Waivers and Modifications of Federal Student Loans".
  • S.J.Res. 11: Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Environmental Protection Agency relating to "Control of Air Pollution From New Motor Vehicles: Heavy-Duty Engine and Vehicle Standards".

Party summary
Resignations and new members are discussed in the "Changes in membership" section:
Number of members of Congress by age,
118th Congress

Senate
  • Senate membership
  • October 3, 2023 – present
    October 3, 2023 – present
  • Begin (January 3, 2023 – January 8, 2023)
    Begin (January 3, 2023 – January 8, 2023)
  • January 8, 2023 – January 23, 2023
    January 8, 2023 – January 23, 2023
  • January 23, 2023 – September 29, 2023
    January 23, 2023 – September 29, 2023
Overview of Senate membership by party
  Party
(shading shows control)
 Total Vacant
Democratic Independent Republican
End of previous Congress[lower-alpha 2] 48 2 50 100 0
Begin (January 3, 2023) 48 3 49 100 0
January 8, 2023[lower-alpha 3] 48 99 1
January 23, 2023[lower-alpha 3] 49 100 0
September 29, 2023[lower-alpha 4] 47 99 1
October 3, 2023[lower-alpha 4] 48 100 0
Latest voting share 51.0% 49.0%  

House of Representatives
  • House membership
  • September 15, 2023 – present
    September 15, 2023 – present
  • Begin (January 3, 2023 – March 7, 2023)
    Begin (January 3, 2023 – March 7, 2023)
  • March 7, 2023 – May 31, 2023
    March 7, 2023 – May 31, 2023
  • May 31, 2023 – September 15, 2023
    May 31, 2023 – September 15, 2023
Overview of House membership by party
  Party
(shading shows control)
 Total Vacant
Democratic Republican
End of previous Congress 216 213 429 6
Begin (January 3, 2023)[lower-alpha 5] 212 222 434 1
March 7, 2023[lower-alpha 5] 213 435 0
May 31, 2023[lower-alpha 6] 212 434 1
September 15, 2023[lower-alpha 7] 221 433 2
Latest voting share 49.0% 51.0%
Non-voting members 3 3[lower-alpha 8] 6 0

Leadership

Note: Democrats refer to themselves as a "Caucus"; Republicans refer to themselves as a "Conference."

Senate
Senate President
Kamala Harris (D)
Senate President pro tempore
Patty Murray (D)

Presiding

Majority (Democratic)

Minority (Republican)

House of Representatives
House Speaker
Kevin McCarthy
Kevin McCarthy (R),
from January 7 to October 3, 2023
Mike Johnson
Mike Johnson (R),
from October 25, 2023

Presiding

Majority (Republican)

Minority (Democratic)

Members

Senate
For year of birth, when first took office, prior background, and education, see List of current United States senators.

The numbers refer to their Senate classes. All class 3 seats were contested in the November 2022 elections. In this Congress, class 3 means their term commenced in 2023, requiring re-election in 2028; class 1 means their term ends with this Congress, requiring re-election in 2024; and class 2 means their term began in the last Congress, requiring re-election in 2026.

House of Representatives
Further information: List of current members of the United States House of Representatives

All 435 seats were filled by election in November 2022. Additionally, six non-voting members were elected from the American territories and Washington, D.C.[lower-alpha 11]

The numbers refer to the congressional district of the given state in this Congress. Eight new congressional districts were created or re-created, while eight others were eliminated, as a result of the 2020 United States census.[lower-alpha 12][lower-alpha 13]

Changes in membership

Senate changes
See also: List of special elections to the United States Senate
Senate changes
State
(class)		 Vacated by Reason for change Successor Date of successor's
formal installation[lower-alpha 15]
Nebraska
(2)		 Ben Sasse
(R)		 Incumbent resigned January 8, 2023, to become the president of the University of Florida.[11]
Successor was appointed January 12, 2023, to continue the term.[25][lower-alpha 16]		 Pete Ricketts
(R)		 January 23, 2023
California
(1)		 Dianne Feinstein
(D)		 Incumbent died September 29, 2023.[12]
Successor was appointed October 1, 2023, to continue the term.[27]		 Laphonza Butler
(D)		 October 3, 2023
California
(1)		 Laphonza Butler
(D)		 Appointment will expire November or December 2024, following a special election.[28]
Successor will be elected November 5, 2024, to finish the term ending with this Congress.[29]		 TBD

