The 115th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States of America federal government, composed of the Senate and the House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C., from January 3, 2017, to January 3, 2019, during the final weeks of Barack Obama's presidency and the first two years of Donald Trump's first presidency. The seats in the House were apportioned based on the 2010 United States census., §3(b), and
The Republican Party retained their majority in both the House and the Senate, and, with the inauguration of Donald Trump on January 20, 2017, attained an overall federal government trifecta, a position they had last attained in 2005 with the 109th Congress it was the first time since the 111th Congress that the Democrats were in control of the House.
Several political scientists described the legislative accomplishments of this Congress as modest, considering that both Congress and the presidency were under unified Republican Party control.
This is the most recent Congress with Democratic senators from the states of Florida (Bill Nelson), Indiana (Joe Donnelly), Missouri (Claire McCaskill) and North Dakota (Heidi Heitkamp), as well as a Republican senator from Nevada (Dean Heller), all of whom lost re-election in 2018.
Major events
January 3, 2017: 115th Congress officially begins. January 5, 2017: House of Representatives condemned United Nations Security Council Resolution 2334. January 6, 2017: A joint session to count the presidential Electoral College votes is held. January 11–12, 2017: Senate, in an all-night session, took first steps to repeal the Affordable Care Act, (ACA). The final vote was 51 to 48 to approve a budget resolution to allow "broad swaths of the Affordable Care Act to be repealed through a process known as budget reconciliation." January 20, 2017: The first inauguration of Donald Trump takes place. The Republicans gain a trifecta. February 7, 2017: Vice President Mike Pence cast the tie-breaking vote to confirm Betsy DeVos as Secretary of Education. This was the first time in United States history that a cabinet confirmation was tied in the Senate and required a tie-breaking vote. February 28, 2017: President Donald Trump addresses a joint session of Congress. April 6, 2017: Senate invoked the "nuclear option" to weaken Supreme Court filibusters. Nominee Neil Gorsuch was then confirmed the next day. June 14, 2017: Majority Whip Steve Scalise and several staffers were shot during the Congressional baseball shooting. They were practicing for the annual Congressional Baseball Game. September 1, 2017: The Parliamentarian of the United States Senate decreed that the Senate had until the end of the month to pass ACA repeal via the reconciliation process, or the option would no longer be viable. October 24 – December 14, 2017: 2017 United States political sexual scandals from the "Me too" movement: Allegations that Democratic Congressman Ruben Kihuen sexually harassed a campaign staffer led some in congressional leadership to call for his resignation. Kihuen later announced he would not seek another term in office. Democratic senator Al Franken announced he would resign "in the coming weeks" after photographs were made public suggesting that he sexually assaulted (groped) a Los Angeles-based radio personality during a USO tour in Iraq in 2006. He was also accused by multiple female constituents of groping at various Minnesota fair appearances that he attended. Three members of Congress either resigned or announced their impending resignations. (See "Changes in membership") Allegations that President Donald Trump previously raped and sexually harassed at least nineteen women, one girl, and Miss Teen USA contestants resulted in calls by members of Congress for him to resign. Allegations that Republican Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore previously raped and sexually harassed at least eight women and one girl contributed to his defeat by Democrat Doug Jones in a special Senate election to replace Attorney General Jeff Sessions. Allegations that House member Blake Farenthold sexually harassed a former staffer resulted in the commencement of an investigation by the House Ethics Committee and his announcement he would not seek re-election in 2018. He subsequently resigned on April 6, 2018. January 20–22, 2018: United States federal government shutdown of January 2018 January 30, 2018: President Trump delivers the 2018 State of the Union Address. February 9, 2018: United States federal government funding gap April 9, 2018: FBI raids the office of Donald Trump's personal lawyer Michael Cohen.
October 6, 2018: Senate confirms Brett Kavanaugh's nomination to the U.S. Supreme Court. November 28, 2018: Senate discharges from committee and calendars , bill that ends US intervention in the Yemeni Civil War. November 30, 2018: Former president George H. W. Bush dies at 94 years old. December 5, 2018: The funeral of former President George H. W. Bush took place. December 22, 2018 – January 25, 2019: 2018–19 United States federal government shutdown
Major legislation
Enacted
January 31, 2017: GAO Access and Oversight Act of 2017, Pub.L. 115-3 February 28, 2017: Promoting Women in Entrepreneurship Act, Pub.L. 115-6 February 28, 2017: INSPIRE Women Act, Pub.L. 115-7 March 28, 2017: Vietnam War Veterans Recognition Act of 2017, Pub.L. 115-15 April 4, 2017: 2017 Broadband Consumer Privacy Proposal repeal April 18, 2017: Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Act of 2017, Pub.L. 115-25 May 5, 2017: Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2017, , August 2, 2017: Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act, , October 18, 2017: Elder Abuse Prevention and Prosecution Act of 2017 November 2, 2017: Strengthening State and Local Cyber Crime Fighting Act of 2017, Pub.L. 115-76 December 12, 2017: National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018, , December 22, 2017: Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, , February 9, 2018: Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018, , February 14, 2018: Protecting Young Victims from Sexual Abuse and Safe Sport Authorization Act of 2017, Pub.L. 115-126 March 16, 2018: Taiwan Travel Act, , March 23, 2018: Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018 (including the CLOUD Act), , April 11, 2018: Stop Enabling Sex Traffickers Act, , May 9, 2018: Justice for Uncompensated Survivors Today (JUST) Act, Pub.L. 115-171 May 24, 2018: Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief and Consumer Protection Act, , May 30, 2018: Trickett Wendler, Frank Mongiello, Jordan McLinn, and Matthew Bellina Right to Try Act of 2017, , August 13, 2018: National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019, , October 5, 2018: FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018, , October 9, 2018: Marrakesh Treaty Implementation Act, Pub.L. 115-261 October 11, 2018: Music Modernization Act, , October 23, 2018: America's Water Infrastructure Act of 2018, , October 24, 2018: SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act, , November 16, 2018: Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency Act, , December 7, 2018: Amy, Vicky, and Andy Child Pornography Victim Assistance Act of 2018, Pub.L. 115-299 December 11, 2018: Iraq and Syria Genocide Relief and Accountability Act of 2018, Pub.L. 115-300 December 20, 2018: Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018, , December 21, 2018: National Quantum Initiative Act, Pub.L. 115-368 December 21, 2018: FIRST STEP Act, , January 14, 2019: Foundations for Evidence-Based Policymaking Act of 2018, Pub.L. 115-435 January 14, 2019: Elie Wiesel Genocide and Atrocities Prevention Act of 2018, Pub.L. 115-441 November 1, 2017: Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection relating to "Arbitration Agreements
Proposed
May 4, 2017: American Health Care Act (), passed House May 4, 2017 June 8, 2017: Financial CHOICE Act (), passed House June 8, 2017
Party summary Resignations and new members are discussed in the "Changes in membership" section, below.
