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Congress

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U.S. Representatives of the 119th Congress are sworn in during the House's first day of session on Jan. 3, 2025. (McNamee/Getty Images)

The changing face of Congress in 7 charts

The 119th Congress is the most racially and ethnically diverse in history, and it includes the nation’s first openly transgender legislator at the federal level.

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Sen. Angela Alsobrooks is sworn in at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 3, 2025, the first day of the 119th Congress. Alsobrooks is one of two Black women currently serving in the Senate. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)

119th Congress brings firsts for women of color

In the Senate, two Black women are serving concurrently for the first time. And in the House, two states and one U.S. territory elected their first Black, Hispanic or Pacific Islander woman lawmaker.

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Members of the incoming 119th Congress will be sworn in at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 3, 2025. (Cynthia Johnson/Getty Images)

Faith on the Hill

Christians will make up 87% of voting members in the Senate and House of Representatives, combined, in the 2025-27 congressional session.

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Congress

Publications

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    Frustration with Congress Could Hurt Republican Incumbents

    Overview Public discontent with Congress has reached record levels, and the implications for incumbents in next year’s elections could be stark. Two-in-three voters say most members of Congress should be voted out of office in 2012 – the highest on record. And the number who say their own member should be replaced matches the all-time […]

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    Obama Job Approval Improves, GOP Contest Remains Fluid

    Overview With much of the recent political focus on the ever-changing Republican presidential nomination race, Barack Obama’s job rating has improved modestly over the past month. And a majority of Americans continue to hold a favorable personal opinion of Obama. This is not the case for his main GOP rivals, whom he mostly bests in […]

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    Census 2010: The Last Seat in Congress

    When the 2010 Census apportionment counts were announced last month, they showed that North Carolina, which scored the last seat in 2000, fell short of winning the 435th or last seat. This time, Minnesota was the winner.

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    The 2010 Congressional Reapportionment and Latinos

    Hispanic voters are nearly three times more prevalent in states that gained congressional seats and Electoral College votes in the 2010 reapportionment than they are in states that lost seats.

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    The 2010 Congressional Reapportionment and Latinos

    Hispanic voters are nearly three times more prevalent in states that gained congressional seats and Electoral College votes in the 2010 reapportionment than they are in states that lost seats.

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    Census 2010: Apportionment Basics

    The first numbers from the 2010 Census, to be released tomorrow, are the state population totals that have been the basis of the proportional division of seats in the House of Representatives since the nation’s early days

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    Census 2010: Apportionment Basics

    The first numbers from the 2010 Census are the state population totals, the basis of the proportional division of seats in the House of Representatives since the nation’s early days. The number of House seats has been fixed at 435 since 1913, but there have been numerous tweaks in the methodology used to divide them up — and debate continues today.

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    Obama Viewed as Doing Better than GOP Leaders in Explaining Vision

    Overview With just over a month to go before the midterm elections, the public by a wide margin says Barack Obama has done a better job than Republican congressional leaders in explaining his plans and vision for the country. Half (50%) of the public says Obama has done a better job, compared with just 28% […]