118th United States Congress


The 118th 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, 2023, and ended on January 3, 2025, during the final two years of Joe Biden's presidency.
In the 2022 midterm elections, the Republican Party won control of the House 222–213, taking the majority for the first time since the, while the Democratic Party gained one seat in the [|Senate], where they already had effective control, and giving them a 51–49-seat majority. With Republicans winning the House, the 118th Congress ended the federal government trifecta Democrats held in the 117th.
This congress also featured the first female President [pro tempore of the United States Senate|Senate president pro tempore], the first black party leader in congressional history, and the longest-serving Senate party leaders. The Senate had the highest number of Independent members in a single Congress since the ratification of the 17th Amendment after Joe Manchin left the Democratic Party to become an Independent.
The 118th Congress was characterized as a uniquely ineffectual Congress, with its most notable events pointing towards political dysfunction. The intense gridlock, particularly in the Republican-controlled House, where the Republican Conference's majority was often undercut by internal disputes among its members, resulted in it passing the lowest number of laws for the first year of session since the Richard Nixon administration, and possibly ever. By August 2024, the Congress has passed only 78 laws, less than a third of the next lowest laws per Congress in the 112th Congress, which also featured a Republican House opposing the Democratic Senate and White House. This resulted in the need for a legislative coalition to pass key legislation, allowing the minority to exercise powers usually reserved for the majority. The fractious session demotivated many veteran legislators, with five committee chairs among the dozens who declared their resignation or retirement before the end of the session, three of whom were eligible to reprise their positions if the Republican Party retained their majority for 2025. A higher-than-average number of retiring lawmakers were those attempting to pass bipartisan and collaborative legislation. Two complete discharge petitions were filed in late 2024, both Republican-led with majority Democratic support, demonstrating a trend towards bucking leadership and lack of party discipline; such a gambit was last successful in 2015 to support the Export–Import Bank. The second of these, a bill to remove certain Social Security restrictions, was subject to an unusual legislative procedure when a chair pro forma called forth a motion to table on a bill while the chamber was empty, flouting House convention and agreements.
The Congress began with a multi-ballot January 2023 [Speaker of the United States House of Representatives election|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 bipartisan votes to get out of a debt ceiling crisis and United States federal government shutdown|government shutdown threats], McCarthy became the first speaker ever to be Removal of [Kevin McCarthy as Speaker of the House|removed from the role] during a legislative session on October 3, 2023. Following three failed attempts by various representatives to fill the post, on October 25, Mike Johnson was October 2023 speaker of the [United States House of Representatives election|elected as speaker]. Johnson would advance four more bipartisan continuing resolutions from November into March to avoid shutdowns. Congress finalized the 2024 United States federal budget on March 23, 2024, through two separate minibus packages. Following a contentious foreign-aid vote, a motion to remove Johnson from the speakership was defeated in a bipartisan vote.
Partisan disciplinary actions also increased. With the expulsion of New York representative George Santos from the House in December 2023, over the opposition of the speaker, this was the first congress since the 107th in which a member was expelled, and the first ever in which a Republican was. There was also an increase of censures passed in the House, being the first congress with multiple censures since the 1983 congressional page sex scandal and the most in one year since 1870. In December 2023, House Republicans authorized an impeachment inquiry into Joe Biden, followed by the impeachment of Alejandro Mayorkas in February 2024, the first time a cabinet secretary has been the target of impeachment proceedings since William W. Belknap in 1876, and only the second such cabinet impeachment in history. The charges were dismissed by the Senate, the first time the Senate dismissed impeachment articles without trial after the reading.
This is the most recent Congress with Democratic senators from the states of Montana and Ohio, both of whom lost re-election in 2024.

