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116th Congress: Leadership & Party Shifts | SoftPro Blog

Written by SoftPro | 1/17/19 6:54 PM

 

The 116th Congress

The 116th Congress was sworn in on January 3, 2019 when it reconvened for the new year. The Democratic party won the majority of the house in the 2018 midterm elections, and Nancy Pelosi was elected as the next Speaker of the House. She previously served in the position from 2007 to 2011, and comes back as the first and only woman Speaker of the House. 

Pelosi received slightly more than 51% of the votes needed. This gives the U.S. a split Congress, as the Republican Party has now increased its majority in the Senate. The House Banking Committee will now be chaired by Maxine Waters, D-CA, a shift in leadership from Jeb Hensarling, R-TX, who previously chaired the committee from 2013-2019.