House of Representatives changes
See also: List of special elections to the United States House of Representatives
House changes
District Vacated by Reason for change Successor Date of successor's
formal installation[lower-alpha 15]
Virginia 4 Vacant Incumbent Donald McEachin (D) died November 28, 2022, before the beginning of this Congress.
A special election was held on February 21, 2023.[30]		 Jennifer McClellan
(D)		 March 7, 2023
Rhode Island 1 David Cicilline
(D)		 Incumbent resigned May 31, 2023, to become CEO of the Rhode Island Foundation.
A special election will be held on November 7, 2023.[16]		 TBD
Utah 2 Chris Stewart
(R)		 Incumbent resigned September 15, 2023, due to his wife's health issues.
A special election will be held on November 21, 2023.[23]		 TBD

Committees

Section contents: Senate, House, Joint

Standing committees
Main article: List of United States Senate committees
Committee Chair Ranking Member/Vice Chair
Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) John Boozman (R-AR)
Appropriations Patty Murray (D-WA) Susan Collins (R-ME)
Armed Services Jack Reed (D-RI) Roger Wicker (R-MS)
Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Sherrod Brown (D-OH) Tim Scott (R-SC)
Budget Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) Chuck Grassley (R-IA)
Commerce, Science and Transportation Maria Cantwell (D-WA) Ted Cruz (R-TX)
Energy and Natural Resources Joe Manchin (D-WV) John Barrasso (R-WY)
Environment and Public Works Tom Carper (D-DE) Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV)
Finance Ron Wyden (D-OR) Mike Crapo (R-ID)
Foreign Relations Bob Menendez (D-NJ) until September 22, 2023
Ben Cardin (D-MD) from September 25, 2023		 Jim Risch (R-ID)
Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Bernie Sanders (I-VT) Bill Cassidy (R-LA)
Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Gary Peters (D-MI) Rand Paul (R-KY)
Judiciary Dick Durbin (D-IL) Lindsey Graham (R-SC)
Rules and Administration Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) Deb Fischer (R-NE)
Small Business and Entrepreneurship Ben Cardin (D-MD) until September 25, 2023
Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) from September 27, 2023		 Joni Ernst (R-IA)
Veterans' Affairs Jon Tester (D-MT) Jerry Moran (R-KS)

Select, permanent select and special committees
Main article: List of United States Senate committees
Committee Chair Ranking Member/Vice Chair
Aging (Special) Bob Casey Jr. (D-PA) Mike Braun (R-IN)
Ethics (Select) Chris Coons (D-DE) James Lankford (R-OK)
Indian Affairs (Permanent Select) Brian Schatz (D-HI) Lisa Murkowski (R-AK)
Intelligence (Select) Mark Warner (D-VA) Marco Rubio (R-FL)
International Narcotics Control (Permanent Caucus) Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) Chuck Grassley (R-IA)

House of Representatives committees
Main article: List of United States House of Representatives committees
Committee Chair Ranking Member
Agriculture Glenn Thompson (R-PA) David Scott (D-GA)
Appropriations Kay Granger (R-TX) Rosa DeLauro (D-CT)
Armed Services Mike Rogers (R-AL) Adam Smith (D-WA)
Budget Jodey Arrington (R-TX) Brendan Boyle (D-PA)
Education and the Workforce Virginia Foxx (R-NC) Bobby Scott (D-VA)
Energy and Commerce Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) Frank Pallone (D-NJ)
Ethics Michael Guest (R-MS) Susan Wild (D-PA)
Financial Services Patrick McHenry (R-NC) Maxine Waters (D-CA)
Foreign Affairs Michael McCaul (R-TX) Gregory Meeks (D-NY)
Homeland Security Mark Green (R-TN) Bennie Thompson (D-MS)
House Administration Bryan Steil (R-WI) Joe Morelle (D-NY)
Intelligence (Permanent Select) Mike Turner (R-OH) Jim Himes (D-CT)
Judiciary Jim Jordan (R-OH) Jerry Nadler (D-NY)
Natural Resources Bruce Westerman (R-AR) Raúl Grijalva (D-AZ)
Oversight and Reform James Comer (R-KY) Jamie Raskin (D-MD)
Rules Tom Cole (R-OK) Jim McGovern (D-MA)
Science, Space and Technology Frank Lucas (R- OK) Zoe Lofgren (D-CA)
Small Business Roger Williams (R-TX) Nydia Velázquez (D-NY)
Transportation and Infrastructure Sam Graves (R-MO) Rick Larsen (D-WA)
Veterans' Affairs Mike Bost (R-IL) Mark Takano (D-CA)
Ways and Means Jason Smith (R-MO) Richard Neal (D-MA)

