Overview of the 118th Congress

By Laura Walling, Senior Director of Government Relations, Goodwill Industries International

After a rocky start, the new Congress is underway. The House has a newly elected Speaker and is solidifying committee assignments, while the Senate convened briefly to be officially sworn in and will return on January 23.  Half of the House GOP conference took office following the 2018 midterms and 8 of the new committee chairs have less than 10 years in Congress.  The new Congress has nearly ninety freshman and is one of the oldest on record.  The average age in the Senate is reportedly 63.9 years. In the House, it’s 57.5 years.

With 133 members who identify as Black, Hispanic, Asian American, American Indian, Alaska Native, or multiracial, this Congress is the most ethnically and racially diverse in US history. Women are also making history this Congress.  Breaking the previous record of 147 women, 149 women will serve in the 118^th. This Congress includes ninety-seven members who have served in the military, including seventeen Senators and ninety members of the House.

Each members personal experiences will help shape their views on the various policy proposals coming before them, but of course party politics will play a role in such a closely divided split Congress.  Among those issues include the debt limit, the Farm Bill which includes the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, and the Federal Aviation Act all have expiring deadlines.

Congress will also have to agree on a spending package prior to September 30 to avoid a government shutdown. The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) is due for reauthorization as well. WIOA negotiations began last year, and a bill passed the House but with very little bipartisan support.

Goodwill Industries International will be tracking all these measures and more in addition to regulatory activity. Stay tuned via our Legislative Action Center to continue to receive the latest information.