117th United States Congress
The 117th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the House of Representatives">">House of Representatives. It convened in Washington, D.C., on January 3, 2021, during the final weeks of Donald Trump's first presidency and the first two years of Joe Biden's presidency and ended on January 3, 2023.
The 2020 elections decided control of both chambers. In the House of Representatives, the Democratic Party retained their majority, albeit reduced from the 116th Congress. It was similar in size to the majority held by the Republican Party during the 83rd Congress.
In the [|Senate], Republicans briefly held the majority at the start; however, on January 20, 2021, three new Democratic senators – Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock of Georgia and Alex Padilla of California – were sworn in, resulting in 50 seats held by Republicans, 48 seats held by Democrats, and two held by independents who caucus with the Democrats. Effectively, this created a 50–50 split, which had not occurred since the 107th Congress in 2001. This was only the third time in U.S. history that the Senate had been evenly split, and the longest-lasting one ever.
The new senators were sworn into office by Vice President Kamala Harris, just hours after her inauguration. With Harris president of the United States|serving] as the tie breaker in her constitutional role as President of the Senate, Democrats gained control of the Senate, and thereby full control of Congress for the first time since the 111th Congress ended in 2011. Additionally, with the inauguration of Joe Biden as president that same day, Democrats assumed control of the executive branch as well, attaining an overall federal government trifecta, also for the first time since the 111th Congress.
Despite Democrats holding thin majorities in both chambers during a period of intense political polarization, the 117th Congress oversaw the passage of numerous significant bills, including the Inflation Reduction Act, American Rescue Plan Act, Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, Postal Service Reform Act, Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, CHIPS and Science Act, Honoring Our PACT Act, Electoral Count Reform and Presidential Transition Improvement Act, and Respect for Marriage Act.
Major events
- January 3, 2021: 117th Congress officially begins. Members-elect of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives are sworn in; though because of the COVID-19 pandemic, House members-elect did not all gather in the chamber to be sworn in, but rather, were summoned to the chambers in seven groups of about 72 people.
- January 5, 2021: Runoff elections were held in Georgia for the election in Georgia|regular] and special Senate elections, with Democrats winning both and gaining control of the Senate upon Kamala Harris's inauguration.
- January 6–7, 2021: A joint session to count the presidential Electoral College votes is held. It was halted when pro-Trump mob attacked the Capitol. By nightfall, the mob had been cleared and the vote counting resumed, with the certification being made official around 3:00a.m. on January 7.
- January 13, 2021: Second impeachment of Donald Trump: House impeached President Trump for inciting the January 6 attack on the Capitol.
- January 20, 2021: The inauguration of Joe Biden takes place.
- January 20, 2021: With Vice President Kamala Harris's inauguration, alongside the seating of three new Democratic senators, Democrats take control of the Senate with a 50–50 split and Harris served as the tiebreaker in her role as Senate President. The Democrats gain a trifecta.
- January 25, 2021: House Democrats formally send an article of impeachment against former president Donald Trump to the Senate.
- February 3, 2021: Senate organizing resolution passed, allowing Democrats to control committees and freshman senators to take committee appointments.
- February 4, 2021: House voted 230–199 on, removing Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia's 14th congressional district from the House committees on Education and Labor and the Budget.
- February 9–13, 2021: The Second impeachment trial of Donald Trump takes place.
- April 2, 2021: April 2021 United States Capitol car attack
- April 13, 2021: Officer Billy Evans lies in state in the U.S. Capitol.
- April 22, 2021: House voted 216–208 on to make Washington, D.C. the nation's 51st state.
- April 28, 2021: President Joe Biden addresses a joint session of Congress.
- May 12, 2021: House Republicans vote to oust Liz Cheney as conference chair for criticizing Donald Trump and opposing his attempts to reject the results of the 2020 election.
- May 14, 2021: Elise Stefanik is elected House Republican Conference chair.
- June 17, 2021: Juneteenth becomes the first newly created federal holiday since 1983.
- October 21, 2021: House voted 229–202 on to hold former President Donald Trump chief strategist Steve Bannon in criminal contempt of Congress for his refusal to comply with the House Select Committee investigation on the January 6 attack.