Major events

Enacted

; House bills
; Senate bills

Adopted

  • : Adopting the Rules of the House of Representatives for the One Hundred Eighteenth Congress, and for other purposes.
  • : Establishing the Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party.
  • : Establishing a Judiciary Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government|Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government] as a select investigative subcommittee of the Committee on the Judiciary.
  • : Removing Ilhan Omar from the House Foreign Affairs Committee.
  • : Censuring Adam Schiff and referring his conduct to the Ethics Committee">United States Senate Select Committee on Ethics">Ethics Committee for further investigation.
  • : Declaring the office of Speaker of the House of Representatives to be vacant.
  • : Censuring Rashida Tlaib for statements on the Gaza war considered antisemitic.
  • : Impeaching Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas.
  • : Expelling George Santos for alleged fraud and campaign finance violations.
  • : Censuring Jamaal Bowman for pulling a fire alarm in the Capitol when there was no fire.
  • : Holding Attorney General Merrick Garland in contempt of Congress for failing to comply with a subpoena in relation to the Joe Biden classified documents incident.
  • : Terminating the national emergency concerning COVID-19 declared by the President on March 13, 2020.
  • : Disapproving the action of the District of Columbia Council in approving the Revised Criminal Code Act of 2022.
  • : Clarifying the dress code for the floor of the Senate.

    Proposed

  • : Recognizing the duty of the Federal Government to create a Green New Deal
  • : Calling for an immediate deescalation and cease-fire in Israel and occupied Palestine. '
  • : Expressing the sense of Congress condemning the recent attacks on pro-life facilities, groups, and churches. '
  • : Denouncing the horrors of socialism.
  • : Removing the deadline for the ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment.
  • : Providing for congressional disapproval of the proposed foreign military sale to Israel of certain defense articles and services.

    Vetoed

  • : 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'".
  • : 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".
  • : 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".
  • : Disapproving the action of the District of Columbia Council in approving the Comprehensive Policing and Justice Reform Amendment Act of 2022.
  • : 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".
  • : Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the National Labor Relations Board relating to "Standard for Determining [|Joint] Employer Status".
  • : Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Securities and Exchange Commission relating to "Staff Accounting Bulletin No. 121".
  • : 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".
  • : Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection relating to "Small Business Lending Under the Equal Credit Opportunity Act ".
  • : Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Federal Highway Administration relating to "Waiver of Buy America Requirements for Electric Vehicle Chargers".

    Party summary

Senate

House of Representatives

Leadership

Note: Democrats refer to themselves as a "caucus"; Republicans refer to themselves as a "conference".

Senate

Presiding

Presiding

Senate

The numbers refer to their Senate classes. All class 3 seats were contested in the 2022 [United States Senate elections|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.

Alabama">List of United States senators from Alabama">Alabama

Alaska">List of United States senators from Alaska">Alaska

Arizona">List of United States senators from Arizona">Arizona

Arkansas">List of United States senators from Arkansas">Arkansas

California">List of United States senators from California">California

Colorado">List of United States senators from Colorado">Colorado

Connecticut">List of United States senators from Connecticut">Connecticut

Delaware">List of United States senators from Delaware">Delaware

Florida">List of United States senators from Florida">Florida

Georgia">List of United States senators from Georgia">Georgia

Hawaii">List of United States senators from Hawaii">Hawaii

Idaho">List of United States senators from Idaho">Idaho

Illinois">List of United States senators from Illinois">Illinois

Indiana">List of United States senators from Indiana">Indiana

Iowa">List of United States senators from Iowa">Iowa

Kansas">List of United States senators from Kansas">Kansas

Kentucky">List of United States senators from Kentucky">Kentucky

Louisiana">List of United States senators from Louisiana">Louisiana

Maine">List of United States senators from Maine">Maine

Maryland">List of United States senators from Maryland">Maryland

Massachusetts">List of United States senators from Massachusetts">Massachusetts

Michigan">List of United States senators from Michigan">Michigan

Minnesota">List of United States senators from Minnesota">Minnesota

Mississippi">List of United States senators from Mississippi">Mississippi

Missouri">List of United States senators from Missouri">Missouri

Montana">List of United States senators from Montana">Montana

Nebraska">List of United States senators from Nebraska">Nebraska

Nevada">List of United States senators from Nevada">Nevada

New Hampshire">List of United States senators from New Hampshire">New Hampshire

New Jersey">List of United States senators from New Jersey">New Jersey

New Mexico">List of United States senators from New Mexico">New Mexico

New York">List of United States senators from New York">New York

North Carolina">List of United States senators from North Carolina">North Carolina