Joint committees
Main article: List of current United States congressional joint committees
Committee Chair Vice Chair Ranking Member Vice Ranking Member
Economic Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-NM) Rep. David Schweikert (R-AZ) Rep. Don Beyer (D-VA) Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT)
Library Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) Rep. Bryan Steil (R-WI) Rep. Joe Morelle (D-NY) Sen. Deb Fischer (R-NE)
Printing Rep. Bryan Steil (R-WI) Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) Sen. Deb Fischer (R-NE) Rep. Joe Morelle (D-NY)
Taxation[lower-alpha 17] Rep. Jason Smith (R-MO) Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) Sen. Mike Crapo (R-ID) Rep. Richard Neal (D-MA)

Officers and officials

Congressional officers

Senate officers

House of Representatives officers

See also

Notes
  1. Removed in a vote of the House
  2. In Arizona: Kyrsten Sinema left the Democratic Party to become an independent politician on December 9, 2022. Effective January 3, 2023, Sinema does not participate in either political party caucus but keeps her seniority and continues to receive committee assignments through the Democrats.[9][10]
  3. In Nebraska: Ben Sasse (R) resigned on January 8, 2023, to become President of the University of Florida.[11] Pete Ricketts (R) was appointed to fill the vacancy on January 12, 2023, and took office on January 23.
  4. In California: Dianne Feinstein (D) died on September 29, 2023.[12] Laphonza Butler (D) was appointed to fill the vacancy on October 1, 2023, and took office on October 3.[13]
  5. In Virginia's 4th district: Donald McEachin (D) died during the previous Congress, and Jennifer McClellan (D) was elected February 21, 2023. She was sworn in on March 7.[14][15]
  6. In Rhode Island's 1st district: David Cicilline (D) resigned on May 31, 2023.[16]
  7. In Utah's 2nd district: Chris Stewart (R) resigned on September 15, 2023.[17]
  8. Includes a New Progressive Party member who is also affiliated as a Republican.
  9. Since 1920, the Senate Democratic Leader has also concurrently served as the Democratic Caucus Chairperson; this is an unwritten tradition.
  10. The Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (DFL) is the Minnesota affiliate of the U.S. Democratic Party and its members are counted as Democrats.
  11. Puerto Rico's non-voting member, the Resident Commissioner, is elected every four years. Jenniffer González was last elected in 2020.
  12. The new districts created were: Colorado's 8th; Florida's 28th; North Carolina's 14th; Oregon's 6th; Texas's 37th; Texas's 38th. The districts re-created were: Montana's 1st; Montana's 2nd.
  13. The eliminated districts were: California's 53rd; Illinois's 18th; Michigan's 14th; Montana's at-large; New York's 27th; Ohio's 16th; Pennsylvania's 18th; West Virginia's 3rd.
  14. In Utah's 2nd district: Chris Stewart (R) resigned on September 15, 2023 due to his wife's health issues.[22][23]
  15. When seated or oath administered, not necessarily when service began.
  16. Ricketts serves as senator on an interim basis, until a special election, which will be held on November 5, 2024, concurrently with the presidential election and the general election for Nebraska's class 1 senator. The winner of the special election will complete the remainder of Sasse's term, which expires on January 3, 2027, when the winner of the 2026 regular election will commence a full term.[26]
  17. The Joint Taxation Committee leadership rotate the chair and vice chair and the ranking members between the House and Senate at the start of each session in the middle of the congressional term. The first session leadership is shown here.