- November 17, 2021: House voted 223–207 on to censure Representative Paul Gosar of Arizona's 4th congressional district and remove him from the House committees on Oversight and Natural Resources for posting an anime video of him killing fellow Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and attacking President Biden.
- December 14, 2021: House voted 222–208 on to hold former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows in criminal contempt of Congress for his refusal to comply with the House Select Committee investigation on the January 6 attack.
- February 4, 2022: The Republican National Committee censures Representatives Liz Cheney of Wyoming's at-large district and Adam Kinzinger of Illinois's 16th congressional district for their positions as members on the United States House Select Committee on the January 6 Attack.
- February 24, 2022: President Biden announces severe sanctions on Russia following its invasion of Ukraine.
- March 1, 2022: President Biden delivers the 2022 State of the Union Address.
- March 21–24, 2022: Hearings are held on the nomination of Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court.
- March 24, 2022: Nebraska Representative Jeff Fortenberry is convicted by a jury in the Central District of California of one count of scheming to falsify material facts and two counts of lying to federal investigators relating to an illegal donation made to his campaign in 2016 by Lebanese-Nigerian billionaire Gilbert Chagoury. He resigns from Congress.
- March 29, 2022: Don Young, representative for Alaska's at-large congressional district since 1973 and dean of the House of Representatives, lies in state in the U.S. Capitol, having died on March 18.
- April 6, 2022: House voted 220–203 on to hold former President Donald Trump officials Peter Navarro and Dan Scavino Jr. in criminal contempt of Congress for their refusal to comply with the House Select Committee investigation on the January 6 attack.
- April 7, 2022: The Senate confirmed Ketanji Brown Jackson to the United States Supreme Court.
- May 24, 2022: The Uvalde school shooting leaves 21 dead, and leaves Uvalde law enforcement officers criticized for their response.
- June 9, 2022: The House Special Select Committee investigating the January 6th Insurrection held the first of several summer hearings centered around the attack.
- June 24, 2022: The United States Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade.
- July 27, 2022: The Senate passed the CHIPS and Science Act.
- July 27, 2022: Senator Joe Manchin strikes a deal with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer to resurrect some of President Joe Biden's climate, tax and healthcare agenda in the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022.
- July 28, 2022: The House passed the CHIPS and Science Act.
- July 31, 2022: U.S. drone strikes killed al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri.
- August 4, 2022: The Senate voted 95–1 in favor of ratifying the accession of Sweden and Finland into NATO.
- August 7, 2022: The Senate voted 51–50 to pass the Inflation Reduction Act, with Vice President Kamala Harris breaking the tie.
- August 8, 2022: The FBI executes a search warrant at former President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago residence.
- August 12, 2022: The House voted 220–207 to pass the Inflation Reduction Act.
- August 16, 2022: President Joe Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act into law.
- August 24, 2022: President Biden canceled up to $20,000 in student loan debt.
- September 13, 2022: With the swearing-in of Mary Peltola, for the first time Congress has indigenous representatives from Native Alaskan, Native American, and Native Hawaiian peoples.
- September 21, 2022: The Senate voted 69–27 to pass the Kigali Amendment.
- October 6, 2022: President Biden pardons all prior offenses of marijuana possession, and instructs Attorney General Merrick Garland and Secretary Xavier Becerra to reconsider how marijuana is scheduled under federal law.
- November 17, 2022: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announces she will step down as House Democratic Leader, that began in January 2023.
- November 30, 2022: House Democrats elect Hakeem Jeffries as the new House Democratic Leader, that began with the next Congress.
- December 9, 2022: Democratic senator Kyrsten Sinema officially leaves the Democratic Party and becomes an independent.
- December 13, 2022: President Biden signs the Respect for Marriage Act into law, repealing the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act.
- December 21, 2022: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy addressed a joint session of Congress.
- December 29, 2022: President Biden signs the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023 into law, including several pieces of subsidiary legislation.
