Narrow majorities in U.S. House have become more common but haven’t always led to gridlock
House Republicans held the fifth-smallest majority in U.S. history at the start of the current congress, tied with the 107th and 83rd Congresses.
Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World
House Republicans held the fifth-smallest majority in U.S. history at the start of the current congress, tied with the 107th and 83rd Congresses.
Women make up 28% of all members of the 118th Congress, a considerable increase from where things stood even a decade ago.
Only one of this year’s 35 Senate elections didn’t go the same way as the state’s 2020 presidential vote. The exception was Wisconsin.
The new House will have 80 members who’ve served in the military, or 18.4% of members. That’s up from 75, or 17.2%, in the 117th Congress.
21% of the roughly 1,000 candidates for U.S. Senate, House or state governor on the fall ballot claim some degree of military experience.
In the event that a Senate seat becomes vacant, governors in 46 states have the power to appoint a temporary replacement.
When Congress convened in 2021, 72% of House members and 65% of senators were new since the start of the 111th Congress in 2009.
In the U.S. House, Freedom Caucus members and allies have less seniority than other Republicans and are more likely to come from the South.
Women make up just over a quarter of all members of the 117th Congress – the highest percentage in U.S. history.
The 117th Congress’ total legislative output stands at 36 laws – only 30 of which count, by our criteria, as substantive legislation.
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