North Dakota">List of United States senators from North Dakota">North Dakota

Ohio">List of United States senators from Ohio">Ohio

Oklahoma">List of United States senators from Oklahoma">Oklahoma

Oregon">List of United States senators from Oregon">Oregon

Pennsylvania">List of United States senators from Pennsylvania">Pennsylvania

Rhode Island">List of United States senators from Rhode Island">Rhode Island

South Carolina">List of United States senators from South Carolina">South Carolina

South Dakota">List of United States senators from South Dakota">South Dakota

Tennessee">List of United States senators from Tennessee">Tennessee

Texas">List of United States senators from Texas">Texas

Utah">List of United States senators from Utah">Utah

Vermont">List of United States senators from Vermont">Vermont

Virginia">List of United States senators from Virginia">Virginia

Washington">List of United States senators from Washington">Washington

West Virginia">List of United States senators from West Virginia">West Virginia

Wisconsin">List of United States senators from Wisconsin">Wisconsin

Wyoming">List of United States senators from Wyoming">Wyoming

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.
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.

Alabama">List of United States representatives from Alabama">Alabama

Alaska">List of United States representatives from Alaska">Alaska

Arizona">List of United States representatives from Arizona">Arizona

Arkansas">List of United States representatives from Arkansas">Arkansas

California">List of United States representatives from California">California

Colorado">List of United States representatives from Colorado">Colorado

Connecticut">List of United States representatives from Connecticut">Connecticut

Delaware">List of United States representatives from Delaware">Delaware

Florida">List of United States representatives from Florida">Florida

Georgia">List of United States representatives from Georgia">Georgia

Hawaii">List of United States representatives from Hawaii">Hawaii

Idaho">List of United States representatives from Idaho">Idaho

Illinois">List of United States representatives from Illinois">Illinois

Indiana">List of United States representatives from Indiana">Indiana

Iowa">List of United States representatives from Iowa">Iowa

Kansas">List of United States representatives from Kansas">Kansas

Kentucky">List of United States representatives from Kentucky">Kentucky

Louisiana">List of United States representatives from Louisiana">Louisiana

Maine">List of United States representatives from Maine">Maine

Maryland">List of United States representatives from Maryland">Maryland

Massachusetts">List of United States representatives from Massachusetts">Massachusetts

Michigan">List of United States representatives from Michigan">Michigan

Minnesota">List of United States representatives from Minnesota">Minnesota

Mississippi">List of United States representatives from Mississippi">Mississippi

Missouri">List of United States representatives from Missouri">Missouri

Montana">List of United States representatives from Montana">Montana

Nebraska">List of United States representatives from Nebraska">Nebraska

Nevada">List of United States representatives from Nevada">Nevada

New Hampshire">List of United States representatives from New Hampshire">New Hampshire

New Jersey">List of United States representatives from New Jersey">New Jersey

New Mexico">List of United States representatives from New Mexico">New Mexico

New York">List of United States representatives from New York">New York

North Carolina">List of United States representatives from North Carolina">North Carolina

North Dakota">List of United States representatives from North Dakota">North Dakota

Ohio">List of United States representatives from Ohio">Ohio

Oklahoma">List of United States representatives from Oklahoma">Oklahoma

Oregon">List of United States representatives from Oregon">Oregon

Pennsylvania">List of United States representatives from Pennsylvania">Pennsylvania

Rhode Island">List of United States representatives from Rhode Island">Rhode Island

South Carolina">List of United States representatives from South Carolina">South Carolina

South Dakota">List of United States representatives from South Dakota">South Dakota