Major legislation
Enacted
- March 11, 2021: American Rescue Plan Act of 2021,,
- May 20, 2021: COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act,
- June 17, 2021: Juneteenth National Independence Day Act,,
- October 27, 2021: Reinforcing Nicaragua's Adherence to Conditions for Electoral Reform (RENACER) Act,
- November 15, 2021: Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act,
- December 22, 2021: Capitol Police Emergency Assistance Act,
- December 23, 2021: Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act,
- December 27, 2021: National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022,
- March 15, 2022: Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2022,
- March 29, 2022: Emmett Till Antilynching Act,
- April 6, 2022: Postal Service Reform Act of 2022,
- May 9, 2022: Ukraine Democracy Defense Lend-Lease Act of 2022,
- June 25, 2022: Bipartisan Safer Communities Act,
- August 9, 2022: CHIPS and Science Act,
- August 10, 2022: Honoring Our PACT Act of 2022,
- August 16, 2022: Inflation Reduction Act,
- December 2, 2022: Medical Marijuana and Cannabidiol Research Expansion Act,
- December 7, 2022: Speak Out Act,
- December 13, 2022: Respect for Marriage Act,
- December 23, 2022: National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023,
- December 29, 2022: Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023,
- January 5, 2023: National Heritage Area Act,
- January 5, 2023: Sami's Law
Proposed (but not enacted)
; House bills- : For the People Act of 2021
- : John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2021
- : Equality Act of 2021
- : American Dream and Promise Act of 2021
- : Paycheck Fairness Act of 2021
- : Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2021
- : Commission to Study and Develop Reparation Proposals for African-Americans Act
- : Washington, D.C. Admission Act of 2021
- : Social Security Fairness Act of 2021
- : Federal Death Penalty Abolition Act of 2021
- : Sabika Sheikh Firearm Licensing and Registration Act of 2021
- : Repeal of the Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution of 2002
- : Raise the Wage Act of 2021
- : FAMILY Act of 2021
- : Protecting the Right to Organize Act of 2021
- : FAIR Act of 2022
- : U.S. Citizenship Act of 2021
- : Workplace Violence Prevention for Health Care and Social Service Workers Act
- : George Floyd Justice in Policing Act of 2021
- : NO BAN Act
- : Enhanced Background Checks Act of 2021
- : Puerto Rico Statehood Admission Act of 2021
- : Farm Workforce Modernization Act of 2021
- : Eliminating a Quantifiably Unjust Application of the Law (EQUAL) Act of 2021
- : Assault Weapons Ban of 2022
- : Ensuring Lasting Smiles Act
- : To establish an improved Medicare for All national health insurance program.
- : SAFE Banking Act of 2021
- : CROWN Act of 2022
- : Recovering America's Wildlife Act
- : National Commission to Investigate the January 6 Attack on the United States Capitol Complex Act
- : MORE Act of 2021
- : ACCESS Act
- : Local Journalism Sustainability Act
- : Averting Loss of Life and Injury by Expediting SIVs (ALLIES) Act of 2021
- : America COMPETES Act of 2022
- : Puerto Rico Status Act
- : Presidential Election Reform Act
- : See Something, Say Something Online Act of 2021
- : Raise the Wage Act of 2021
- : Sunshine Protection Act of 2021
- : Ensuring Lasting Smiles Act
- : Social Security Fairness Act of 2021
- : U.S. Innovation and Competition Act
- : Future of Local News Act
- : Open App Markets Act
- : Freedom to Vote Act
- : American Innovation and Choice Online Act
- : EARN IT Act
- : Women's Health Protection Act
- : DISCLOSE Act
Major resolutions
Adopted
- : Calling on Vice President Michael R. Pence to convene and mobilize the principal officers of the executive departments of the Cabinet to activate section 4 of the 25th Amendment to declare President Donald J. Trump incapable of executing the duties of his office and to immediately exercise powers as acting president.
- : Impeaching Donald John Trump, President of the United States, for high crimes and misdemeanors.
- : A resolution honoring the memory of Officer Brian David Sicknick of the United States Capitol Police for his selfless acts of heroism on the grounds of the United States Capitol on January 6, 2021.