References
  1. "Republicans win control of the House, NBC News projects, overtaking Democrats by a slim margin". NBC News. November 16, 2022. Retrieved November 17, 2022.
  2. "House makes history, removes McCarthy as Speaker". The Hill. October 3, 2023.
  3. "House Speaker Election Coverage: House adjourns after McCarthy suffers defeat on third ballot". The Hill. January 3, 2023. Retrieved January 3, 2023.
  4. McCartney, Allison; Parlapiano, Alicia; Wu, Ashley; Zhang, Christine; Williams, Josh; Cochrane, Emily; Murphy, John-Michael (January 6, 2023). "Vote Count: McCarthy Elected House Speaker After 15 Ballots". The New York Times. Retrieved January 9, 2023.
  5. "Harris ties Calhoun's 191-year-old record for breaking Senate ties". Roll Call. July 12, 2023. Retrieved July 18, 2023.
  6. "Dianne Feinstein: Senator died of natural causes Friday morning". The San Francisco Chronicle. September 29, 2023. Retrieved September 29, 2023.
  7. Greve, Joan E. (October 3, 2023). "Kevin McCarthy ousted as US House speaker by hard-right Republicans". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved October 3, 2023.
  8. "House elects Mike Johnson as Speaker, ending GOP chaos". The Hill. October 25, 2023. Retrieved October 25, 2023.
  9. "Sinema leaving the Democratic Party and registering as an independent". CNN. December 9, 2022. Retrieved December 25, 2022.
  10. 2023 Congressional Record, Vol. 169, Page S22 (January 3, 2023)
  11. Hammel, Paul (December 5, 2022). "Ben Sasse makes it official, will resign U.S. Senate seat Jan. 8". Nebraska Examiner. Retrieved December 6, 2022.
  12. "Sen. Dianne Feinstein, an 'icon for women in politics,' dies at 90, source confirms". ABC 7 News. September 29, 2023. Retrieved September 29, 2023.
  13. Rubin, April (October 3, 2023). "California Sen. Laphonza Butler sworn in, marking historic first". Axios. Retrieved October 3, 2023.
  14. LeBlanc, Paul (November 29, 2022). "Virginia Rep. Donald McEachin dies at age 61". cnn.com. CNN. Retrieved November 29, 2022.
  15. "On our radar: Jennifer McClellan will be sworn in to Congress next week". The Washington Post. March 2, 2023.
  16. Scola, Nancy (May 31, 2023). "'Every Step of the Way, They Underestimated Us'". Politico.
  17. Betz, Bradford (June 7, 2023). "Utah Rep. Chris Stewart to step down from Congress in September". Fox News. Retrieved June 7, 2023.
  18. Gutman, David (November 16, 2022). "Patty Murray to be first female Senate president pro tempore, third in line for presidency". The Seattle Times. Retrieved November 16, 2022.
  19. Treene, Alayna; Solender, Andrew (November 16, 2022). "McConnell re-elected as Senate GOP leader". Axios. Retrieved November 16, 2022.
  20. LeVine, Marianne. "McConnell breaks Senate record for longest-serving leader". Politico. Retrieved January 4, 2023.
  21. Mizelle, Shawna (January 4, 2023). "Hakeem Jeffries to make history as the first Black lawmaker to lead a party in Congress". CNN. Retrieved January 4, 2023.
  22. Schott, Bryan. "Rep. Chris Stewart plans to resign from Congress". The Salt Lake Tribune. Retrieved May 30, 2023.
  23. Gehrke, Robert; Parrott, Jeff. "BREAKING: Special election to replace Rep. Stewart pushes Utah's 2023 city elections back to Nov. 21". The Salt Lake Tribune. Retrieved June 7, 2023.
  24. Gilbert, Haidee Eugenio (November 8, 2022). "Moylan defeats Won Pat in delegate race". Pacific Daily News. Retrieved November 8, 2022.
  25. "Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen to announce US Senator Ben Sasse's replacement on Thursday". KETV. January 11, 2023. Retrieved January 11, 2023. The appointment, which will be announced at 9 a.m., will be effective on Thursday.
  26. "Nebraska Revised Statute 32-565". nebraskalegislature.gov. Nebraska Legislature. Retrieved November 17, 2022.
  27. "Governor Gavin Newsom Appoints Laphonza Butler to Complete Senator Feinstein's Term in the U.S. Senate". gov.ca.gov.
  28. Hubler, Shawn (October 19, 2023). "Laphonza Butler Will Not Run for Feinstein's Senate Seat in 2024". The New York Times. Retrieved October 19, 2023.
  29. Porter, Jacque (October 4, 2023). "Californians will vote on two U.S. Senate races in 2024". KTXL. Retrieved October 19, 2023.
  30. Flynn, Meagan (December 12, 2022). "Youngkin announces special election to fill late Rep. McEachin's seat". The Washington Post. Retrieved December 12, 2022.
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