Tennessee">List of United States representatives from Tennessee">Tennessee

Texas">List of United States representatives from Texas">Texas

Utah">List of United States representatives from Utah">Utah

Vermont">List of United States representatives from Vermont">Vermont

Virginia">List of United States representatives from Virginia">Virginia

Washington">List of United States representatives from Washington">Washington

West Virginia">List of United States representatives from West Virginia">West Virginia

Wisconsin">List of United States representatives from Wisconsin">Wisconsin

Wyoming">List of United States representatives from Wyoming">Wyoming

Non-voting members

Changes in membership

Senate changes

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House of Representatives changes

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Committees

Section contents: Senate, House, Joint

Senate committees

Standing committees

CommitteeChairRanking Member/Vice Chair
Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry|Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry]Debbie Stabenow John Boozman
AppropriationsPatty Murray Susan Collins
Armed ServicesJack Reed Roger Wicker
Banking, Housing and Urban AffairsSherrod Brown Tim Scott
BudgetSheldon Whitehouse Chuck Grassley
Commerce, Science and TransportationMaria Cantwell Ted Cruz
Energy and Natural ResourcesJoe Manchin John Barrasso
Environment and Public WorksTom Carper Shelley Moore Capito
FinanceRon Wyden Mike Crapo
Foreign RelationsBob Menendez
Ben Cardin 		Jim Risch
Health, Education, Labor and PensionsBernie Sanders Bill Cassidy
Homeland Security and Governmental AffairsGary Peters Rand Paul
JudiciaryDick Durbin Lindsey Graham
Rules and AdministrationAmy Klobuchar Deb Fischer
Small Business and EntrepreneurshipBen Cardin
Jeanne Shaheen 		Joni Ernst
Veterans' AffairsJon Tester Jerry Moran

Select, permanent select and special committees

CommitteeChairRanking Member/Vice Chair
Aging Bob Casey Jr. Mike Braun
Ethics Chris Coons James Lankford
Indian Affairs Brian Schatz Lisa Murkowski
Intelligence Mark Warner Marco Rubio
International Narcotics Control Sheldon Whitehouse Chuck Grassley

House of Representatives committees

CommitteeChairRanking Member
AgricultureGlenn Thompson David Scott
AppropriationsKay Granger
Tom Cole 		Rosa DeLauro
Armed ServicesMike Rogers Adam Smith
BudgetJodey Arrington Brendan Boyle
Education and the WorkforceVirginia Foxx Bobby Scott
Energy and CommerceCathy McMorris Rodgers Frank Pallone
EthicsMichael Guest Susan Wild
Financial ServicesPatrick McHenry Maxine Waters
Foreign AffairsMichael McCaul Gregory Meeks
Homeland SecurityMark Green Bennie Thompson
House AdministrationBryan Steil Joe Morelle
Intelligence Mike Turner Jim Himes
JudiciaryJim Jordan Jerry Nadler
Natural ResourcesBruce Westerman Raúl Grijalva
Oversight and ReformJames Comer Jamie Raskin
RulesTom Cole
Michael C. Burgess 		Jim McGovern
Science, Space and TechnologyFrank Lucas Zoe Lofgren
Small BusinessRoger Williams Nydia Velázquez
Transportation and InfrastructureSam Graves Rick Larsen
Veterans' AffairsMike Bost Mark Takano
Ways and MeansJason Smith Richard Neal

Joint committees

CommitteeChairVice ChairRanking MemberVice Ranking Member
Economic Committee|Economic]Sen. Martin Heinrich Rep. David Schweikert Rep. Don Beyer Sen. Mike Lee
Inaugural Ceremonies Sen. Amy Klobuchar Rep. Mike Johnson Rep. Hakeem Jeffries Sen. Deb Fischer
LibrarySen. Amy Klobuchar Rep. Bryan Steil Rep. Joe Morelle Sen. Deb Fischer
PrintingRep. Bryan Steil Sen. Amy Klobuchar Sen. Deb Fischer Rep. Joe Morelle
TaxationRep. Jason Smith Sen. Ron Wyden Sen. Mike Crapo Rep. Richard Neal

Officers and officials

Congressional officers