Senate
Affiliation Party (shading indicates majority caucus) Total Vacant Democratic Independent(caucusing withDemocrats) Republican End of previous Congress 44 2 54 100 0 Begin (January 3, 2017) 46 2 52 100 0 February 8, 2017 51 99 1 February 9, 2017 52 100 0 January 2, 2018 45 99 1 January 3, 2018 47 51 100 0 April 1, 2018 50 99 1 April 2, 2018 51 100 0 August 25, 2018 50 99 1 September 4, 2018 51 100 0 December 31, 2018 50 99 1 Final voting share Beginning of the next Congress 45 2 52 99 1
House of Representatives
Party (shading indicates majority caucus) Total Vacant Democratic Independent Republican End of previous Congress 187 0 246 433 2 Begin (January 3, 2017) 194 0 241 435 0 January 23, 2017 240 434 1 January 24, 2017 193 433 2 February 10, 2017 239 432 3 February 16, 2017 238 431 4 March 1, 2017 237 430 5 April 11, 2017 238 431 4 May 25, 2017 239 432 3 June 6, 2017 194 433 2 June 20, 2017 241 435 0 June 30, 2017 240 434 1 October 21, 2017 239 433 2 November 7, 2017 240 434 1 December 5, 2017 193 433 2 December 8, 2017 239 432 3 January 15, 2018 238 431 4 March 13, 2018 194 432 3 March 16, 2018 193 431 4 April 6, 2018 237 430 5 April 23, 2018 236 429 6 April 24, 2018 237 430 5 April 27, 2018 236 429 6 May 12, 2018 235 428 7 June 30, 2018 236 429 6 August 7, 2018 237 430 5 September 10, 2018 236 429 6 September 30, 2018 235 428 7 November 6, 2018 197 236 433 2 December 31, 2018 196 432 3 Final voting share Non-voting members 3 1 2 6 0 Beginning of the next Congress 235 0 199 434 12018 United States House of Representatives elections in North Carolina#District 9
Leadership
Senate
President: Joe Biden (D), until January 20, 2017 Mike Pence (R), from January 20, 2017 President pro tempore: Orrin Hatch (R)
Majority (Republican) leadership Majority Leader: Mitch McConnell Majority Whip: John Cornyn Republican Conference Chairman: John Thune Republican Conference Vice Chairman: Roy Blunt Republican Campaign Committee Chairman: Cory Gardner Policy Committee Chairman: John Barrasso
Minority (Democratic) leadership Minority Leader: Chuck Schumer Minority Whip: Dick Durbin Assistant Minority Leader: Patty Murray Democratic Caucus Chairman: Chuck Schumer Policy Committee Chairwoman: Debbie Stabenow Democratic Caucus Vice Chairs: Mark Warner and Elizabeth Warren Democratic Caucus Secretary: Tammy Baldwin Democratic Campaign Committee Chairman: Chris Van Hollen Policy Committee Vice Chairman: Joe Manchin Steering Committee Chairwoman: Amy Klobuchar Outreach Chair: Bernie Sanders Senate Democratic Chief Deputy Whips: Cory Booker, Jeff Merkley, and Brian Schatz
House of Representatives
Speaker: Paul Ryan (R)
Majority (Republican) leadership Majority Leader: Kevin McCarthy Majority Whip: Steve Scalise Republican Conference Chairwoman: Cathy McMorris Rodgers Republican Conference Vice-Chairman: Doug Collins Republican Conference Secretary: Jason T. Smith Republican Campaign Committee Chairman: Steve Stivers Policy Committee Chairman: Luke Messer
Minority (Democratic) leadership Minority Leader: Nancy Pelosi Minority Whip: Steny Hoyer Assistant Minority Leader: Jim Clyburn Democratic Caucus Chairman: Joseph Crowley Democratic Caucus Vice-Chairwoman: Linda Sánchez Democratic Campaign Committee Chairman: Ben Ray Luján Steering and Policy Committee Co-Chairs: Rosa DeLauro and Eric Swalwell Policy and Communications Chairmen: Cheri Bustos, David Cicilline, and Hakeem Jeffries
Demographics Note: Demographics are accurate as of the commencement of the 115th Congress on January 3, 2017.
The average age of members of the House of Representatives during the 115th Congress was 57.8 years, while the average age of U.S. senators was 61.8 years.