News Analysis
The 119th Congress of the United States will officially sit for the first time on Jan. 3, 2025—marking the official close of the particularly tumultuous and divided 118th Congress.
The Congress was defined by ideological splits among House Republicans, whose narrow majority meant that everything—from who held the speaker’s gavel to how the government would be funded—was on the line, and Republicans needed broad agreement to advance any course of action.
With President Joe Biden in the White House and Democrats in control of the upper chamber, partisan divisions were also especially pronounced.
While Republicans mounted investigations into the administration and executive officials, Democrats broke records in the Senate for judicial confirmations….