- : Removing a certain Member from certain standing committees of the House of Representatives
- : Condemning the 2021 Myanmar coup d'état.
- : Recommending that the House of Representatives find Stephen K. Bannon in contempt of Congress for refusal to comply with a subpoena duly issued by the Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol..
- : Censuring Representative Paul Gosar.
- : To provide for a resolution with respect to the unresolved disputes between certain railroads represented by the National Carriers' Conference Committee of the National Railway Labor Conference and certain of their employees.
Proposed
- : Censuring and condemning President Donald J. Trump for attempting to overturn the results of the November 2020 presidential election in the State of Georgia.
- : Removing the deadline for the ratification of the equal rights amendment.
- : Directing the Committee on Ethics to investigate, and issue a report on, whether any and all actions taken by Members of the 117th Congress who sought to overturn the 2020 Presidential election violated their oath of office to uphold the Constitution or the Rules of the House of Representatives, and should face sanction, including expulsion from the House of Representatives.
- : Recognizing the duty of the Federal Government to create a Green New Deal.
Leadership
Note: Democrats refer to themselves as a "caucus"; Republicans refer to themselves as a "conference".Senate leadership
Presiding
- President of the Senate: Mike Pence, until January 20, 2021
- *Kamala Harris, from January 20, 2021
- President pro tempore: Chuck Grassley, until January 20, 2021
- *Patrick Leahy, from January 20, 2021
Democratic leadership
- Senate Majority Leader since January 20, 2021: Chuck Schumer
- Senate Majority Whip since January 20, 2021: Dick Durbin
- Senate Assistant Democratic Leader: Patty Murray
- Chair of the Senate Democratic Policy and Communications Committee: Debbie Stabenow
- Vice Chairs of the Senate Democratic Caucus: Mark Warner and Elizabeth Warren
- Chair of the Senate Democratic Steering and Outreach Committee: Amy Klobuchar
- Chair of Senate Democratic Outreach: Bernie Sanders
- Vice Chairs of the Senate Democratic Policy and Communications Committee: Cory Booker and Joe Manchin
- Secretary of the Senate Democratic Caucus: Tammy Baldwin
- Chair of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee: Gary Peters
- Vice Chair of Senate Democratic Outreach: Catherine Cortez Masto
Republican leadership
- Senate Minority Leader: Mitch McConnell
- Senate Minority Whip: John Thune
- Chair of the Senate Republican Conference: John Barrasso
- Chair of the Senate Republican Policy Committee: Roy Blunt
- Chair of the Senate Republican Steering Committee: Mike Lee
- Vice Chair of the Senate Republican Conference: Joni Ernst
- Chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee: Rick Scott
House leadership
Presiding
Majority (Democratic) leadership
- House Majority Leader: Steny Hoyer
- House Majority Whip: Jim Clyburn
- Assistant Speaker of the House: Katherine Clark
- Chair of the House Democratic Caucus: Hakeem Jeffries
- Vice Chair of the House Democratic Caucus: Pete Aguilar
- Chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee: Sean Patrick Maloney
- Co-Chairs of the House Democratic Policy and Communications Committee: Matt Cartwright, Debbie Dingell, Ted Lieu, and Joe Neguse
- House Democratic Junior Caucus Leadership Representative: Colin Allred
- House Democratic Freshman Class Leadership Representative: Mondaire Jones
- Co-Chairs of the House Democratic Steering and Policy Committee: Cheri Bustos, Barbara Lee, and Eric Swalwell
- House Democratic Senior Chief Deputy Whips: G. K. Butterfield and Jan Schakowsky
- House Democratic Chief Deputy Whips: Henry Cuellar, Sheila Jackson Lee, Dan Kildee, Stephanie Murphy, Jimmy Panetta, Terri Sewell, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, and Peter Welch
Minority (Republican) leadership
- House Minority Leader and Chair of the House Republican Steering Committee: Kevin McCarthy
