| 117th United States Congress | |
|---|---|
| Members | 100 senators 435 representatives 6 non-voting delegates |
| Senate Majority | Republican (until January 20, 2021) Democratic (from January 20, 2021) |
| Senate President | Mike Pence (R) (until January 20, 2021) Kamala Harris (D) (from January 20, 2021) |
| House Majority | Democratic |
What is the current makeup of the Senate?
| United States Senate | |
|---|---|
| Structure | |
| Seats | 100 51 (or 50 plus the Vice President) for a majority |
| Political groups | Majority (50) Democratic (48) Independent (2) Minority (50) Republican (50) |
| Length of term | 6 years |
Where is most of the work in Congress done?
committees
Most congressional legislative work happens in committees.
Who sits in the US Congress?
Congress has 535 voting members: 100 senators and 435 representatives. The Vice President of the United States has a vote in the Senate only when senators are evenly divided; the House of Representatives has six non-voting members.
What does Minority Whip mean?
In both the House and the Senate, the minority whip is the second highest-ranking individual in the minority party (the party with the lesser number of legislators in a legislative body), outranked only by the minority leader.
What’s the average age of members of Congress?
The median age of members of the 117th Congress is 60 years old, which is much higher than the country’s median age of 38, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Different generations see certain issues differently so the overall demographic of Congress can aid or deter your efforts.
What are the demographics of the 117th Congress?
The demographics of the 117th Congress make it the closest one yet to a true racial representation of our country. While it is still predominantly white, other races and ethnicities have been steadily increasing over the past two decades.
How many black members of Congress are there?
Our analysis reflects the 532 voting members of Congress seated as of Jan. 26, 2021. This analysis builds on earlier Pew Research Center work to analyze the racial and ethnic makeup of the U.S. Congress. To determine the number of racial and ethnic minority lawmakers in the 117th Congress, we used data from the Congressional Research Service.
How is the demographic profile of Congress changing?
Here are seven charts that show how the demographic profile of Congress has changed over time, using historical data from CQ Roll Call, the Congressional Research Service and other sources. To determine the demographics of the 117th Congress, we pulled data from recently published Pew Research Center analyses and other earlier work.
