The U.S. House finally has a speaker and the 118th Congress is getting down to business. The proceedings to fill the speakership predict turbulence in the House for the next two years. In the 2022 election, Republicans won 222 House seats and Democrats won 213, representing a net gain of 10 seats for Republicans. One elected Democrat, Rep. Donald McEachin (Va.), died of colorectal cancer three weeks after the election. His seat will be filled by a special election scheduled for Feb. 21. As a result, the 118th House opened with 212 Democratic members.
Bucking historic midterm trends, the 2022 election was a relatively good one for House incumbents. Only eight House incumbents on the ballot lost—six Democrats and two Republicans. Fourteen other incumbents lost their party’s primary. Factoring in retirements and departures, the 118th House welcomes 75 first-term members of Congress (76 after the special election in Virginia).
In the Senate, Democrats picked up one seat, breaking what had been a 50–50 tie (when counting the Independents who caucus with the Democrats). There are currently seven new members, two Democrats and five Republicans. The Senate will also be adding an eighth new member, following Sen. Ben Sasse’s (R-Neb.) resignation in January to become president of the University of Florida. Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen will decide who will serve until a special election is held in 2024 to fill the seat.
Fun Facts about the 118th Congress
- This is the oldest Congress since 1789. The average age in the Senate is 63.9 years. The oldest senator is Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), who will turn 90 in June; the youngest senator is Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.), who will turn 36 this month. The House average is 57.5 years. The oldest representative, Grace Napolitano (D-Calif.), is 86; the first Gen Z member of the House is 25-year-old Maxwell Frost (D-Fla.).
- It is the most racially and ethnically diverse Congress, with 133 members who identify as Black, Hispanic, Asian American, American Indian, Alaska Native or multiracial. Twenty years ago, the 108th Congress had 67 people of color among its membership.
- Women hold 149 seats, 27.9% of the total, with 58 held by women of color. The previous record was 147 seats held by women in the 117th Congress.
- This Congress has 97 members (90 men and seven women) who served in the military.
- There are 19 physician members in this Congress, including four senators and 15 representatives.
What Should We Expect?
The government remains divided. Democrats hold the White House, and the Senate by one vote, and Republicans lead the House. This division may make it difficult for the 118th Congress to accomplish much. The House majority has been compiling a list of priorities over the past two years, but any measures it manages to pass through a divided majority party and tighter-than-normal lead are unlikely to be taken up by the Senate majority party, much less passed against its one-vote margin. Amid the gridlock in Congress, the ACR will focus even greater efforts to advance pro-rheumatology legislation in state houses across the country to improve high-quality access to care.