- House Minority Whip: Steve Scalise
- Chair of the House Republican Conference: Liz Cheney
- *Elise Stefanik
- Vice Chair of the House Republican Conference: Mike Johnson
- Secretary of the House Republican Conference: Rich Hudson
- Chair of the House Republican Policy Committee: Gary Palmer
- Chair of the National Republican Congressional Committee: Tom Emmer
Members
Senators
The numbers refer to their Senate classes. All class 1 senators are in the middle of their term, having been elected in 2018 and facing re-election in 2024. Class 2 senators are at the beginning of their term, having been elected in 2020 and facing re-election in 2026. Class 3 senators are at the end of their term, having been elected in 2016 and facing re-election in 2022.Delaware">List of United States senators from Delaware">Delaware
Kansas">List of United States senators from Kansas">Kansas
Mississippi">List of United States senators from Mississippi">Mississippi
New York">List of United States senators from New York">New York
South Carolina">List of United States senators from South Carolina">South Carolina
West Virginia">List of United States senators from West Virginia">West Virginia
Representatives
All 435 seats for voting members, along with the six non-voting delegates were filled by election in November 2020.Delaware">List of United States representatives from Delaware">Delaware
Kansas">List of United States representatives from Kansas">Kansas
Mississippi">List of United States representatives from Mississippi">Mississippi
New York">List of United States representatives from New York">New York
South Carolina">List of United States representatives from South Carolina">South Carolina
West Virginia">List of United States representatives from West Virginia">West Virginia
Changes in membership
! Georgia! California
! Georgia
Committees
Section contents: Senate, House, JointSenate committees
House committees
[|Joint] committees
| Committee | Chair | Vice Chair | Ranking Member | Vice Ranking Member |
| Economic | Rep. Don Beyer | Sen. Martin Heinrich | Sen. Mike Lee | Rep. David Schweikert |
| Inaugural Ceremonies until January 20, 2021 | Sen. Roy Blunt | Rep. Nancy Pelosi | Rep. Kevin McCarthy | Sen. Amy Klobuchar |
| Library | Rep. Zoe Lofgren | Sen. Amy Klobuchar | Sen. Roy Blunt | Rep. Rodney Davis |
| Printing | Sen. Amy Klobuchar | Rep. Zoe Lofgren | Rep. Rodney Davis | Sen. Roy Blunt |
| Taxation | Rep. Richard Neal | Sen. Ron Wyden | Sen. Mike Crapo | Rep. Kevin Brady |
Officers and officials
Senate officers and officials
- Chaplain: Barry Black
- Curator: Melinda Smith
- Historian: Betty Koed
- Librarian: Leona I. Faust
- Parliamentarian: Elizabeth MacDonough
- Secretary:
- * Julie E. Adams until March 1, 2021
- * Sonceria Berry from March 1, 2021
- Sergeant at Arms and Doorkeeper:
- * Michael C. Stenger, until January 7, 2021
- * Jennifer Hemingway, from January 7 to March 22, 2021
- * Lt. Gen. Karen Gibson since March 22, 2021
- ** Deputy Sergeant at Arms and Doorkeeper: Kelly Fado, since March 22, 2021
House officers and officials
- Chaplain: Margaret G. Kibben
- Chief Administrative Officer: Catherine Szpindor
- Clerk: Cheryl L. Johnson
- Historian: Matthew Wasniewski
- Parliamentarian: Jason Smith
- Reading Clerks: Tylease Alli and Susan Cole
- Sergeant at Arms:
- * Paul D. Irving, until January 7, 2021
- * Timothy P. Blodgett, January 12, 2021 – March 26, 2021
- * William J. Walker, starting April 26, 2021
Legislative branch agency">List of federal agencies in the United States#United States Congress">Legislative branch agency directors
- Architect of the Capitol: Brett Blanton
- Attending Physician: Brian P. Monahan
- Comptroller General of the United States: Gene Dodaro
- Director of the Congressional Budget Office: Phillip Swagel
- Librarian of Congress: Carla Diane Hayden
- Director of the U.S. Government Publishing Office: Vacant
- Counselor of the Office of the Law Revision Counsel: Ralph V. Seep
- Counselor of the Office of House Legislative Counsel: Ernest Wade Ballou Jr.
- Public Printer of the United States: Hugh N. Halpern